To Grishko or to Not: That is the Question
Every young ballerina’s dream is: “when can I stand on my toes?” Knowing how a pointe shoe should feel, what a pointe shoe is made of, and what shoe will be the best fit for the individual dancer are great concerns.
I was a professional dancer with the New Orleans ballet for 4 years and have worn my share of pointe shoes. Grishko pointe shoes were my personal favorite. Their shoe is all handmade in Russia and is one of the very few companies that offer wide boxed pointe shoes.
Pointe shoes look dainty, but they really are not. The tip of the shoe is made of densely packed layers of fabric, cardboard, and/or paper hardened by glue. The dancer depends on it to be the extremely sturdy. The shoe has to support the weight of their entire body that is balanced on the small platform that is the box. The
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The shoes will protect the tender parts of the feet, especially the toes and toenails. The shoe should closely follow the line and contours of the foot, offering support in the box, shank and metatarsal areas to define the dancer 's lines. It will allow a dancer with less than perfect feet to dance to their highest potential, and also help correct certain bad habits or physical limitations.
Grishko 's unique U-shaped medium vamp is extremely supportive and comfortable for all kinds of feet. The special design of the suede sole provides an easy transition from the demi-pointe to the pointe and back. The shoe is distinguished by its perfect placement to the feet that muffles noise and allows the dancer to get fully over the box and forces the dancer to not stand sickled or pronated.
Shank strength is an aspect of pointe shoes that is of high importance. Breaking in pointe shoes correctly can not only make them feel much more comfortable when rising for the first time, but can actually make the shoe last