Your Favorite Pointe Shoe...

[Antlers]

So what brand and model of pointe shoe is your favorite? Did it take you very long to find your perfect shoe, or are you still perhaps searching?
Do you prefer to use one model for class and another for performances?

My two best fitting shoe models are the Freed Studios II and Bloch's Axioms. I have tried many different brands and models, and for a while Freeds were my fave. However, I wanted to try to fit into a cheaper shoe, so I traveled into the city to visit a store that carried Blochs, since none of the 4 dance stores in my area carried them. The Axoims were a perfect fit, and $20 cheaper than Freeds!

[petite danseur]

I just got my first pair of Capizio Arias. They make my feet look fabulous, my favorite shoes so far xD. They're making me get blisters on top of my toes though, so i'm having to reform calluses lol. Ahh the pain we put ourselves through(:

[Antlers]

I bought an old pair of Arias for $10 to practice dying techniques on, and I found them very narrow and constricting. :
What kind of padding are you using?

[Indie_Gurl0330]

For me, I'm stuck between Freed of London and the new Suffolk Spotlights <3
I love both and they work well with my feet

the closest I got with finding the perfect shoe was when my dance teacher went to Oregon
to watch the solo debut of one of her students who's dancing with OBT (Andrea Cooper)
she gave my teacher some of her shoes that she never wore and didn't want
luckilly, her pointe shoe size is the exact same as mine and the shoes fit my foot like a glove
they were one of those custom made Freed of London pointe shoes (and I got them for $10 biggrin )
i don't remember which maker it was, but their shoes are A M A Z I N G

my Spotlights almost do the same thing, so I might be close to my perfect shoe :3

[BallisticBallerina]

Currently I'm using Grishko 2007's, and have been for about a year or so. I remember my first pointe shoes were Bloch Signature Performance, I still have them as a memento xD They were discontinued I believe. I've tried a bajillion different Bloch shoes, some I liked, but Grishko tends to work better with my feet.

[zelda11223344]

My favorite pointe shoe are Grishko 2007s. I've tried the Grishko Pro Quiet 2007, it's quite similar!

[Ambient Blue]

I was wondering when someone would make this topic!

Currently I have Gaynor's.. /shot
I love that they're synthetic, so you don't have to break them in. And they're really comfortable, even for being a pointe shoe.
I know a lot of companies are against them because they "cushion" (for lack of better word) your feet more.
But as long as you have really strong feet, then I would recommend them (: .
My first pair of pointe shoes were bloch serenades.. But I didn't keep them long because I was fitted wrong (box was wayyy to small)
I'm looking at getting a pair of grishkos.. Simply because of the fact that some companies don't allow their dancers to wear the gaynors.

[Lexi Marie]

My favs have to be Russian Almaz, v-cut, no drawstring. They fit my feet perfectly and even right out of the box all I have to do is step on the box a bit and they are good to go. Previously I had Bloch Signature Rehearsals and Leo's split sole pointes. Hated the Bloch's and the Leo's were ok.

[Wind Dancer IX]

My two great pointe shoe loves have been Bloch Serenades and Gaynor Mindens. Serenades were probably my favorite, but they just became impractical. I destroyed them too quickly (which was expensive) and every time I got a new pair i had to go through my 4-hour routine of sewing them and altering them with a variety of metal tools (which was time consuming). So now I wear Gaynor Mindens. I really like how quiet they are, and how well the flexible shank allows you to articulate your foot (I get the supple shank). The nice thing about Gaynors is that they can be customized to fit (nearly) any foot.

[stephkorrin]

Grishko 2007 pro's are my favorite. I had to wait until I was super advanced though. since they're so comfy, you'll sit if you're newer to pointe.

[hysterika]

All I've ever used has been Bloch European Balance. The shoes I'm currently dancing on are beyond dead so I really need new ones. I'm looking to get something different. The last pair I got didn't fit since I didn't have time to get fitted and just bought teh same ones I usually get but I need a more narrow shoe now. I've lost a lot of weight and my feet have slimmed a lot.

[Entrelace]

Glissides are the shiiiit.

[7rainbowbananabunny22]

I loved my Bloch European Balance shoes, but I killed them pretty quick because I have really archy feet. I now have Axioms which have a reinforced shank so they work better for me. Also I love the look of Gander Mindons. I tried them on in the store but decided not to buy them yet because they were really expensive =[

[RA60419]

I danced for ten years and did pointe for 3 of those years..I've had most of the main brands like Capizio, Bloch and a couple others...i can't remember the brand of my first pair (it was ck something...), but they were very nice and my Ballet teacher told me they were the catalytic of pointe shoes lol. But for the last years I did it years, my favorite brand was Russian Pointe. At first, I was hesitant to try them but they fit really nice and worked great for practice and performance..they were also really easy to spray paint on ^_^..my suggestion would be to find the shoe that fits perfectly to you, even if it does take awhile find! >u< You should definatly consider trying Russian Pointe though!

[II Antivist II]

I've got Bloch heritage and they are so comfortable . I never get blisters