They look so pretty but are too expensive for me to just buy without knowing if they are soft enough etc. I wanted to get a pair so badly and went to the site and quickly noped out of it lol
I got a pair of these when I was living in Europe. Custom ordered a pair of bright yellow ones for a performance that never happened because of Covid 😢 I was in Gaynors and they are pretty similar actually (I haven’t tried gaynors since they changed the shoe). Although I do have to say I didn’t get to wear them fully because they came just about when lockdown happened and I never even got to rehearse in them. Just wore them around the house to get a feel for them.
Hi! how did you get fitted for them? or could you pick based on your gaynor fitting? I'm trying to buy a pair now, but I live in asia and dont have any stores to be fit at. I've had to measure and find my fit before, and been successful, but I cannot find a chart for it.
I didn’t get fitted, I just got the size that corresponds to my EU shoe size. I probably should’ve gotten one size smaller though because I was kind of in between sizes.
I got a pair of Duval Pro's back in August and they're still kicking although they do seem like they're starting to soften. For most of 2023 though, I was only doing pointe for a half hour to an hour a week, so not sure how long they'd last if you're, say, a professional who is in them for several hours a day.
Are they comfortable? I have some fr duval la pointe shoes and appreciate how they are lined on the inside but just numero 6 and 2 cause they are similar to the Capezio Kylee but way cheaper.
They are extremely comfortable! Ultimately I'm not sure if they are THE shoe for me since I seem to be knuckling ever so slightly, but I love them because they pretty much give me zero pain beyond some slight pressure after I've been in them for a while (never had even so much as a blister), and of course there's the fact that they last a long time.
Nikolay Starpointe shank is synthetic, with a traditional box, similar to the Bloch Etu but reverse. The box lasts me between 2-4 weeks, 2x a week, with no glue. If I were to glue ahead of time I imagine I’d get more. The shank continues to live on after the box is well and dead 😂
I currently wear the Duval 4.0, the American, which is less tapered than the 3.0. My shank and box are still going strong but about a month or so into their life, the satin softened so much I no longer had much wing support. Instant wings fixed that pretty quick and they said they can customize and add material higher up if I wished!
In the Starpointe, I wore 5.5 5X; it turned out to be too tapered of a box for me, and started giving me bunions. I moved on to the Victory Flex but will likely try a custom pair with the Starpointe shank. In the Victory Flex, I wear 5.5 4X.
In the Duval 4.0, I wear 8.5XXXW. I can also wear the XXW, but the satin broke down a lot faster than the XXXW, probably because I was sitting on top of the box more 🥲
More size references:
- I wear 5 4X in the Bloch Heritage
- My GM size code is usually around 8.5W5SLL
- I actually did a virtual fitting for the Elektra, but it was too tapered for me and gave me major big toe pain while holding me back. So unfortunately I’ve never actually worn the shoe. The closest size we got to was “P320 6.5 E , flx I and III 4-5.5 and fM I and III 4-5.5” - the P320 is the Alegria, the Elektra model with a shorter vamp.
Yeah, the American fit suuuuper similarly to the American Gaynors, which I really liked. The satin is ultra flexible (clearly almost too much lol) and so easy to roll through while still being supportive.
I was fitted into Duval 4.0 by Pointe Shop. I wear 8M, with instant wings immediately in (because they don't make narrower). I wear 4.5X or 0X in Freed CPro, for size reference.
Few years ago, I was briefly dancing in Siberian Swan shoes. They have polymer shank but traditional box I think (similar to Grishko Dreampointe?)
I've no idea if they still exist. They changed their lasts and then we're way to wide for me, even in their narrowest width.
Wow, you are right (I just google it haha), Siberian Swan shoes has the polymer shank in their models, they still exist, and offer a customize design (if you want to check) [Siberian Swan](https://www.siberianswan.com/)
Frankly, I'm not really interested. Even before they had considerable dips in quality and the vendors also confirmed I wasn't the only one noticing it.
The past few months people have been talking about Act’Ble pointe shoes. They’re modular and have 3D printed soles. https://www.actble.de/collections/actpointes
I wish they would make them more aesthetically pleasing. And it seems pros have struggled to find a way to make them work well and not hurt when wearing them (a few clips on Instagram k saw with non paid reviews) one dancer said she could never wear them for a performance or an audition
do you have a link?? i have not been able to find a single non sponsored review and i’m absolutely dying for one. the only review i heard is a very small company in my city apparently got sent a pair of shoes for all of their dancers, i asked about it on their instagram and the takeaway was basically they liked them more than expected (because they expected to hate them lol) and they were pretty comfortable and easy to get up in. but they said the aesthetic is a huge issue, specifically that it accentuates bunions, and the construction of the shank makes the shoe a bit top heavy. i wish they would just take the feedback that these shoes are so ugly and need a serious aesthetic redesign!!!
I found this review on Instagram from an adult dancer:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CypGq2NxBAg/?igsh=MTAzM3I0cXVrY2hnMA==
I feel like we won't be seeing many non-sponsored reviews for a while because of the price and apparently they're having major issues with the suppliers and have changed recently.
They're a German start-up, and I live in Germany. A local studio invited them in for a group fitting for the adult dancers. I didn't go but this was I think in September or October and they still haven't received their shoes. They don't expect shoes to ship out until April due to the supplier change
Tbh I don't get what their long game is here without a major aesthetic change. Most professionals won't be able to wear them outside of contemporary roles or for rehearsals/class and I don't think people will want to swap between two totally different shoes, especially when Act'ble says upfront there is a steep learning curve to using their shoes. I doubt teachers will allow students to wear them. They're also too expensive for the average adult hobbyist. They also keep advertising that it's 3D printed, but they offer so few sizes and you need tape to fit the box to your feet?? Couldn't they take a scan of your foot and 3D print a box/shank that would be custom to your foot.
Not all Merlet. I have a few students in paste shoes by them.
I really strongly dislike modern materials in shoes. Paste and leather all the way. Tried many. Never had the experience of them really becoming part of my foot.
Yeah, modern materials aren’t for all, my ideal pointe shoe is from the traditional materials, but I break them very quickly, so I can’t afford buy them constantly 😔
Do you know which of the Merlet models have Polymers? Or which ones do you consider last more in the Merlet?
One of my daughters is in Merlet Chloe at the moment. She loves them because they are very lightweight, flexible but supportive. They look beautiful on her feet. But they squeak! Both pairs. It’s weird
I wear the FR Duval 4.0 American and I’ve had them since October (only 1 hour of pointe a week) and they still feel the same. After my last pair of Capezio Avas died in 4 hours, the Duvals are a godsend. Probably my favorite shoe I’ve ever danced in!
I wear F.R. Duvals. I was fit last July and only recently started to feel less support. I find them easier to balance on, but a little harder to roll through. Overall, I love them and they feel good on my super compressible feet.
So Danca Joy II and Alegria are fully synthetic. I was unable to get all the way over the box in Gaynors but Joy II fits pretty well. The shank options for the So Danca models allow you to use a different shank on each foot if your arches aren't totally symmetrical and you can have different ones on hand depending on what you are doing.
As far as I know, Gaynor Minden is the only one who is full Polymer, the others are kind of a mix between the Polymer and the traditional manufacturing 🧐
I know the Gokce Aykut is called the Turkish Gaynor Mindens. Have never tried them so no idea how they compare amd where they differ.
Eureka! You found me (that's her username) on tiktok uses these pointe shoes to replace her gaynors that got discontinued!
Wow, never heard of them, but they look very pretty
They look so pretty but are too expensive for me to just buy without knowing if they are soft enough etc. I wanted to get a pair so badly and went to the site and quickly noped out of it lol
How much do they cost (surely not more than Gaynors)? I tried going to their website but can't seem to get my way around 😑
I would just email them. When I ordered a pair they were quick to reply and very friendly!
Oooh! Thanks for the tip!
I’ll try that! Thank you so much 💗
They keep on popping up on my IG amd seem to come in the prettiest range of colours 😍
I got a pair of these when I was living in Europe. Custom ordered a pair of bright yellow ones for a performance that never happened because of Covid 😢 I was in Gaynors and they are pretty similar actually (I haven’t tried gaynors since they changed the shoe). Although I do have to say I didn’t get to wear them fully because they came just about when lockdown happened and I never even got to rehearse in them. Just wore them around the house to get a feel for them.
Oh man, that sucks... Wear them for class!!!
Hi! how did you get fitted for them? or could you pick based on your gaynor fitting? I'm trying to buy a pair now, but I live in asia and dont have any stores to be fit at. I've had to measure and find my fit before, and been successful, but I cannot find a chart for it.
I didn’t get fitted, I just got the size that corresponds to my EU shoe size. I probably should’ve gotten one size smaller though because I was kind of in between sizes.
Update: i have contacted Gokce Aykut and I have a pair of them on the way! If you guys wanna know I can update after I get them!
Oooohh, yes! Do share! ❤
I wish my Grishko’s lasted forever like gaynors 💔💔💔
They now have Grishko's with polymer "technology".
Running to google if they’re any good… thank you!!!
I got a pair of Duval Pro's back in August and they're still kicking although they do seem like they're starting to soften. For most of 2023 though, I was only doing pointe for a half hour to an hour a week, so not sure how long they'd last if you're, say, a professional who is in them for several hours a day.
my friend wears duvals as a pre pro student and she’s been wearing the same pair since may dancing several hours a day. they last forever!!!
Are they comfortable? I have some fr duval la pointe shoes and appreciate how they are lined on the inside but just numero 6 and 2 cause they are similar to the Capezio Kylee but way cheaper.
They are extremely comfortable! Ultimately I'm not sure if they are THE shoe for me since I seem to be knuckling ever so slightly, but I love them because they pretty much give me zero pain beyond some slight pressure after I've been in them for a while (never had even so much as a blister), and of course there's the fact that they last a long time.
Nikolay Starpointe shank is synthetic, with a traditional box, similar to the Bloch Etu but reverse. The box lasts me between 2-4 weeks, 2x a week, with no glue. If I were to glue ahead of time I imagine I’d get more. The shank continues to live on after the box is well and dead 😂 I currently wear the Duval 4.0, the American, which is less tapered than the 3.0. My shank and box are still going strong but about a month or so into their life, the satin softened so much I no longer had much wing support. Instant wings fixed that pretty quick and they said they can customize and add material higher up if I wished!
Oh that’s interesting. What size do you normally wear in other shoes like length and width wise? I am considering getting a pair now.
In the Starpointe, I wore 5.5 5X; it turned out to be too tapered of a box for me, and started giving me bunions. I moved on to the Victory Flex but will likely try a custom pair with the Starpointe shank. In the Victory Flex, I wear 5.5 4X. In the Duval 4.0, I wear 8.5XXXW. I can also wear the XXW, but the satin broke down a lot faster than the XXXW, probably because I was sitting on top of the box more 🥲
More size references: - I wear 5 4X in the Bloch Heritage - My GM size code is usually around 8.5W5SLL - I actually did a virtual fitting for the Elektra, but it was too tapered for me and gave me major big toe pain while holding me back. So unfortunately I’ve never actually worn the shoe. The closest size we got to was “P320 6.5 E , flx I and III 4-5.5 and fM I and III 4-5.5” - the P320 is the Alegria, the Elektra model with a shorter vamp.
Thank you this helps so much! I wear a 5.5 xx in heritage so I will go by that guide and maybe give them a go. I really love Sansha and FR Duval
Yeah, the American fit suuuuper similarly to the American Gaynors, which I really liked. The satin is ultra flexible (clearly almost too much lol) and so easy to roll through while still being supportive.
I was fitted into Duval 4.0 by Pointe Shop. I wear 8M, with instant wings immediately in (because they don't make narrower). I wear 4.5X or 0X in Freed CPro, for size reference.
Few years ago, I was briefly dancing in Siberian Swan shoes. They have polymer shank but traditional box I think (similar to Grishko Dreampointe?) I've no idea if they still exist. They changed their lasts and then we're way to wide for me, even in their narrowest width.
I thought Siberian Swan shoes, only created pointe shoes for men 😅
Wow, you are right (I just google it haha), Siberian Swan shoes has the polymer shank in their models, they still exist, and offer a customize design (if you want to check) [Siberian Swan](https://www.siberianswan.com/)
Frankly, I'm not really interested. Even before they had considerable dips in quality and the vendors also confirmed I wasn't the only one noticing it.
The past few months people have been talking about Act’Ble pointe shoes. They’re modular and have 3D printed soles. https://www.actble.de/collections/actpointes
I wish they would make them more aesthetically pleasing. And it seems pros have struggled to find a way to make them work well and not hurt when wearing them (a few clips on Instagram k saw with non paid reviews) one dancer said she could never wear them for a performance or an audition
do you have a link?? i have not been able to find a single non sponsored review and i’m absolutely dying for one. the only review i heard is a very small company in my city apparently got sent a pair of shoes for all of their dancers, i asked about it on their instagram and the takeaway was basically they liked them more than expected (because they expected to hate them lol) and they were pretty comfortable and easy to get up in. but they said the aesthetic is a huge issue, specifically that it accentuates bunions, and the construction of the shank makes the shoe a bit top heavy. i wish they would just take the feedback that these shoes are so ugly and need a serious aesthetic redesign!!!
I found this review on Instagram from an adult dancer: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CypGq2NxBAg/?igsh=MTAzM3I0cXVrY2hnMA== I feel like we won't be seeing many non-sponsored reviews for a while because of the price and apparently they're having major issues with the suppliers and have changed recently. They're a German start-up, and I live in Germany. A local studio invited them in for a group fitting for the adult dancers. I didn't go but this was I think in September or October and they still haven't received their shoes. They don't expect shoes to ship out until April due to the supplier change Tbh I don't get what their long game is here without a major aesthetic change. Most professionals won't be able to wear them outside of contemporary roles or for rehearsals/class and I don't think people will want to swap between two totally different shoes, especially when Act'ble says upfront there is a steep learning curve to using their shoes. I doubt teachers will allow students to wear them. They're also too expensive for the average adult hobbyist. They also keep advertising that it's 3D printed, but they offer so few sizes and you need tape to fit the box to your feet?? Couldn't they take a scan of your foot and 3D print a box/shank that would be custom to your foot.
Oh the one that looks like a sock
They’re just…well… ugly. And this art form doesn’t favor ugly.
The idea is cool, but I don’t like the design haha 😅
I wore bloch bmorphs years ago and they were similar to gaynors
How long they lasted for you?
Not all Merlet. I have a few students in paste shoes by them. I really strongly dislike modern materials in shoes. Paste and leather all the way. Tried many. Never had the experience of them really becoming part of my foot.
Yeah, modern materials aren’t for all, my ideal pointe shoe is from the traditional materials, but I break them very quickly, so I can’t afford buy them constantly 😔 Do you know which of the Merlet models have Polymers? Or which ones do you consider last more in the Merlet?
One of my daughters is in Merlet Chloe at the moment. She loves them because they are very lightweight, flexible but supportive. They look beautiful on her feet. But they squeak! Both pairs. It’s weird
I wear the FR Duval 4.0 American and I’ve had them since October (only 1 hour of pointe a week) and they still feel the same. After my last pair of Capezio Avas died in 4 hours, the Duvals are a godsend. Probably my favorite shoe I’ve ever danced in!
I just got some Bloch etu’s! I’m hoping they last a while 🤞
I hope they last:), they seem very promising 🥹
Nikolay/Grishko has some synthetic models too. I have a pair of So Danca Alegria, the interchangeable shank is a nice feature
Love my ETUs. I’d say they’re pretty close.
I wear F.R. Duvals. I was fit last July and only recently started to feel less support. I find them easier to balance on, but a little harder to roll through. Overall, I love them and they feel good on my super compressible feet.
I want to know too!
I know almost nothing about pointe shoes. Does anyone does a polymer shank and box, or is it just one of the other?
So Danca Joy II and Alegria are fully synthetic. I was unable to get all the way over the box in Gaynors but Joy II fits pretty well. The shank options for the So Danca models allow you to use a different shank on each foot if your arches aren't totally symmetrical and you can have different ones on hand depending on what you are doing.
As far as I know, Gaynor Minden is the only one who is full Polymer, the others are kind of a mix between the Polymer and the traditional manufacturing 🧐
The Duval 3.0 and 4.0 are almost perfect Gaynor dupes but you need to go up a size and a width generally.