Ballet Pointe Shoes - Switching Two Types of Shoes?

by Hadassah

Ballet Pointe Shoes - Switching Two Types of Shoes?

Hello! I am going to a dance intensive next week. It is only a week long intensive. I am in an Advanced Level of ballet training and have been doing pointe for three years. The teacher at the intensive recommends that I bring more than one pare of pointe shoes for class. I have one pair of Gaynor Mindens which I prefer to use over my other two pairs, which are both Sufulk. Is it a bad thing to switch between two pointe shoe brands? I haven't worn my Sufulks for a while, because I got my Gaynor Mindens around Christmas time, and i only had pointe classes twice a week this past year.

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Reply by Odette
To:- Ballet Pointe Shoes - Switching Two Types of Shoes?

Hello Hadassah,
Thank you for your message, it is great to hear from you and you a very good question. In my opinion, I don't think it is a bad thing at all to switch between pointe shoe brands. You may find you need a different pair depending on what rehearsal or class you have. For example, you may need a very strong shoe for technique class and then a lighter shoe for quick jumps and repertoire.

The only thing is, each brand may feel slightly different to dance on which means you won't have consistent time in your shoes to get used to this. I know that Gaynor Minden are a very different style to traditional pointe shoes, so they might take longer to get used to than when you wear Suffolk.

I used to switch between Bloch and Freed pointe shoes, and I will probably do that again soon too. Freed do not last me as long as Bloch, so sometimes I like to have a back-up pair that I know is strong and sturdy.

As long as your pointe shoes fit correctly and don't hold back your dancing, there is no problem switching with brands. It is all about what works best for you and your pointe shoes.

Best wishes,
Odette