soft blocks/demi pointe

[cassy]

Maybe a silly question but - during the fitting, is it advisable to stand en pointe, as i would think this necessary?

Although i dont want to do anything that could mean causing injury - so perhaps ok to with support?

First demi pointe fitting so unsure

[Xena]

Hi Cassy,

 

Never stand en pointe in soft blocks. Only stand en pointe in pointe shoes. If you meant pointe shoes, then yes it is advisable to stand en pointe during fitting. Usually the fitter will get you to stand in front of a mirror holding on a barre, and get you to plie in first and second and roll up through your feet onto pointe.

 

For soft blocks fitting is just as improtant as with any ballet shoe, (soft or pointe shoe), but never stand en pointe in them as 1) they are not designed to support you whilst en pointe, and 2) you will completely knacker your shoe and have to buy a new pair every two weeks, and that's going to be expensive.

During fitting make sure you do wide plie in second and see if they are slipping off the back of your heels. If so, and that is the only thing wrong with the shoe, then you can get heal pads to stick on the inside part which will grip your heel and keep the shoe on.

You should be able to pointe your foot and not feel your toes all scrunched up.

They will feel really weird and you'll find it difficult to balance at first as the sole seems too hard. But with proper use of your feet in them, that will disappear and you'll find your feet a lovely and strong for pointe work

[Redbookish]

Er, no, I shouldn't have thought so - demi-pointes are like pointe shoes in the hardened box, but they don't have the hardened shank which is the main support on full pointe. So unless your feet are very strong (as if you were on pointe already) I wouldn't think it would be particularly safe. At least that was the case when I wore them as a tenager - we were expressly told not to go up on full pointe. Might have changed since then! But do make sure you can tendu and plie in them, and they're confortable when you're really working the floor in them, so that they don't pinch your toes in those moves, as that's where you really work your feet in demi pointe shoes - particularly - I found - in tendu and petit allegro exercises, as well as getting the feeling of the resistance when you roll up or releve to demi pointe.

[cassy]

Thanks so much for your advice, knew it was a silly question but i just had to ask

 

I guess demi pointe was bit of a give away though

 

I went for Grishko exam shoes in the end, putting them on felt really alien but even after a few minutes they started to feel more comfortable. I was happy with the store manager who assisted the fitting - she has children of her own who are dancers and she really helped by advising some of the things to look out for - like bagging e.t.c.

 

Thank you both for your kind advice - im very happy with my new pretty shoes

[JennyKaye]

Oh Cassy! The advice I gave you in the PM was for a pointe shoe fitting, I must have mis-read the message!

 

Yeh, don't go up on pointe in a soft block fitting!

 

*Should pay more attention when reading messages!!!*

[cassy]

Jen - im sure it was my mistake, maybe didnt explain very well