With so many different brands of pointe shoes, it can be difficult to determine which is best. When a dancer first gets promoted to pointe, they should see a professional pointe shoe fitter. That way, they can get the proper fit for their feet and feel the most comfortable. But there are definitely brands that are more popular among dancers and tend to be best for most people. So I will be discussing the most popular pointe brands.
GAYNOR MINDEN
Gaynor Minden is a pretty new brand of pointe shoe and has become increasingly popular in the last few years. Created in 1992, the American pointe shoe has fitted many professional dancers. The brand claims to last 3 times longer compared to other pointe shoe brands.
At my dance studio back home, many of my friends used Gaynor Minden. The dance studio I attended would have their fitters come and give dancers discounts because they really like the brand. I've heard many dancers say that the shoe is quite stiff compared to other brands. When I first got fitted for pointe shoes, I tried on Gaynor Minden and I do agree that they're really stiff.
FREED
One of the oldest pointe shoe brands, Freed of London was founded in 1929. Since the brand is based in London, it is quite popular among U.K. dancers. It is especially popular among The Royal Ballet and The English National Ballet. Many international dancers also use Freed so it's been able to spread to other countries.
With more than 20 shoemakers, there is a large variety of styles and shapes to choose from. This gives dancers more options to choose from compared to other brands. This can make it easier for a dancer to find the right shoe in the Freed brand.
RUSSIAN POINTE
Russian Pointe was founded in 1998 and is owned by RP Group International. This shoe is considered one of the most flexible pointe shoes. This is the youngest brand on this list. It is a more modern version of the regular pointe fitting the athleticism of a dancer.
Russian Pointe was the brand that I wore back when I did pointe. It was pretty comfortable and adjustable to what I wanted. I know I lot of people that had Russian Pointe usually started pointe later in life. It is usually the brand recommended to older dancers and beginners to pointe. So because of my experience, I would say that Russian Pointe is my favorite brand out of this list.
GRISHKO
Founded in 1987 in Moscow, Russia, Grishko pointe shoes are quite popular in Russia and other European countries. Their motto is "Live your dream" because of their close connection with the dancers. They want to encourage young dancers to accomplish their goals and support their dancing.
What's very unique about Grishko, is that they make vegan pointe shoes. There are very few brands that do this and the ones that do are not the best quality. But Grishko has successfully designed pointe shoes that are vegan and sustainable which is really impressive. They also offer a variety of colors such as red, blue, green, black, and many more.
In the end, it doesn't what brands are the most popular. Between Gaynor, Freed, Russian, and Grishko, they are all great brands. There are many good things about them which is why they are popular. What matters is meeting the needs of the dancer. Instead, dancers should pick the pointe shoe that fits them best.
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