How to make the most out of pointe shoe fitting?

[Medora]

Dd can’t seem to find the right shoe, so was hoping to hear some tips for how to make the most out of her next fitting.

 

She has narrow feet and often struggles to get over the box, any tips on a good shoe? So far she has tried

 

Grishko 2007 pro flex (fitters always gravitate towards this but Dd thinks it’s a bit too hard?)

Freed - did not like, fitting was very thorough but she found them hard to dance in

 

She is going to try R Class now, RC22, but they put her in a W3 which seems rather wide.

 

Any tips for our next purchase? Can someone point us in the right direction for narrow, not very strong/flexible feet? She has been in pointe for about 18 months now. 

[Jan McNulty]

Hello Medora,

 

I'm sure we had a topic on this recently but I'll be blowed if I can find it.  I've added a tag "pointe shoe fitting" at the top of the thread which brings up some older threads that may have useful information.

 

 

[Neverdancedjustamum]

We found Bloch in Covent Garden very good. The fitting never feels rushed, whether it’s the first time or subsequent, both fitters we’ve had so far took the time to let DD try a lot of styles and fits, it didn’t matter if there was a pile she had to go through. They listened carefully to any issues DD encounter when on pointe and suggests things that can help. It was here that a fitter told us that my DD could probably do with very thin ouch pouch rather than the usual thicker one other fitters have given us on the past. It seemed like such a little thing but it made a world of difference for my DD. We have been back a few times now and every time they didn’t assume that the best fitting shoes would be the current ones DD wears but would let her try various styles and sizes. Incidentally, the last 3 times we were there the best fit was always her usual. So it’s been quite consistent now for the past year. She used to have trouble getting over the box too, and looked like she had very sickled feet. It turns out she was wearing the brand most “not suited” for her feet - Freed!  I would highly recommend trying Bloch, they have a wide range of styles and sizes and fits and they can even customise I believe. For reference, my DD suited the European Balance style although she’s also worn Hanna before. She seems to have the similar feet to you DD based on what you said. 

[Pas de Quatre]

If her teacher is not against them, have a look at Gaynor Mindens. I think it is something to do with the local gene pool where I live, but I have had a lot of pupils over the years with very narrow feet. Does she have shallow feet too? The box of a pointe shoe is like any box, there are three dimensions, width, length and depth.

[Ruby Foo]

Have you tried Merlet split sole?

Some very professional dance students wear these. Dancia Covent Garden should be able to offer a good fitting for these although we have had mixed fittings there in the past.

[Medora]

32 minutes ago, valentina said:

Have you tried Merlet split sole?

Some very professional dance students wear these. Dancia Covent Garden should be able to offer a good fitting for these although we have had mixed fittings there in the past.

We were just there, they said Merlet  was not good for dancers who struggle to get over the box - the split soles sound interesting, they didn’t even mention this style to us? Will definitely have a look. Thanks!

 

I think some fitters at Dancia are great and others are a bit less… engaged?

[Medora]

39 minutes ago, Pas de Quatre said:

If her teacher is not against them, have a look at Gaynor Mindens. I think it is something to do with the local gene pool where I live, but I have had a lot of pupils over the years with very narrow feet. Does she have shallow feet too? The box of a pointe shoe is like any box, there are three dimensions, width, length and depth.

Interesting, nice to have another brand which works for narrow feet. DD’s dance teacher hasn’t expressed any particular preference, or dislike for that matter. I should probably ask what she thinks of gaynors as I know they divide opinion 

[Neverdancedjustamum]

41 minutes ago, Medora said:

We were just there, they said Merlet  was not good for dancers who struggle to get over the box - the split soles sound interesting, they didn’t even mention this style to us? Will definitely have a look. Thanks!

 

I think some fitters at Dancia are great and others are a bit less… engaged?

We have been to Dancia 3 times, including for DD’s first pair of pointe shoes. When I said it was for her first pair, the fitter literally only let her try on 2 different brands saying those were the only two she recommended for beginners and this was before she saw DD’s feet properly. The last time we were there was for DD’s 5th pair (we are forever searching for back up pairs to her usual Bloch). She tried three different pairs on her, 2 definitely did not suit and and the third she said looked fine (even to my clueless, non-dancer eyes they did not look fine). I asked if my DD could try other pairs and in desperation I gestured towards the Gaynors asking “what about those?”. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what they were, my eye was just caught by the colourful bags they were in.  She let DD try a pair on and it was great in that DD could very easily get on the box and she said the shoes were very comfy. However, they were a nightmare to sew ribbons and elastics on. Also, DD’s physio didn’t quite like the way they looked on DD’s feet, whilst DD said they felt fine, the physio said they looked too clunky/big on her feet and didn’t look as great a fit (including aesthetically) as her trusty Blochs.

[Medora]

Dancia give my DD grishko only to try on… and just the 2007 pro flex, saying it’s the softest shank. Freed said grishko would be entirely unsuitable to dd’s feet as they are super hard and heavy 😂 it’s clear dd needs a shoe which helps her to get over the box properly, that much I know. She is obviously working on her feet to strengthen them but in the meantime she needs some support.

 

back in my own (recreational) dancing days, Capezios saved me. Freed was no good. Maybe dd is the same, might go there next?

[Neverdancedjustamum]

12 minutes ago, Medora said:

Dancia give my DD grishko only to try on… and just the 2007 pro flex, saying it’s the softest shank. Freed said grishko would be entirely unsuitable to dd’s feet as they are super hard and heavy 😂 it’s clear dd needs a shoe which helps her to get over the box properly, that much I know. She is obviously working on her feet to strengthen them but in the meantime she needs some support.

 

back in my own (recreational) dancing days, Capezios saved me. Freed was no good. Maybe dd is the same, might go there next?

Capezio was my DD’s first pair! I believe she had the Ava and her backup pair now is the Capezio Kylie. Both look lovely.

[Mummy twinkle toes]

Capezio are good and have a range of styles. Diva was great fitting my younger daughter. He was very patient and spent a long time trying on lots of styles (not the same at Dancia which has more variety but don’t always fit well. I used to dance so know how they should fit). She had the Kylie at first but then transitioned to the Phoenix. Older daughter was always Grishko or Russian pointe but now wears Capezio too.

Russian pointe are good for narrow feet with a disappearing heel but are hard initially so may not be suitable. 
Dds have been fitted in many places but the best fitters with a variety of styles is Dancique in Birmingham. Not sure where you are based but they have Grishko, Merlet, Russian Pointe, Bloch, Freed etc. 

[Medora]

Sounds like Capezio is well worth a visit, will definitely try them.
 

If anyone has any customisation tips I’d be so interested. Dd bends them a bit to soften the shank but nothing much beyond that, while some of her friend rip out the insoles and all sorts of things! Should she do more customisation of her shoes? I recall Freed saying absolutely not, the shoes were ready to dance in, but who knows.

[Ruby Foo]

All shoes will usually need a Demi pointe broken in before wearing. Freeds are typically fairly flimsy so understandably don't need much in comparison to the Russian makes which are generally much tougher to break in. It will really depend on the back she has chosen and how she likes her shoes. From what you've said  about her type of feet and taking a general shoe, I would gently manipulate the backs in the correct places so they are easier and more supple for her to work with. I would recommend a 3/4 shank so the heel  of the shoe won't need anything. Don't flex them too low down or they will bend in the wrong place giving the feet a broken line. It's just slightly above the natural arch that you want to flex. I suggest asking your teacher to show you, unless she's dead against it. Manufactured very flexi backs won't need much at all.

[Pas de Quatre]

I have always felt that if too much needs doing to the shoe such as ripping bits out or slicing bits off, then perhaps it isn't the right shoe in the first place. Lisa Howell has a wonderful  video on her Ballet Blog which shows how to break in the back of a pointe shoe. I have posted the link before on similar threads, try a search or go direct to her website.

[Pas de Quatre]

Lisa Howell - How to break in pointe shoes

 

This is the video I mentioned in the previous post.

[Angela Essex]

I’d highly recommend going to Leanne of Straight to the Pointe. She’s a mobile pointe shoe fitter and she’s fantastic. She fitted me for my first ever pair and they’re fantastic. She fits for all the major vocational schools too. She can custom order shoes so she can literally find multiple pairs to fit any foot. She spent about 2 hours on my fitting and found about 5 pairs that would fit me. I’m really happy I went to see her. She is really thorough and knowledgeable and analyses everything about your foot in detail. I was really impressed.

Edited June 19, 2022 by Angela Essex

[alison]

Medora, I've added "narrow feet" tags to a number of threads which seem relevant.  Click on the "narrow feet" tag under the heading for this thread, and it will show you the other ones.

[Viv]

I have narrow, compressible feet with a not particularly high arch. I have struggled with finding pointe shoes for year, and now I am in Russian Pointe sapfir. They have absolutely changed my dancing! I said to my teacher recently, I didn't realise how pointe work was "supposed" to feel until I found the right shoes. I thought everyone else found it nearly impossible and just got on with it, which is what I tried to do. Now I realise I was fighting the shoe all the time, which meant I wasn't actually developing my pointe work or strength the way I needed.

 

I was never able to get over a grishko 2007 soft shank, even after hours of cutting and breaking and using rubbing alcohol to try and break them down. Now I wear the russian pointe I wear either medium or hard shank (for longevity) and all it takes wearing them for a class and gently manipulating the shank with my hands, and then they're basically good to go. Like magic! I find the balance point is further over than the grishko which encourages me to get fully over the platform. And it turns out actually I don't have such bad arches after all, now I'm in a shoe that encourages the right foot shape and has allowed me to strengthen the right muscles. Hopefully one to try for your DD  

[Medora]

Thanks Viv, we just got a pair of Russian Pointe, what you wrote sounds very promising. I will try to report back here once dd has tried them out.

[Medora]

Just thought I’d follow up. We didn’t get Russian Pointe, it was R Class - apparently it’s the same thing? Dd really likes them, she can easily get over the box in them.
 

This was after an underwhelming fitting at Dancia where the fitter didn’t really look at her feet, or engage very much. It ended up working out really well this time despite the lack of input from the fitter, and thanks to this thread we now have several other leads to follow up for the future.

 

 

[alison]

Have they rebranded, perhaps, rather than use the "R" word?

[dancefanatic]

The name/manufacturer RClass have been around a while, well before the atrocities started in Ukraine this year, although they have strong links to Russian Pointe.  You might find their About Us page an interesting read https://r-class.bg/pages-9-za-nas

 

[Medora]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing the link, dancefanatic. It’s a bit like grishko/Nikolai in the US?

[Viv]

R-Class, Russian Pointe and Energetiks are all identical shoes, they're made in the same factory, they just put a different sole on them with a different brand name when they sell them in different countries. It can be irritating when you're trying to find the right shoe because they're all called something different, but now I know I'm a Russian Pointe Sapfir, an Energetiks Stella and an R-Class JW-S. Which are all the same thing. Though I may start solely referring to the Energetiks branding now, just to avoid the R word...

 

Whatever they're called, I'm glad your DD found a shoe that works for her