Pointe Shoe Lab

Here are some of my thoughts about different brands and styles of pointe shoes!

Necessary for pointe shoes:

• Has to have correct length, no more than pinch
• Complement feet shape
• Accomodate individual toe shape
• Breaks in the correct spot
• Proper support
• Good feel

 

Bloch Eurostretch- 

• I liked the fit of the shoe and the feel of the material as it can easily stretch to accommodate being on and off pointe.
• I also jet glued the inner part of the pointe shoe at the ball of the feet, but the shoe still broke very low.
• It was extremely easy to get up on the box, to the point of not being as supported during pirouettes and any movement that applies torque. I am used to Russian pointe shoes, which are definitely harder and require more energy to get up to pointe.
• I used a technique called darning to ensure that the platform is more stable when on pointe and preventing loose threads from ripping off, which also helps keep me in balance.
• I felt very grounded on pointe, which is a different feeling than I am accustomed to.

 

Overall: I would recommend this type of shoe for beginners on pointe and not those who are more advanced and have more strength to get on pointe. Personally, I felt like I was pushing far too over the box. This shoe had more of an aesthetic appeal to me with my arch in the initial stages of wearing it, but ultimately lacked support for my feet.

Russian Rubin, v-cut flex medium shank-

• There was excess fabric at the heel of the pointe shoe when I went on pointe, despite my attempts to sew ribbons lower, into the heel.
• I appreciate the support and feel of a full shank, but it did not flatter my arch, despite breaking higher and closer to my arch.
• The platform is larger, which allows me more area to balance on. The box is also tapered, which fits my foot shape and my narrow feet.
• This type of pointe shoe feels fairly rigid on either side of my foot.

Overall: This type of shoe is for those that have gained more strength on pointe, and it may be somewhat difficult for beginners to make sure they stay over the box. I loved the support from the shank of this shoe, but it did not enhance the look and shape of my feet. This shoe is quite hard on the inner and outer parts of my feet, causing blisters and pinches in my pinky toes.

 

Merlet Diva ¾ shank-

• This shoe had the proper length and was not constricting at all.
• Unlike the other two types of pointe shoes, the Diva has a three-quarter shank, meaning the shank only goes up to the middle of the arch or heel. Therefore, the shoe can bend more, thus improving the look of my feet.
• Like the Russian Rubin, this shoe has a longer vamp to accommodate my longer toes as well as a larger platform to balance on.
• The Diva is quite easy to break in, especially near the ball of the foot. Despite not having a full shank, it does provide enough support for my feet.
• The feel of the shoe is very fluid and flexible, yet able to support all ballet movements. 
• Additional features:
• This shoe has suede tips (on the platform), which prevents ripping of fabric and slipping. 
• On the inner part of the box, there is extra padding to reduce the noise that the shoe makes when landing from a jump.
• The shank is made out of plastic, which is supposed to last longer than those made from layers of cardboard and paper glued together, like the Russian Rubins.

Overall: I absolutely adored this shoe as it was the perfect fit and complemented my foot shape fairly well. I particularly like the effect of the three-quarter shank in being flexible, yet able to support the strength of my feet. The additional features in this shoe made it one of my favorites to dance with, especially with the suede tips. Even though this shoe did improve the look of my arch, it shaped my feet in a more elongated way, versus bending to show off the arch.