Ballet Pointe Shoes - Returning Ballet Dancer

by Louise Hernandez
(Manila)

Ballet Pointe Shoes - Returning Ballet Dancer

hi there. i haven't been en pointe for 10 years. i was semi retired then. was only taking classes once in a while since i semi retired.

i used to wear grishko vaganova 4XXX medium to hard shank. those were during my prime days and was dancing more than 12 hours en pointe a week.

what pointes would you recommend for me now im returning? my feet grew longer and wider. i used to love how my feet looked in tapered pointes. i know my feet now are not as strong back then and thinking i should get a soft shank?

but then if i get a soft shank and was just under estimating myself, the shoes might die easily on me right?

will grishko 2007s be good for me? back during my days the vaganova were super noisy on stage! i guess i was just too light thats why after grand jete's my sound was minimal compared to others who werent even wearing grishkos then.

i cant wait to go back on pointes and relive my dancings days. i just have no idea now which shoes are good. back then there werent really too many to choose from.

i tried gaynor mindens also before. i never really got the hang of them. it depends on the dance on which im gonna use them. but definitely not on dances where i have to do fouttes or hop on pointes. i found them really hard to roll down on demi pointe. it made me seem like im jumping a bit on my supporting leg when i do foutte. but with grishkos i love how easy and natural it is for me to roll down.

attached is the picture of my feet 10years ago wearing vaganovas. :)

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Reply by Odette to Ballet Pointe Shoes - Returning Ballet Dancer:

Hi Louise,
Thanks for getting in touch, I love to hear about your days as a dancer and I am pleased to know you are getting back into ballet.

Well, it is true that nowadays there is SO much more choice for pointe shoes. The brands, styles and options seem to keep growing and growing!
For you, I am slightly tempted to advise you to try the brand Grisko again. Purely because you spent many years training in this pointe shoe and therefore more familiar with the fitting, shape and mold of the shoe.

However, this isn't to say you have to get exactly the same type of Grishko as you did before. As you say, perhaps they will be too hard and stiff. Yet, I would advise not to get shoes too soft because then they won't last very long and you will be unsatisfied that you have to buy a new pair so soon!

Remember, you can always break the shoes in more if you need to. It is more tricky to make them harder, but you can resort to shellac if you desperately need to harden the pointe shoes.

Another good brand I would recommend is Bloch pointe shoes, particularly Aspiration if you just want a simple yet supportive shoe. However, these shoes are not tapered like you said you like and they have quite a square box. I am sure you could find other styles in Bloch that you would prefer.

Have a think and don't be afraid to experiment with different pointe shoe brands if you are willing to. Remember, that you do have a very strong basis of training in pointe shoes and this will definitely be in help you hugely for when you start again.

Enjoy the feeling of dancing again, I know you will!
Best wishes,
Odette

P.s Your feet look beautiful in the photograph, thank you! I also think the tapered box looks flattering on your feet.