Hi Betty
I can't recommend a particular store or brand but as someone who has been a pointe shoe fitter and wearer of many brands I would say, from the little you said, it's the fit rather than the make you need to focus on. Bagging at the heel can occur for a number of reasons. It might simply be the design of the particular model ( for example Grishko Vaganova and Bloch Serenades are deeper at the heel). A shoe that's too wide or too big will create excess fabric at the heel. When a dancer steps onto pointe there should be no sliding down into the box, this slippage could cause friction on that bunion, as well. A shoe that's too narrow will also squeeze that joint. Both of these issues can inhibit a dancer's ability to getting properly on to the platform of the shoe but there are numerous other reasons for this. An easy way to assist with "getting over" en pointe is to simply remove the tack that holds the heel of the shank to the outer sole. This creates the same kind of bend, high up in the shoe, like you would get with a 3/4 shank but you still feel supported en pointe. Before you completely write off Bloch for your daughter consider trying the Synergy model, made on a last with bunions in mind. Also their Sonata model designed to flex at 3/4 and has a generous platform, features that can assist with attaining a better position en pointe. Both of these are at the lower end of the price scale. Sometimes it's wing blocking that presses uncomfortably on a bunion but if you like everything else about a particular shoe then it's possible to soften wing blocking with a small amount of steam from a kettle, as long as they are traditional paste shoes. This only requires a few seconds of moist heat to make a shoe comfortable. A dancer needs to recognize what their individual needs are in a pointe do research - try to match your requirements with a shoes specifications on manufacturers website then try those shoes and see if they match up. An experienced pointe shoe fitter should be asking questions and getting feedback from the wearer at every stage of the fitting process. It does get easier with experience, there is inevitably some trial and error. People will recommend their favourite shoes but no one can put their feet in another dancer's shoes. It's a very individual thing.
