Pointe shoe trouble - London

[Betty]

Hi

Looking for pointe shoe fitting advice for London- my child is 4 years on pointe and the pointe shoes are never right, they are fine in Bloch but when she gets to class she feels they don’t fit well, are baggy on the heel, painful on the bunion area, difficult to get over the box. When we go to Bloch for a fitting we are often offered the newest most expensive type, they don’t last, I’ve kind of lost confidence in the fitting process there.

 

Can anyone recommend a different place in London? Thanks

[Kerfuffle]

I think that is quite a common problem, so hard to tell what a shoe is like until you are in class, and then you find you’ve wasted a  lot of money again! 
 

My DD gets her shoes from Freed London. I think they are good there, especially if your DD is a bit older (as in not looking for her first pair) so she knows what she’s looking for. She used to go to Bloch but found them very baggy at the heel (her foot shortens a lot on pointe). Freeds are shallower at the heel so don’t have that problem.

[margarite]

Out of interest @Kerfuffle how long do your DD’s Freed’s last? DD was fitted there a few years ago and she loved the look and fit of the pair she was given, but they lasted a matter of days (she was 12 so still a relative beginner on pointe, but has very straight, strong feet) do the advanced/pro pairs have more longevity? 

[Jan McNulty]

Hello @Betty I’ve added some tags.  If you click on them there has been previous discussion of pointe shoe fitting and there may be relevant information in them.

[Kerfuffle]

7 minutes ago, margarite said:

Out of interest @Kerfuffle how long do your DD’s Freed’s last? DD was fitted there a few years ago and she loved the look and fit of the pair she was given, but they lasted a matter of days (she was 12 so still a relative beginner on pointe, but has very straight, strong feet) do the advanced/pro pairs have more longevity? 

At the moment she’s using a combination of Studio Pros and also now the handmade range. She’s at vocational school so they are getting a lot of wear. I think they last several weeks but might be in rotation. They last as long as the other pairs she used to have and are much better because they bend in the right place - so the wearing down is more to do with general deteriorating  than breaking the shank which used to happen in her old shoes. 

[Millicent]

Dancia have a range of styles, including Gaynors, Grishko, Merlet etc. You can just pop in without an appointment. You can also make an appointment at Freed and see which she likes best. Although I've heard that Freed do break down easily. 

 

If she breaks them easily then Gaynors might work. They are more expensive to buy but last 5 times longer. 

[WhereToNow]

I have had similar problem

in Bloch, I feel they just want to give you the latest technology.  

 

We traipsed round London to find a replacement for her current brand as they are getting harded and harder to find at short notice.

She did have success in Dancia, but I wanted her to have a 2nd brand so we weren’t stuck in the same situation we have now.  Capezio were also good, but sadly the ones she liked are being discontinued!

 

Eventually I contacted Devoted to Dance (instagram).  He sent a number of pairs, based on what my DD is currently comfortable in.  He also offered to do an online fitting, but I trust my DD to make the right judgement (been on pointe a long time, also at vocational school).  We then simply returned the ones she didn’t like.  She is now in a brand I had never heard of - Virtisse - and she loves them.

[Betty]

Thankyou all for your replies and tags, SO helpful as always, I’m going to follow your suggestions and try Freed etc. 

[Pointeperfect]

Be careful in Freed there’s long delays on getting shoes (I believe 12 weeks at last count), so consequently no stock. My DD had a fitting in there over the summer and was given the wrong size. She was told they’d be ok with ribbons and elastic when she expressed concern (but they were just too long) the size she needed were unsurprisingly out of stock when I tried to return them a few days later as they’re unsafe and unwearable. Store didn’t want to know when I asked for a refund because they’d been sewn so just wasted £50. I was told to ‘chalk it up to pointe shoe experience’. However they were the shoes she had been professionally fitted with days before! I believe they’re selling what stock they have rather than what is needed for the dancer, and when I was in openly celebrating sales. 

[Betty]

Oh dear this is shocking - thanks very much for the warning. Will try Dancia

[Neverdancedjustamum]

15 minutes ago, Betty said:

Oh dear this is shocking - thanks very much for the warning. Will try Dancia

Be careful with Dancia too. We’ve only gone there twice and both times I felt like we were rushed and that the fitters were determined to only let my DD try on a couple of different pairs. When we went there for her first pair, the fitter insisted that if it’s for a first pair, my DD should only try the Grishko 2007 and a Bloch pair I can’t remember the style name of.   This was before they even saw her feet. It might just have been our experience but I’ve never felt like the fitters there were committed to trying to help us find a good pair, perhaps both times the ones we got were tired as they were distinctly unenthusiastic and didn’t offer much in way of communications or advice. 

[Betty]

Thankyou - I won’t get my hopes up. It’s a bit of an expensive difficulty. I’ve been reading about these online type fitters but I can’t see how they can assess the fit properly without seeing the feet in the shoes etc.

[Neverdancedjustamum]

8 minutes ago, Betty said:

Thankyou - I won’t get my hopes up. It’s a bit of an expensive difficulty. I’ve been reading about these online type fitters but I can’t see how they can assess the fit properly without seeing the feet in the shoes etc.

I can totally sympathise. We had a nightmare finding shoes that suited DD. I don’t even want to think how much money we’ve wasted on shoes that felt ‘fine’ in the shop but turned out unsuitable once worn in class.  It’s been such a long and painful process that once we found the two that suited her, she now refuses to try others! I remember feeling like I was at the end of my tether and was seriously considering having custom ones made. Thankfully after one last attempt at Bloch, we chanced upon a brilliant fitter. That’s how my DD found her second fav pointes. I then contacted Scott of Devoted to Dance (on Instagram) and told him that my DD loves this certain Bloch style and he recommended a similar one. He sent over a few pairs and my DD found her current ultimate favourite pair. Devoted to Dance is brilliant, it’s just a shame we live too far to drop by his shop to have an in person fitting. 

[expatballetmom]

5 hours ago, WhereToNow said:

I have had similar problem

in Bloch, I feel they just want to give you the latest technology.  

 

We traipsed round London to find a replacement for her current brand as they are getting harded and harder to find at short notice.

She did have success in Dancia, but I wanted her to have a 2nd brand so we weren’t stuck in the same situation we have now.  Capezio were also good, but sadly the ones she liked are being discontinued!

 

Eventually I contacted Devoted to Dance (instagram).  He sent a number of pairs, based on what my DD is currently comfortable in.  He also offered to do an online fitting, but I trust my DD to make the right judgement (been on pointe a long time, also at vocational school).  We then simply returned the ones she didn’t like.  She is now in a brand I had never heard of - Virtisse - and she loves them.

My DD loves Virtisse (and she's tried Bloch, Capezio, and Freeds)  but where do you find them in the UK? We buy stock when we are back in the U.S. would love to just purchase them here if possible. 

[Neverdancedjustamum]

15 minutes ago, expatballetmom said:

My DD loves Virtisse (and she's tried Bloch, Capezio, and Freeds)  but where do you find them in the UK? We buy stock when we are back in the U.S. would love to just purchase them here if possible. 

Devoted to Dance stocks them, although I’m not sure how many of the styles he has.

[WhereToNow]

18 minutes ago, expatballetmom said:

My DD loves Virtisse (and she's tried Bloch, Capezio, and Freeds)  but where do you find them in the UK? We buy stock when we are back in the U.S. would love to just purchase them here if possible. 

I got them from a stockist on instagram.  We’ve used him for years for leos/tights etc and he’s never let me down!  Devotedtodance

[WhereToNow]

3 minutes ago, Neverdancedjustamum said:

Devoted to Dance stocks them, although I’m not sure how many of the styles he has.

I’m hoping the more popular they become the more he will stock! 😂

[expatballetmom]

1 minute ago, WhereToNow said:

I’m hoping the more popular they become the more he will stock! 😂

How does that work in terms of ordering if they are in IG? Sorry, I have never purchased this way before..lol 

[Neverdancedjustamum]

1 minute ago, WhereToNow said:

I’m hoping the more popular they become the more he will stock! 😂

He sent a couple of pairs for my DD to try and I thought they looked absolutely beautiful on her feet. Sadly, she’s so attached to her Blochs she didn’t want to risk it as apparently they felt different 😂 Scott did recommend the ones that’s her favorite now so I can’t really complain. 

[Neverdancedjustamum]

1 minute ago, expatballetmom said:

How does that work in terms of ordering if they are in IG? Sorry, I have never purchased this way before..lol 

Just direct message him and tell him what you’re after. He’s very good at giving suggestions. And he stocks WAY MORE brands and styles of leotards/shoes/accessories/everything than any of the London dancewear shops. If you’re after something that he can order in, he’s very helpful with that too. 

 

[Angela Essex]

Leanne of straight to the pointe ballet is a great fitter - she’s based in Essex, but does mobile fittings too. I got reccomended her from people on this forum and she’s fantastic.

[MissEmily]

When my students are ready for their first pointe shoes, I book appointments at Bloch and Freed and we go to Dancia too, so they can try on the widest possible selection of shoes to see what feels and looks best. In my experience, it's luck of the draw in each shop as to who you get, particularly in Freed, so it's helpful if you're with someone (like a teacher) who knows what to look for and can be firm. Good luck!

[academicdancer]

If you can get over to Oxford (Kidlington), Dance Evolution has a range of pointe shoe models and is good at fitting. You can always call to check they have stock of things you want to try before making an appointment.

[BattementBatty]

On 26/09/2023 at 20:36, expatballetmom said:

My DD loves Virtisse (and she's tried Bloch, Capezio, and Freeds)  but where do you find them in the UK? We buy stock when we are back in the U.S. would love to just purchase them here if possible. 

THere is a dance shop in Westcliff (Essex) that stocks them now) its called Danceland at Dalbys

 

[BattementBatty]

On 26/09/2023 at 11:37, Betty said:

Hi

Looking for pointe shoe fitting advice for London- my child is 4 years on pointe and the pointe shoes are never right, they are fine in Bloch but when she gets to class she feels they don’t fit well, are baggy on the heel, painful on the bunion area, difficult to get over the box. When we go to Bloch for a fitting we are often offered the newest most expensive type, they don’t last, I’ve kind of lost confidence in the fitting process there.

 

Can anyone recommend a different place in London? Thanks

We had this with a variety of makes for a good few years.  Eventually a good fitter in the London Bloch store recommended trying some russian pointe shoes due to the her feet and she had some success with Grisko but ultimately has settled on R Class.  We get shoes from our local stockist now but have been everywhere!

[mumtotwoballerinas]

On 26/09/2023 at 20:36, expatballetmom said:

My DD loves Virtisse (and she's tried Bloch, Capezio, and Freeds)  but where do you find them in the UK? We buy stock when we are back in the U.S. would love to just purchase them here if possible. 

Virtisso have just started hitting shops in the UK they are very similar to grishko 

My DD has tried the and they were similar to other russian made shoes 

I would always try and go to a shop with lots of different brands and be open minded. 

[CaronJ]

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.

[Jan McNulty]

Hello @CaronJ and welcome to the Forum!

[Medora]

On 26/09/2023 at 20:12, Neverdancedjustamum said:

Be careful with Dancia too. We’ve only gone there twice and both times I felt like we were rushed and that the fitters were determined to only let my DD try on a couple of different pairs. When we went there for her first pair, the fitter insisted that if it’s for a first pair, my DD should only try the Grishko 2007 and a Bloch pair I can’t remember the style name of.   This was before they even saw her feet. It might just have been our experience but I’ve never felt like the fitters there were committed to trying to help us find a good pair, perhaps both times the ones we got were tired as they were distinctly unenthusiastic and didn’t offer much in way of communications or advice. 

Same, only offered grishko 2007 when my daughter was new to pointe. Fittings tend to feel a bit rushed at Dancia, it depends on who you get as some are very helpful and experienced and others seem to be novices?
 

Freed have always been amazing! So helpful, nothing is too much trouble and they are so knowledgeable.
 

we had a disappointing experience at Bloch recently, I’d go so far as to say that the fitter was rude. The new shop is beautiful though 

[WhereToNow]

If anyone is looking for a new brand of pointe shoe to try, my DD can highly recommend Virtisse.  She’s at vocational school, doing a fair number of hours on pointe.  She got them in Sept and they are still going!! She used to have to have 2 pairs of Grishko to rotate and they would still die by every half term.  I don’t know what Virtisse are made of but it’s helped my bank balance!

My DD tried them on at home, she knows what she needs, and has learnt alot over 6 years of fittings!  Obviously if your DC is new to pointe an in person or online fitting would be best 😊

[Peanut68]

Where are they stocked or do you buy online? Guess could buy a few sizes/features to try & keep best, return rest? 

[WhereToNow]

We got them through devoted to

dance on instagram/Facebook.  We get most uniform stuff through them.  Just send a private message and they are pretty quick to respond.  I advised what she was currently in, size width shank etc.  They sent us a pair to try and my DD was happy straight away.  We would have simply returned if she didn’t like them.  They have sent us other brands previously that just didn’t work for my DD.