Gaynor Minden Pointe shoes

[Miracle]

My DD is considering the above named pointe shoes and I was wondering if anyone has experience of when these shoes are appropriate? Ideal age or years of pointe experience needed? X

[BadBallerina]

I haven't personally tried them but they're a bit of a marmite shoe - love them or hate them! Teachers I have don't recommend them (and fitters) because they cover all your feets flaws so don't allow you to work on them but just covers them up. They are supposed to be very comfortable though! Just my opinion x

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Dd loves hers. She has very very flexible feet & other pointes break in a matter of weeks. Her Gaynors last ages & they support her bendy feet.

[Anna C]

Dd's dance physio does not like them one bit. They definitely seem to be Marmite shoes! Dd has a pair but prefers her Freeds overall. I wouldn't let her try them until her feet had stopped growing though, due to the price.

 

They can make feet look very pretty for audition photos; they are also quiet for performances. Good for variations with lots of fast footwork and allegro. Not very flat on the platform though so harder to balance en pointe. They can tend to "pop" you onto pointe as the pre-arched shank is springy, so not so good for really working through the demi-pointe.

 

Like any shoe, great for some people but not for others. Some teachers really disapprove of them so maybe worth checking if they are allowed before spending upwards of £70.

[Pointetoes]

DD loves hers. She didn't get them until last year by which time she had been en pointe for 4 years. Her teacher loves the fit of them on her feet but won't let anyone think about having them until, they are a few years down the line.

 

Although expensive they have definitely lasted the longest.

 

I would definitely check with her teacher before you buy them as they real are like marmite.

[Legseleven]

Pictures, I feel your pain! It sounds as though your DD's feet are very similar to my DD's. Gaynor Mindens can really be saviours of feet and of parents' bank balances.

[Karen]

My dd loves them too - they were recommended by one of her teachers. They last well, can go in the washing machine and don't need darning! Ribbons are tough to sew on, but they look lovely in performance and definitely suit dd.

[drdance]

I wonder if all those teachers who say "they do all the work for you" or words to that effect have actually tried dancing in GMs? I tried a pair a few years ago and my goodness it made the muscles in my legs and feet work so much harder than my Capezios! 

[Picturesinthefirelight]

They go in the washing machine?????? Why did I not know this?

 

Really. So the costume lady at dds school needn't have spent all that time rescuing dd's with cleaner by hand when a blister burst on her foot & bled all over them?

[Pointetoes]

Can they really go in the washing machine??????

 

DD's are a really mess after EYB and having to use loads of rosin during rehearsals

 

I am guess a v gentle wash ? With than in a pillow case

[Tulip]

My daughter didn't like these shoes as they prevented her rolling through her feet. She too has very strong flexible feet, but she found these shoes not right for her.

[Karen]

 

They go in the washing machine?????? Why did I not know this?

 

They do indeed, on a cool wash, but look clean and smell fresh when they come out. Polycarbonate box is fine on 30 degree wash.

[alison]

Miracle, you may find more information in this thread: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/9606-gaynor-minden-pointe-shoes/?hl=gaynor

[Picturesinthefirelight]

I've got a hand wash setting on my machine that's 30degrees

 

My dd finds she can go through her foot better in them than her Merlet. She still likes the feel of Merlet but thinks Gaynors are better for her.

[Legseleven]

It's the same for DD, Pictures. She can roll through the feet in them (she wears the hard shank Gaynors, in the green bag). Mind you, I wasn't surprised at that as she also rolled through in her Grishko Vaganovas, which are made for the Russian method of springing straight onto pointe.

[Legseleven]

I'm sorry, no idea how I posted twice!

[Anna C]

I'm sorry, no idea how I posted twice!

Not to worry! I've hidden the duplicate post for you.

[Legseleven]

Thank you Anna!

[JoJo]

My daughter has transitioned to Gaynors over the last couple of years and is a big fan.  (She always wore Grishko prior to that.)  They last her a long time and she has machine washed them with great success (including washing out copious amounts of blood from blisters and grass stains when she used them for a modelling shoot!)  

 

She teaches younger students, however, when she is home in the UK, and only encourages use once confident and strong en pointe, as they don't help you to learn how to use demi-pointe and articulate your feet, so definitely not for beginners.

[anondancer_15]

had no idea gaynors could go in the washing machine??????? this would rescue the smell of them significanlty hahah

 

i love mine, got them when i got to the age and position where i was paying for my own pointe shoes and thought they'd be worth the investment!! i actually thought they were harder to get up en pointe in at first, they just feel very different but they're so comfortable and i haven't bought another pair since they're a right b*** to sew though!!

[Lildancer96]

I agree - they are awful to sew! They are apparently very comfy but still only seen to last my dd a couple of weeks

[Sheila Beelam]

Gaynor a should certainly last more than a couple of weeks Lildancer96! What part of the shoe is dying, the box or the shank? Sx

[Lildancer96]

Ill check - but just through another pair in a week

[Lildancer96]

The box - but I'll pm you x

[Moneypenny]

I think Gaynors are definitely an acquired taste and certainly not a beginners shoe. My dd has a few pairs of Gaynors which she really likes and they have lasted for ages. She wears them for a number of classes, but they do get quite dirty as they last so long. However, she also wears Freeds, which she generally keeps for performances, auditions etc, as they just look so pretty on her feet and she loves to dance in them. By using Gaynors for some classes, it saves me having to buy quite so many pairs of Freeds!

[anondancer_15]

Hi, is anyone able to convert this into the new coding please?? 

 

Thanks!!

 

 

 

 

[Sheila Beelam]

This is a CL-7.5W4SDH

Classic shape (Original) 7.5 wide, box 4, supple (pink bag) Deep vamp, high heel  

[Fiz]

You are so good, Sheila! 

[anondancer_15]

3 hours ago, Sheila Beelam said:

This is a CL-7.5W4SDH

Classic shape (Original) 7.5 wide, box 4, supple (pink bag) Deep vamp, high heel  

 

 

thank you so much!! this is why i love this forum hahah

[Sheila Beelam]

1 hour ago, anondancer_15 said:

 

 

thank you so much!! this is why i love this forum hahah

Let me know if you would like us to check our stock for you x

[Neverdancedjustamum]

I know this is an old post but was the one most related to my question when I did a search. DD is a nightmare to buy pointe shoes for and whenever she goes to get fitted, the most suitable pair is always different! She’s tried Bloch, Grishko, Freeds (which looked horrific on her) and Capezio. During our most recent visit to Dancia and after trying on what seem to be dozens of pairs, the one that suited her the most were, surprisingly, Gaynor Mindens which we’ve never ever considered before. Anyway, my question is: has anyone found an easier way of sewing ribbons and elastics on to these? They’re unlike any of the shoes DD has had before, majority of which have some almost loose thin canvas-y fabric inside to sew on to. The Gaynors she has now has no such fabric, only like a thin fuzzy/felt layer and then the actual material which is very stiff. I’m not good at sewing at the best of times but the whole endeavour took me about double the amount of time to sew Blochs for example. A bigger needle was very hard to push through. I just about managed it with a smaller needle but I always felt like it was about to snap. Felt

like giving up many times during the process until I remembered how much the pair cost.  Any tips would be greatly appreciated. 

[Anon2]

20 minutes ago, Neverdancedjustamum said:

I know this is an old post but was the one most related to my question when I did a search. DD is a nightmare to buy pointe shoes for and whenever she goes to get fitted, the most suitable pair is always different! She’s tried Bloch, Grishko, Freeds (which looked horrific on her) and Capezio. During our most recent visit to Dancia and after trying on what seem to be dozens of pairs, the one that suited her the most were, surprisingly, Gaynor Mindens which we’ve never ever considered before. Anyway, my question is: has anyone found an easier way of sewing ribbons and elastics on to these? They’re unlike any of the shoes DD has had before, majority of which have some almost loose thin canvas-y fabric inside to sew on to. The Gaynors she has now has no such fabric, only like a thin fuzzy/felt layer and then the actual material which is very stiff. I’m not good at sewing at the best of times but the whole endeavour took me about double the amount of time to sew Blochs for example. A bigger needle was very hard to push through. I just about managed it with a smaller needle but I always felt like it was about to snap. Felt

like giving up many times during the process until I remembered how much the pair cost.  Any tips would be greatly appreciated. 

No tips other than use a metal thimble to push needle through, I found them an absolute nightmare to sew. Luckily they last longer than other brands so don’t have to fight to sew ribbons and elastics as frequently

[Kanangra]

Sadly there is no easy way to sew ribbons onto Gaynor. I know some people have done it on a sewing machine but I'd be reluctant to try that or recommend.

 

My daughter wore GMs (she was actually a Gaynor Girl which was fantastic! free pointe shoes for a year!) and we found they were a fantastic shoe. Because of all the different customisable options they are terrific for hard to fit feet. DD had very narrow feet with bunions, so she had a wider box but narrow heel. The stuff about not being able to roll through is a nonsense though - if they are "springing up" on pointe it means the shank is too hard. A more supple shank will allow the feet to work through, and because they are not made of traditional materials they don't soften. As a parent I loved that they lasted a long time, usually a whole term.