Hello,
First time poster here. I have a student who has just gone onto pointe for the first time following years of ballet technique training, exams & 6 months of specific pre-pointe conditioning for me, she is 14. I deemed her ready to be fitted for pointe shoes and she started in January so is very new. However, when rolling up onto her pointe I am seeing something I haven't seen before.
Her foot seems to be flat underneath with no arch and she can't get over the box. Where you would expect the shoe to crease above the box, when en demi pointe, there is a crinkle in the shoe as though she is 'flointing' in the shoe. (Ankle pointed/straight, toes flexed/pulled back). However, she is certain that she is fully stretched and pointed in the shoe. She says she feels unsupported/ not pulled up in the shoe.
She is wearing Merlet - for those not familiar with this shoe, it has a replaceable shank (she is wearing 'hard' shank and has tried 'medium' too.) Any other time, I would suggest she has been really badly fitted but she went to the same store all our students go, where the fittings are so thorough and comprehensive. She was happy with the fitting at the time.
I am hoping for some advice on what to suggest here. Parent is aware and we are being very careful at the moment. Thank you in advance for your advice and expertise.
