ballet slipper with more support

[onyx]

Hi-

Does anyone know of any make or style of ballet slippers that has a bit more padding on the bottom then the ones that you usually find from Bloch, Capezio and Grishko? I have been having major sesmoid problems ( I am seeing the podiatrist for them)and am trying to find something a little more substantiial. Plus, has anyone noticed that the Bloch linings curl up and seperate from the shoe fairly soon after you start wearing them?I think they are having a bit of a quality control issue. It has happened to the last 3 pairs of shoes I got from them and they were no where near worn out.

Onyx

[ceecee]

Capezio Juliets have a padded insole.

[dancepig]

I have found the Leo's Arabesque soft shoe to have the most padding, and I've recently tried eight different shoes (different brands and models). They have a lycra heel, and leather around the toes. I wear an 8 street shoe, and take a size 10 Wide in this shoe, they run very small! I think you can get these online, if not, pm me and I'll give you some brick and mortar stores.

[Serendipity]

When you say padded, where is the padding - at the toe? the heel? or all around?

[dancepig]

It's on the inside, completely along the bottom (where a full shank would be in a pointe shoe), from the heel to the toe, it's a foam type padding, about 1/8 inch thick.

[pointeprovider]

Moderators, please remove if I am not allowed to post on Adult Students, but I read this thread and would like to add that the Prima-Soft leather shoes have padding. I'm not sure about their canvas, as DD only tried the leather.

[Serendipity]

Thanks for that info. I might give them a try -at least to change for jumps, to protect an angry ankle.

[dancepig]

I think they would be great for anyone with heel spurs. What I've been doing lately (because of my Morton's Neuroma) is using the Free Form or the Grishko Ultima at the Barre then changing into the Leo's for center. My feet like variety.

[onyx]

Thanks, everyone- I think i can get both the arabesque and the Juliet from Discount Dance. I will also try to find someone who sells the prima-Soft. I am constantly fighting planter fasciiitis( don't know if I spelled that right) and have on and off sesmoid issues.( Right now they are really on!!)

Thanks again for the info.

Onyx

[Serendipity]

Those who've used these shoes with the padded insole, did you notice whether you found it harder to "feel" the floor or to point in these types of shoes?

 

I found that part of my ankle issue on the one side was due to using the heel inserts - I need to keep things as normal as possible, but jumping can be scary for me right now, and I want to see about using one of these types of shoe to see if it helps absorb the shock.

 

Please let me know how well these shoes have worked for you. :-)

 

Thanks!

S.

[dancepig]

Serendipity - I've noticed it's more of a challenge to balance when using the Leo's Arabesque. The shoe has about 1/8 inch of padding in it, definitely causing less "feel" of the floor. However, I love jumping in them because it helps with the loss of natural padding in my heels.

[olddude]

For several years I wore a fairly stiff sponge rubber heel lift in my left ballet shoes, 1/8 inch in front and 1/4 inch at the heel. (I also had a 1/4 inch lift in all my left shoes.) This was for a "short leg" problem, but the foam rubber was also soft enough to absorb plenty of shock. Recently I noticed that my short leg was not actually short - my hip alignment has improved through ballet classes so much that I don't need the lift. So I removed the padding from my ballet shoes and bought new shoes for everyday.

 

For what it's worth, I have not noticed any difference in dancing, in performance or in pain or injury. My alignment is better, but I'm not sure which came first. I don't feel the floor any differently as far as I can tell, and stress on the feet has not changed - if there's a lot of jumping I'll feel it by the end of class, but mostly I'm fine by the next day.

[Serendipity]

Well, I tried out the Juliets at a local store, and the fellow there also showed me a shoe that had more heel padding. He didn't have the Leo Arabesques in stock but said they're not that different to the Juliets.

 

Now, I'm concerned as the "foam" described wasn't all the way through but only on the heel, and the other brand had more of it than the Juliets. As a matter of fact, both shoes didn't have much in the way of heel support, from what I was expecting from the description here.

 

Can someone enlighten me as to what the Leos are like, really, or is it just like the above - only really in the heel, and not even as much as one would find in a reasonable jazz shoe? I'm feeling a bit frustrated. I only want them for jumping, actually, but can't take much in terms of shock on that ankle that has the impingement.

[dancepig]

The foam padding in the Leo's Arabesque is one piece that runs the entire length of the bottom of the shoe, from heel to toe. I like them for jumping, but there is a "learning curve" to balancing in center. I don't think they would give your ankle added support. In my opinion, your ankles would strengthen from the added challenge of balancing, but I don't think any ballet slipper is going to give you ankle support. Sorry about this.

[tangerinetwist]

I will also try to find someone who sells the prima-Soft. I am constantly fighting planter fasciiitis( don't know if I spelled that right) and have on and off sesmoid issues.( Right now they are really on!!)

Thanks again for the info.

Onyx

 

 

Prima soft leather and canvas soft shoes available at:

http://www.backbaydancewear.com/catalog_c292321.html

I wore them for awhile but didn't find them impressive enough to continue with. I think the shoe being described with the cushioning only in the heel portion would be the Bloch pump.

 

I am fighting a horrible case of plantar fasciitis right now. I have had a corticosteroid shot, doing exercises, stretching, but I also have to be able to teach and try to get through the class I take on Sundays as much as possible. I HATE this orthothic device that my podiatrist recommended, but it is helping me dance without the heel pain:

http://www.footsmart.com/P-Spenco-Polysorb-Insole-10598.aspx