I’m an adult returner on a getting back to pointe journey, and as a part of that journey I’m taking pre-pointe classes in demi-pointe shoes. These didn’t really exist back when I went en pointe the first time (back in the Dark Ages) so I only have a reference point for when actual pointe shoes are dead. By that metric, my shoes would be almost there (box and wings are very soft to about half an inch from the platform) but I also know that since I don’t actually use the shoes to get en pointe, it may not matter?

Does anyone have thoughts? Will I need to get a new pair, or will I be okay to continue in these shoes until I get cleared by my teacher for pointe shoes?

My daughter recently started pointe and she said she needs to strengthen her ankles. Is there something I can get her to help with that? I’m thinking Xmas gifts and would like to get her something for pointe. Any ideas? Even if there isn’t something out there like that, what is something else I could maybe get her?

Does jet gluing the box basically make it sweat proof? And sweat is what breaks the shoe? So does jet gluing actually make the box invincible? Can it still die if jet glued right after breaking in?

Of course I understand the shank can die but I am asking about box. Can a jet glued box soften with use or does it mostly stay the same?

I am still on my first pair so I haven’t killed any shoe yet just looking out for signs of when my shoe is dead.

I wear the Grishko starpointes and neopointes, and both have been really great in terms of support/ease of dancing. The only issue is, my feet fall just between the starpointe width X and XX. The XX is a little too wide, so I start to sink and feel pain after one or two classes, and I haven't had the courage to get X to mold it myself because when I tried it on at the store, it was very tight and squishing my feet. the neopointe XX is out of stock everywhere, and XXX (which I've worn for the past couple months) is also generally quite wide and I start sinking after 1-2 classes. Is there any way I can use home methods to tighten/widen the pointe shoes? I've heard of wetting the shoe to let it shrink and thus tightening the shoe, but some people also say that wetting the shoe widens it.

I recently switched from grishko 2007 pro flex to Bloch balance European. They are better for a whole bunch of reasons that I won't go into here but I chose to get more control over my shoes at the cost of comfort due to being less lifted out of the shoe (I was almost floating in my old ones). I'm looking mainly for padding advice and asking if anyone can relate.

Hello. I'm having problems with my shoes and I think they're not suitable for my feet. I can't get fitted or even get a different model of shoes because there are no fitters in my country and there's only one model of pointe shoes available for purchase. Should I try a virtual fitting? If so, could you recommend any fitters? Thanks in advance.

Where is the best place to get fitted for pointe shoes in the Chicago area?

Hello!

I'm an afab teen who got hooked on ballet, pointe shoes, and pointe shoe fitting about a year ago. Currently, I'd consider being a pointe shoe fitter my dream job. But I have no idea how to get there, considering I only just took my long-awaited first ballet class last week.

With that context, here are my two questions for pointe shoe fitters on this sub:

1. What's your yearly salary as a pointe shoe fitter? What's your location? How long have you been a fitter? How long have you worked at your current place? What's it like being a fitter?

2. Any advice for me and how I could get more involved in pointe shoe fitting/become a pointe shoe fitter?

Thank you!

Hello everybody! The area I am talking about is circled in magenta. Long and short versions included for your convenience :)

Short Version

I need help sewing elastics on the Bloch Eurostretch. They have this leather-ish material on the heel, which makes it nearly impossible for me to sew. I don't want to sew through the satin since my teacher doesn't allow it. Please help me!

Long Version

I used to be in the Bloch Eurostretch, but I switched out of them because they were too hard to sew. I am somehow able to sew Gaynor Minden pointe shoes easily, even without having it show through the outer satin layer. But when I tried to sew the Eurostretch, on the leather heel grip part, it took me forever. I've either had to sew them on through the drawstring casing (which is not very secure) or spend literally ages sewing them. My problem is that whenever I try to push my needle through the leather grip, it just frays. I've tried everything, from huge needles to tiny needles, different threads, and even a sewing machine. I also would like if there were a way to do this easily without sewing through the outer satin layer, since my teacher doesn't approve of that. The Gaynor Mindens are, unfortunately, not working for me anymore and I would love to go back to the Eurostretch. Except for the fact that I can't sew them to save my life, they were the best shoes I've ever had. I have no trouble sewing the canvas part of the shoe, in fact I find it quite easy. Please help!

https://preview.redd.it/rbmrjy9v8amd1.png?width=767&format=png&auto=webp&s=a67787481247afa4281273f6e477cebe08d6a9b1

Hi everyone,

I just had my second ever fitting yesterday, and in the store the shoes felt great. They were nice and snug on my feet but not painful to stand in. Going up on pointe felt good.

After putting them back on at home they feel totally different; the shoes are cutting hard into my heels and my toes are feeling super crushed in the box while standing. I know they’re supposed to be pretty tight but the pain while standing doesn’t feel right. There’s so much pressure on the end of my big toe and on the side of my knuckle in the box.

I could do a plie in the store but I can barely move in them at home.

I know your feet expand during the day and all, but it feels like a huge change. I tried them on again the morning after without having walked yet and they were still way too tight.

Does anyone have a similar experience? Should I just go get refitted? I’m not sure why they feel like entirely different shoes!

Anyone have any tips on how to darn to round out a platform? Usually I darn to make them wider (though not really flatter) but I switched model and the platforms are too perfectly flat for my liking :/

I've rounded out a platform before but it was a while ago and not perfect so any suggestions welcome :)

hi has anyone tried the siberian swan pointe shoes and if so what was your opinion? i have very narrow feet so im interested in trying their pavlova model. also does anyone know if they are still in business they haven't posted on social media in a while?

hi ive been dancing on pointe for almost six years now and have never tried another style of pointe shoe. i was originally fitted with bloch eurostretch which i loved and my dance teachers agreed that they looked good for my feet and were supportive. when i was fitted the first time i got double wide size sevens and my most recent pair is triple wide size eights. my teacher said id need a low vamp based on my foot. my last few pairs however have not been lasting me much time at all and end up giving my feet a pretty bad shape. it's frustrating because i did like my euro stretch shoes but i'm afraid i've grown out of that style? or my ankles have become stronger and just break the shoes almost immediately. specifically, i feel the shoe starts breaking super low even when i try to break them in correctly and extend my toes - it ends up looking like i'm knuckling but i don’t think it's a strength problem. the shoes just break lower and lower as i dance in them and end up looking like a claw and not an extension of my leg 😭 so i have two questions: one, do i need to scrap the eurostretch all together and try a new brand? if so id gladly take suggestions because i don’t have any experience. but two, is there another way i can salvage my pairs? like do i need to go back down to a double wide?? or can i three quarter cut the shank to try to better support the arch breaking higher so they last me longer? (i still have an unsewed pair at home rn after "stocking up" so i was trying to figure out if it's worth trying something different with them).

another way to put it, my ankles have to like bend and hold back so i'm on my box, since the lower part is curving so much

I just started pointe a year ago and it is kicking my butt. I was professionally fitted and put into 4.5X Bloch Heritage pointe shoes. I was worried when I got them that they were too small, and while the right one has loosened up with time, the left one still feels too tight and my foot really hurts for a significant amount of time after taking the shoe off. My pinky will even hurt the next morning. Most of the residual pain ends up centralized on my pinky toes (for both feet) and they’re the only ones that have ever bled.

I wear spacers and basic toe pads, and today I tried pinky pads. The right one felt fine, but the left one hurt so bad I had to step out and pull it off. When I took off the right one later, my pinky toe hurt really badly as well.

Am I cooked until I get new shoes? What should I wear that might actually help? Any ideas on how I can use the pinky pads (I can’t return them)?

I was recently fit for bloch heritages and a few other brands. even though i decided on nikolay neopointes, the heritage style was my second choice but i stupidly didn’t catch the size i was fit in. for nikolays i am usually a 4.5 length and 4X width, so i am wondering if i am the same in heritages? if anyone knows kind of the comparison of widths between blochs and nikolay that would be great!

I know this brand's shoes aren't built like traditional paste and cardboard shoes, so they don't break down or soften over time. So, how do they die compared to other shoes? How do you tell if shoes from this company are dead? Can dead pointe shoes from this company(and others in general) be recycled in some way instead of creating waste? How to properly dispose of dead shoes from Gaynor Minden(considering they're made of synthetic materials)?