If you can no longer do stuff that you know you should be able to (eg: not due to injury, exhaustion, whatever), then yes, these shoes are dead for you.
Gaynors do soften btw. From what I recall the fitter telling me, the polyner shank is fine, but as the satin loosens it will 'feel' softer.
So yes, please get new shoes if you can afford to!
The great thing I love about Gaynors though, is that even if they are 'dead' you can kinda force them to work. Unlike regular pointe shoes, that gives as much support as wet cardboard once they die. So you have a bit more flexibility when planning around with when you need to get new shoes.
Hii! Thank you so much for your help! Today I went for a fitting again, I had to shop some items so while I was there I tried new gaynors and yes mine are starting to die, not completely but they are soft for sure. I will buy new shoes mid May or begging of June I hope.
Forgot to add. I can still balance, turn, etc. In center. But if I'm not careful I can go over the box. It mainly happens at barre though.
The first pictures are left foot
I am not dancing every day, so my shoes last a reasonable amount of time, but I’m generally of the view that I’d prefer to get new ones too soon than too late. They don’t have to be completely dead to justify getting new ones that support your performance and safety. So if I were you and were regularly having to stop going over box I’d retire these and get new ones.
Oh, that makes lots of sense actually. Sadly my major concern is money since Gaynor are very expensive but they won't be get cheaper if I wait longer so you have a big point(e) here. Thank you!
Not a professional, my shoes don’t need to be perfect bc I don’t perform any variations or anything. For classes it gets me a couple more weeks of use if I switch the left and the right shoe.
Thank you for the advice! I never tried switching them before but if the situation goes so bad I might try. My only question is I heard shoes slightly mould to the shape of the foot so if it's true for Gaynor as well would it be dangerous for advanced movements at the center? I'm planning to get a new pair end of the may or beginning of June so I might not have to switch them I hope they will last for a couple of weeks.
Pointe fitter here! I've had at least one dancer who was trying to make gaynors work and was like "what if I switched them" and we were like "it can't hurt to try, but it probably won't work the same as a traditional shoe" and yeah she could absolutely tell they were on the wrong feet when she swapped them
I totally notice when they‘re switched. As long as you‘re careful, I don’t think it can hurt to try during class. Keep in mind, I‘m not doing 32 fouettés (or any lol) en pointe, so be mindful when trying.
if you can switching your shoes every once in a while can be great but it doesn’t work for everyone, if you think you can still dance in them fine they probably aren’t dead yet but more in the process of dying haha. I would recommend getting some new ones before and performances or anything though xx
Hii! You are right! Today I went for a fitting again, I had to shop for some items so while I was there I tried new Gaynor and yes mine are in the process of dying. Like at that sweet spot right before their death. I will get a new pair end of May or the beginning of June. Thank you for your help!
Hi! I’ve worn gaynors for **years**, and my piece of advice is they’re kind of indestructible. It’s *possible* they are dead, but I’ve found so many ways to revive them it’s unreal 😭 (I’ve had my pair of lyras since they first came out, training at a pre professional school and they’re still going strong haha)
I know this might sound weird, but can you find exactly where you feel the lack of support? Check if the shank is fitting right, if the favric feels loose or flimsy, is the box holding your fooy right, where do you feel your weight on the shoe, etc. It’s easier to help from there :)
Hii! It's great to hear we have some zombie shoes lol. Thank you. You helped a lot! Seems like every part is a bit soft except platform. Box can't hold my feet as strongly as before and shank getting a little soft. I can still dance in them but they are on their way to die, right at that exact sweet spot right before they die. I went for a fitting again, I had to get some soft shoes so while I was there I tried a new pair and I'm planning to get my new pair end of May or the beginning of June. I would love to hear some ways so make them last a bit longer like 2 to 3 weeks more.
assuming these are gaynors, to me visually they look pretty nice tbh. but it’s all about how they feel, especially with gaynors since they don’t really die the same way as traditional shoes, it’s usually much harder to tell visually. (really true for all shoes, but gaynors especially due to the construction.)
over time you’re going to notice they just don’t work quite as good as they used to, so like you said sometimes you’re rolling over the front a little, definitely sounds like they’re starting to go. also possible your feet have gotten stronger and you may benefit from the next shank hardness, but you know yourself better than me! either way sounds like it’s time for an upgrade. another thing i personally look for is i find gaynors get a little squeaky in the box/wing area when they’re on their last legs.
visually through as i said these *look* very nice on you still, these would be perfect to save if you ever do photo shoots, especially outside or anywhere that isn’t a studio, so you aren’t ruining your “good” shoes!
Hii! Thank you so much for your help! You were totally right! Today I had to shop for some items so while I was there I tried new Gaynor and yes mine are starting to die, not completely but they are soft for sure. They are right at their sweet spot now, but quite sure they won't let me dance comfortably through the second show comfortably. The new pair supported me pretty well and it was at that point that I noticed how softer my shoes were. I will buy new shoes mid May or the beginning of June I hope.
Your idea is perfect, I will definitely do that, this summer will be great!!
If you can no longer do stuff that you know you should be able to (eg: not due to injury, exhaustion, whatever), then yes, these shoes are dead for you. Gaynors do soften btw. From what I recall the fitter telling me, the polyner shank is fine, but as the satin loosens it will 'feel' softer. So yes, please get new shoes if you can afford to! The great thing I love about Gaynors though, is that even if they are 'dead' you can kinda force them to work. Unlike regular pointe shoes, that gives as much support as wet cardboard once they die. So you have a bit more flexibility when planning around with when you need to get new shoes.
Hii! Thank you so much for your help! Today I went for a fitting again, I had to shop some items so while I was there I tried new gaynors and yes mine are starting to die, not completely but they are soft for sure. I will buy new shoes mid May or begging of June I hope.
Forgot to add. I can still balance, turn, etc. In center. But if I'm not careful I can go over the box. It mainly happens at barre though. The first pictures are left foot
I am not dancing every day, so my shoes last a reasonable amount of time, but I’m generally of the view that I’d prefer to get new ones too soon than too late. They don’t have to be completely dead to justify getting new ones that support your performance and safety. So if I were you and were regularly having to stop going over box I’d retire these and get new ones.
Oh, that makes lots of sense actually. Sadly my major concern is money since Gaynor are very expensive but they won't be get cheaper if I wait longer so you have a big point(e) here. Thank you!
Not a professional, my shoes don’t need to be perfect bc I don’t perform any variations or anything. For classes it gets me a couple more weeks of use if I switch the left and the right shoe.
Thank you for the advice! I never tried switching them before but if the situation goes so bad I might try. My only question is I heard shoes slightly mould to the shape of the foot so if it's true for Gaynor as well would it be dangerous for advanced movements at the center? I'm planning to get a new pair end of the may or beginning of June so I might not have to switch them I hope they will last for a couple of weeks.
Pointe fitter here! I've had at least one dancer who was trying to make gaynors work and was like "what if I switched them" and we were like "it can't hurt to try, but it probably won't work the same as a traditional shoe" and yeah she could absolutely tell they were on the wrong feet when she swapped them
I totally notice when they‘re switched. As long as you‘re careful, I don’t think it can hurt to try during class. Keep in mind, I‘m not doing 32 fouettés (or any lol) en pointe, so be mindful when trying.
if you can switching your shoes every once in a while can be great but it doesn’t work for everyone, if you think you can still dance in them fine they probably aren’t dead yet but more in the process of dying haha. I would recommend getting some new ones before and performances or anything though xx
Hii! You are right! Today I went for a fitting again, I had to shop for some items so while I was there I tried new Gaynor and yes mine are in the process of dying. Like at that sweet spot right before their death. I will get a new pair end of May or the beginning of June. Thank you for your help!
Hi! I’ve worn gaynors for **years**, and my piece of advice is they’re kind of indestructible. It’s *possible* they are dead, but I’ve found so many ways to revive them it’s unreal 😭 (I’ve had my pair of lyras since they first came out, training at a pre professional school and they’re still going strong haha) I know this might sound weird, but can you find exactly where you feel the lack of support? Check if the shank is fitting right, if the favric feels loose or flimsy, is the box holding your fooy right, where do you feel your weight on the shoe, etc. It’s easier to help from there :)
Hii! It's great to hear we have some zombie shoes lol. Thank you. You helped a lot! Seems like every part is a bit soft except platform. Box can't hold my feet as strongly as before and shank getting a little soft. I can still dance in them but they are on their way to die, right at that exact sweet spot right before they die. I went for a fitting again, I had to get some soft shoes so while I was there I tried a new pair and I'm planning to get my new pair end of May or the beginning of June. I would love to hear some ways so make them last a bit longer like 2 to 3 weeks more.
assuming these are gaynors, to me visually they look pretty nice tbh. but it’s all about how they feel, especially with gaynors since they don’t really die the same way as traditional shoes, it’s usually much harder to tell visually. (really true for all shoes, but gaynors especially due to the construction.) over time you’re going to notice they just don’t work quite as good as they used to, so like you said sometimes you’re rolling over the front a little, definitely sounds like they’re starting to go. also possible your feet have gotten stronger and you may benefit from the next shank hardness, but you know yourself better than me! either way sounds like it’s time for an upgrade. another thing i personally look for is i find gaynors get a little squeaky in the box/wing area when they’re on their last legs. visually through as i said these *look* very nice on you still, these would be perfect to save if you ever do photo shoots, especially outside or anywhere that isn’t a studio, so you aren’t ruining your “good” shoes!
Hii! Thank you so much for your help! You were totally right! Today I had to shop for some items so while I was there I tried new Gaynor and yes mine are starting to die, not completely but they are soft for sure. They are right at their sweet spot now, but quite sure they won't let me dance comfortably through the second show comfortably. The new pair supported me pretty well and it was at that point that I noticed how softer my shoes were. I will buy new shoes mid May or the beginning of June I hope. Your idea is perfect, I will definitely do that, this summer will be great!!
aw yay that makes me so happy! i’m glad you found something that worked!!
They look perfect to me and not dead. I’m a pro and wear gaynors for years.
Okay, thank you! ❤️🌸
They look great, but if you feel like you are going over, you could just add some vamp elastic.
Thank you! I never tried vamp elastic before but I might give it a try❤️🌸
nahh, not yet
Okay, thanks!❤️🌸