I love that Josephine isn’t brand affiliated. I think creating brand loyalty is an even bigger marketing tool than it was in previous decades and I it’s easy to get sucked into it. Pointe shoes should be about what fits you and not who the ambassadors are or what you see other people wearing.
I actually have Merlet Divas. I used to always wear Grishko Smart Pointe, but since I dance 65+ hours a week, the shoe would die so fast. My Divas are amazing due to the plastic shank and the gel padding inside. I really wanted you to review the Diva, so thank you so much for this!
Oh ! French pointe shoes ! I honestly thought that Repetto was slightly more popular abroad. Here, in France, you can't really escape it when you do ballet. They don't really work for me however and I didn't really liked the shade of the satin. Merlet, on the other hand, was the very first brand I was introduced to. When I got fitted for my first pair, I was a a bit older than the typical age and had pretty strong muscle already. But the fitter put me in the softest shank in Merlet, which was called the Prelude at the time. Extremely comfortable but I broke them so so fast ! Mine didn't have the purple lining however. Beautiful shoes, some are handmade in Limoges. Thank you for the video !
I have had the Preludes twice already and you are right. I wore my new ones four times for like half an hour and they’re so soft already. Before that I had Merlet Pulsion and they were heaven! My absolute favourites. My very first pair were Bloch Serenade though. Didn’t like them very much
It's amazing how much thought goes into how you choose a shoe for each person! I love hearing all the different considerations, it's fascinating. I wish you were a fitter in NY!
I love my repettos! I find that they are a great replacement for Freeds because they still look beautiful, but they last a lot longer and much more consistent, so no need to worry about makers! I think they’re really great for students who don’t want to be going through shoes every week and they look soooo gorgeous in the SFB girls too!
It's always kind of funny to realize that dancers from other parts of the world don't know Repetto ! Repetto is like THE ballet shoe in France. I started with Repettos, when back in the 60s. I still have my vintage white leather flats for that matter, although when I went back to ballet class last year, after a 42 years gap, my teacher suggested I switch to soft, split soles slippers. I bought Capezios Hanami, and I have to admit stretch fabric and split soles are so much more pleasant to work with, so comfortable, and give you a very beautiful line. So my vintage Repettos went back in my archive box, right next to my first pointe shoes, Repettos also ! When I went back on pointe this year, my fitter found the perfect pair for me, not Repettos but Blochs. Fun facts : Rose Repetto started making her son's dance shoes in 1947, in a small shop near Opéra de Paris. So the first user of Repetto slippers was none other that Roland Petit, famous dancer and later choreographer. And in 1956 she created the Cendrillon slippers for everyday wear at the request of Brigitte Bardot, who made them famous by wearing them in And God created woman... Nowadays, a pair of Cendrillon slippers will cost you about 195€, if not more depending on the material.
Great to see that you're talking about these two brands - I have a pair of Repetto 206 in the late 90ies, but the lady at the shop back then didn't really know much about fitting and neither did I, so I ended up with something way too hard - a bit later I got Merlet Etoile from another shop, and these were, finally, my shoes. I still have a pair of both but after a 15 year break, my feet have changed. I'm now in Merlet Pulsion, which I like a lot, but I was always confused that you never really hear much of that brand or Repetto at all, it's always Bloch, Gaynor Minden, and Freed ...
In france these brands are very very popular, maybe the most popular. At my first fitting the first pair that the fitter made me try was repetto and right after merlet.
After watching this video I went and purchased my first pair of Merlet (Diva HARD shank model). I got them today and seriously they are GORGEOUS! I’m in love. ❤️❤️❤️❤️I’ve tried loads and loads of shoes to try and fit my awkward feet. These shoes create beautiful lines and they don’t hurt on pointe as much as some do. Can’t say enough good things. Definitely recommend them . Thanks for letting me know about these brands xxx
Used to wear repetto’s over 25years ago. I was at Joffrey when it was suggested I try them since I have high flexible arches/instep, compressible feet, and disappearing heel. Loved them for quite a few years before switching out of need due to where I was dancing and difficulty in getting them.
I wear Merlet Diva’s and I LOVE THEM😍 but they run out of stock pretty quickly on discount dance, so I order like two pairs at a time even if I still have an unused pair. They are definately it for me. Great to know you sell them!!! I also take out the gel that’s inside and wear regular toe pads.
@@rebeccasanders6475 hi! I wear on street shoes a 6.5 and the size online for my merlet’s is 37eu (15D is what says at the bottom of the shoe) I personally take out the gel to have space for my toepads. If I don’t take it out it’s quite tight with the toepad. Hope that helped!
It's so nice to hear someone talk about Repetto! I wish I could remember the name of the ones I used to love, I think they were the Wilis model, but not 100%. They were asymmetrical so that they had a true left and right shoe and they were amazing. Anyway, I used to try to tell people about this brand and no one had ever heard of them before.
@@ThePointeShop the shop I worked at in Seattle in the ‘90’s sold Repetto, Chacott,* Gamba, Freed, Bloch and Capezio in that order of popularity. Repetto had a hard time getting dance stores to carry them, I think they had 1 sales rep for the entire USA. We carried them because the region had some French instructors who requested them. *This was before Chacott was bought by Freed. Russian brands were hard to source and unreliable and Gaynor Minden weren’t on the market yet.
I got my first pair of pointes today, and they were merlets. they are infinitely better than my Grishko Demi pointes( not to shame grishkos, they are great, but they didn’t really work for my feet) the merlet feels so comfortable, im already in love after 5 minutes of wearing them
omg i have merlet cloes rn and they're most definitely my fav pair of shoes ever they're so so so comfy and workable and they perfectly fir my foot shape I'm in love with them !!
I feel like sodanca is a quite well known brand but most people don’t talk about their pointe shoes. I think they are specially good for people with very thin feet. Maybe you could do a video about them, it would be great! :)
I don't do ballet, but I often dance on wood floors, and recently fell in love with suede soled shoes! Mine are from a brand called swayd (get the pun). Excellent option for teachers or anyone looking for an alternative to traditional dance sneakers or ballroom shoes, and they also have an amazing assortment of dance boots! They feel so secure when I'm turning, without feeling grippy. I would imagine that feeling would be even more incredible for pointe work
Hi Josephine! I am a pointe shoe fitter in Germany and just absolutely love, love love your videos! They always give me new inspiration and whenever I get stuck durong a fitting, i think "what would Josephine do?" ^^ We have actually been carrying several Merlet models over the years and their Belle is a wonderfully soft shoe for beginners with narrower, more tapered feet. Have you ever checked them out? Best of luck and a sunny spirit to you in these troubled times
I was fitted into Merlets right before lockdown. Since we stopped dancing for awhile I haven’t actually tried them yet (still killing my Grishkos). Very curious to see how they feel because they are wildly different than Grishkos!
Have you ever seen Degas shoes ? The very first pair I wore was a pair of Degas Petit Rat (little rat, term of endearment for young dancers), they're shoes made for beginners. If I remember correctly, they have a very soft shank.
When I got my first pair of shoes I actually tried on a Merlet and I felt really supported it was an amazing feeling! Unfortunately it hurt a bit on my pinky toe, otherwise I would've definitely bought them. So I'd recommend them still.😊
Now I realize what I am seeing is darning around the toes of the shoes. Thank you for that video. Also someone commented about dancers that prefer ‘dead’ shoes. I am pretty sure the squishy pointe shoes I saw on a certain Russian dancer were ‘dead’. So much to learn about pointe shoes.
I just had a first pointe shoe fitting and got fitted in Merlet Belle’s! I have yet to do my first class in them but I did a lot of research before and knew that different pointe shoe brands were very different but I only fully understood it in the actual fitting. I was fitted in grishkos(never went on pointe in those) and then blochs. With the blochs i found it pretty hard to get on the platform and it was a little wobbly, but when i tried on the merlet it was so much better! I could get onto the platform so much easier and i felt pretty secure once i was up there. I can definitely see this similarity with the divas, as they seem to have a very flat and pretty stable platform. Before i went in for my fitting I didn’t really want merlets because i didn’t know much about them, but it just shows how you must keep an open mind for different brands as they were such better shoe for me! Btw im 14 and have been doing ballet since the age of 3. My teacher approved my pointe shoes and i am so excited for my next lesson so i can wear them!😃
I feel DIVA are really comfortable for me, but I do have medium-short toes and it’s hard for me to go through demi with them. Nevertheless, I tend to have big toe calluses and flexible toes so I feel DIVA is really making me feel stable and supporting my sides to don’t have that much pressure on my big toe. But also my line is not looking that much nicer… But I do dance so much better with them and they last long! So, people told me to try Chloé from Merlet… Would you suggest trying Chloé then? Thank you!
Repettos are pretty popular here in Brazil bc it's one of the 3 brands we can get from the actual store.... everything besides só dança, repetto and bloch you can only get online or from an independent fitter but either way they are subjected to crazy importation taxes that make the shoes too expensive
Repettos were my first pair of pointe shoes back in the mid nineties (they were soooooo tiny) ! And now I have a pair of Merlot Divas circulating among my Capezios! But I have freakishly short toes 🤷🏻♀️
I tried Repetto when I was living in Europe. The model that our studio offered fits beautifully but breaks too quickly on my feet. They were really soft.
I tried repetto years ago for a performance shoes and the one I tried was too soft! It was gorgeous on my feet and they really pushed me over my box as well. But I went with Russian pointes and blochs in the end.
Thank you for doing merlet! Merlet cloe saves my life when my size of Russian Pointe is out of stock. It's platform is supet flat you don't have to darn it! And I think cloe has the shortest vamp in merlet. It's soft so I expect it to die faster but the current pair is still good. Fingers crossed. ❤️❤️
I wear the Diva and they actually last a lot longer than I thought they would. I think it’s because of the plastic shank. I dance 65+ hours a week, so I need shoe that won’t die super fast. They are much better than my Grishkos I had before that would die after one day.
What Russian pointe shoes were you wearing? I’m wearing Almaz because of low profile tapered toes...do we have the same type? If so I might be able to try Merlet cloe :D
@@mwai608 sorry for the super late reply. I didn't get any notification back then. I live in Japan so Russian Pointe is actually called R class here, and they have this RC series, and I wear RC34, acctionally RC80. :) the RC34 basically looks like rubin except have higher crown/profile according to my local retail store. It also looks a lot like Merlet's cloe. Except much harder. But I prefer soft shoes anyway so it didn't bother me. I never tried almaz, the local shop said the crown might be too low for me.. BTW Cloe doesn't have super high crown or something but I felt the box and the fabric around it has more give, maybe it is because it's shorter vamp compared to other merlet shoes. PS my feet are tiny, quite square, short weak toes, high profile high/strong arch, disappearing heel. Hope it helps!
merlet was my very first shoe! i'd never heard of it until my fitter brought them out as options, and they were the ones that worked best for baby pointe dancer Corvid KEKW
I was super intrigued by the Merlet from this video so went to look more into them and saw they have a model called Lisa that has interchangeable/removable shanks! I've never heard of this before and would love to hear your thoughts on this!
I wear merlet Lisa and they are the best shoes I have ever used! They’re especially well fitting on narrow long feet and the way the shank breaks into the arch is lovely and they lasted me thrice as long as my previous shoes! I only wish they came with pre fitted gel toes and the vegan suede tips don’t last as long as the rest of the shoe which is quite bothersome. But I’m still in love with them! But I would love to hear Josephine’s review of them!
It was really funny, because my ballet teacher doesn't like merlet and she said she has told ballet emporium stores not to fit dancers from her studio into them and when me and my friend first got fitted, they fitted us in merlet first and they said that my teacher loves them lmao
It's true, I wear the merlet diva and I really love them they are so comfortable but I think the vamp is maybe a little bit too high for me and the box a little too soft but still pretty nice shoe
I had a friend who wore Repetto for years but was told she had to find a more "mainstream" brand shoe for some reason, I think it had something to do with going to different places for summer intensive or moving on to a big school in the future. She ended up struggling for a couple of years trying to find something else that actually worked and her pointe work really suffered for it until someone was able to find her another shoe that really did work for her. Hopefully more of these brands that are unpopular in the US will become more widely known and accessible so others who are doing well in them don't have to change.
Oh lord, before I switched to Freeds at the age of 14 1/2 and then for the rest of my career, I lived in Gambas by Repetto. The Gamba 93 was my every day in the studio training hard-core shoe. I loved them. I have a pretty wide foot that is square shaped, with short to medium length toes and those shoes were so great if you were a student that needed a relatively affordable stock shoe with those dimensions. I don’t think Repetto makes the Gamba line anymore But I think you can still find them online through warehouses that sell discontinued and overstock shoes. They are definitely worth finding if you have a certain foot type, especially if you have white feet, square feet or medium to short toes.
Have you seen R Class pointe shoes anywhere? Recently i’ve been seeing a lot about them but I’d never heard of them before or know anything about their quality
There are two versions of merlet, I am not a fan of the Diva. The length of the box is too long, but there is the basic merlet that has a wide box and it melts beautifully to the foot, it has lasted me for a while. I dance every Saturday for a few hours in them. So far they have last three months and I need to new pair. But they are something you have to try to see how they feel, because it is different from other people.
Can you talk about the new so danca Electra? And split sole pointe shoes? And possibly the custom gaynor mindens? On last thing... could u talk about a U vamp vs V vamp and how they can change your lines? Thanks!!! Luv ur videos!!!
For French pointe shoes brands, I quite recommend Sansha. I've used almost all my years of dancing and they have a lot of different shoes from beginners to professionals.
I wear Merlet (the Divas), and I wish they were easier to find in North America! With long toes, I love the long vamp and wings... But I pull out the gel in the toes. It's too thick for me!
Hii Josephine I’m a huge fan, I have a question so my big toes are shorter then my second toes and my pinkie toes are very short so when I’m on releve my pinkie toes “float” is there a certain pointe shoe I should try out (I also get a lot of big toe pain on pointe)
I wore the Merlet diva before for like 3 pairs but they legit lasted like a week. I didn’t hate them but I would never be able to wear them unless it was for a performance 😂
What seems to be generally a good shoe for very long tapered toes? I have always had trouble finding one that's narrow enough for tapered toes, but a high enough vamp and wings to support me without sinking.
Josephine - would Merlet work for someone with a longer second toe than big toe? (And with the Merlet, is there mobility for the whole foot?/to roll through and what do you think of SoDanca shoes? I returned to pointe as an adult and got a pair of Gaynor's (which I had always sworn against - on pointe, they feel great, but standing in them, running, trying to work through my feet, my toes just curl and its bad).
I wear Merlet Divas and my second toe is longer than my big toe. They are honestly amazing and much better than my Grishkos and Russians that I had before. It is very easy to roll through due to the softer shank and the more flexible plastic shank it has. Hope this helped!
I love this! Thank you so much. Did you ever fittet the new Bloch elegance with split sole? It would be interesting whats different between a full sole and a split sole on a point shoe.
As a current Bloch wearer, I am also super interested in the stretch line up. I don't hear Bloch mentioned much on this channel though, other than in passing.
Hi Josephine, I wear Grishko 2007s which I like, I have a shallow foot with long toes, wide at the metatarsals then really narrow (triangle shaped). I feel that I struggle to get the pointe under enough if that makes sense e.g. when stepping out to pique it feels like I won't get on top of the shoe. Do you think an angled box would help with this? many thanks!!
Angled boxes usually make it harder to balance/get en pointe actually! They can feel slippery too if you're not used to it. Might be more important to get a shoe that helps you feel your ankle mobility more to help you get en pointe :)
I got my first pair of point shoes yesterday. The lady had me try on sooo many shoes and then she had me try the Alicia Repetto shoes. I haven’t danced in them yet but they feel alright I think. But the box is indeed very hard. Idk if I should try to break them a little bit or leave them like this
Can you do a video on pointe shoes for flat feet? I’ve always struggled with trying to find the right shoes for my flat feet and it would be interesting to see what you recommend!💖
Hi Josephine! I was wondering how similar is the repetto to the capezio ava? I am currently using the ava however the box is much too soft for me and I'm realizing I need more support in that area. I also wore Suffolk stellar before the ava and they were by far the prettiest shoes on my feet however they would often break weird in my metatarsal. I am wondering if the repetto is something I should consider trying?
have you thought about giving online workshop on how to fit pointe shoes? I aspire to be a professional one, but it's hard to get a certificate in my country, Indonesia.. It'd be great if you can! :D
We actually just launched a certification program! If you email info@thepointeshop.com we can email you the application :) PS - one of our fitters is Indonesian
Hi, Josephine! I recently had a stress fracture in my big toe’s growth plate on my right foot. I was in Suffolks Stellar, and I was kind of hoping to try a new brand, one that wouldn’t be as roomy in the box. I have Egyptian feet, and my street shoe size is, depending on the shoe, a 7 or 7.5. Are there any pointe shoes that you would recommend me getting that would be safe to start back in after my toe injury, and would maybe give my foot a snugger feel? Thank you so much!
I really want to return to dance as an adult. However, my hyper-flexible joints are catching up with me in my 40s, which lead to injuries. I won’t be going on pointe (way overweight). Where do I go for soft ballet shoe fitting as Thorough as yours?
I was rewatching this video since I'm currently trying out the La Carlotta and I noticed my shoes don't seem to have a tilted platform. Is it so subtle only a professional eye can see it or is this something that has changed over time (or are there different options)?
Interesting that both these brands are French and you mention both these shoes have long vamps & wings. Is that a particularly French thing in pointe shoes? Not a dancer so I'm not looking for a detailed technical explanation - it just struck me and I'm curious.
Hi Josephine!! Thank you so much for your great content and knowledge. I love all of your videos 💜 I was actually fitted last year at your Santa Ana location and was put into Capezio Avas. They were good at first but I’ve been having the same problem with them I’ve had with most shoes - a lot of big toe pain/pressure and sinking down into the shoe 😞 my teacher said that they don’t seem to be supporting me well and that they are too soft. Do you have any suggestions? It’s mostly for me big toe pain pressure that have made pointe unbearable. I stuff tons of lambs wool in the shoes but I feel like there must be a better way. I have low profile, super compressible feet with Egyptian shaped toes. I feel like I have the worst shoes for pointe 😭
You actually might need a stronger shoe for more support! If you've been fit with us before, def book another appointment so we can re-evaluate. We'll have notes in our system about your feet & we can take notes on how you are progressing. It's kinda like going to the doctor - we love for dancers to come back so we can keep recommending shoes as they grow and improve
I have the same problem with basically every shoe I have tried except Grishko's - I wore the 2007 Pro's for many years, but the Maya's had also worked for me. They are more tapered than most other shoes and have a strong box - which is perfect for me because my metatarsals are more compressible than just narrow and need the box to hold them in place. A toe spacer could also help. Not sure if any of this will work for you but might be worth trying!
@@engagedfig7144 Aw thank you for the advice and tips!! I'll try the spacers. I've been wanting to give Grishko's a try. Which shoe works best for you - Maya or 2007 Pro's?
@@MikaCigic I was in the 07's for much longer. Basically, the 07's break a bit higher than the Maya's for me (probably because the 07's have a slightly longer vamp). So I prefer the Maya's when my ankles are more sore/strained (I feel that I work my feet muscles more and take some pressure off the ankles) and the 07's otherwise (which look more elongated visually for me). Also always preferred the 07 Pro's over the straight 07's because they're so much quieter (I think there's a bit of extra fabric built into the platform, which also makes it more shock absorbent in my experience). Hope this helps and good luck!
@@engagedfig7144 Ah ok yeah that all makes sense! Thank you so much for sharing your insight and knowledge :D Can I ask also how many hours a week do you dance on pointe? How long do the shoes last you?
I'm French so I have had a few pairs of Repetto and Merlet pointe shoes over the years, but if you have narrow feet like I have you should stay away from these brands if you can't get the narrowest size they produce ( and it's really hard to find in a pointe shoe store or online, so i ended up having to size up and the shoes were never right for me ), and even the narrowest size is quite big compared to other brands. If you have larger feet I know that these brands are well loved by many of my friends, so go for it but really pay attention to the widht you are getting !!
I have pretty small toes but I wear Merlet. I live in a 3rd world country where we don’t really have very good pointe shoe supply or fitters. I have a bit of trouble rolling through my shoes because the wings are so long. What should I do?
Hi Josephine! I have a question about my pointe shoes, whenever I point in them they look sickled but my foot is properly aligned. Even if I just try to move my toes it looks like it’s twisting. Do you know what would be wrong with it! Also my big toe is the longest too, I’d that helps.
Hi Josephine, we keep watching all your videos because you are so lovely and informative. We are having lots of trouble finding a shoe for my student daughter. We are looking for a shoe with a very low profile, good for extremely long skinny feet, with long toes. She has been in Chacott, Veronese for the narrowness. Any suggestions?
The Pointe Shop thank you so much for your reply, we are very appreciative. Yes, she has tried them, profile was still high. We have been ordering online, we likely tried the incorrect models. Maybe we can try a virtual fitting with your shop since we are having so much trouble.
I love that Josephine isn’t brand affiliated. I think creating brand loyalty is an even bigger marketing tool than it was in previous decades and I it’s easy to get sucked into it. Pointe shoes should be about what fits you and not who the ambassadors are or what you see other people wearing.
These brands are well-known in France (they are like the most popular, especially Repetto) haha.
haha very true
Even in Australia they are getting popular ^^. Currently im using merlet divas and they are honestly the best shoe i have ever worn
@@arana4106 I’ve worn them too, they’re great, I agree!
I actually have Merlet Divas. I used to always wear Grishko Smart Pointe, but since I dance 65+ hours a week, the shoe would die so fast. My Divas are amazing due to the plastic shank and the gel padding inside. I really wanted you to review the Diva, so thank you so much for this!
Repetto ballet flats were a very popular street-shoe in the 1950s. Audrey Hepburn (who started out as a ballerina) wore them a lot, back then.
Oh ! French pointe shoes ! I honestly thought that Repetto was slightly more popular abroad. Here, in France, you can't really escape it when you do ballet. They don't really work for me however and I didn't really liked the shade of the satin. Merlet, on the other hand, was the very first brand I was introduced to. When I got fitted for my first pair, I was a a bit older than the typical age and had pretty strong muscle already. But the fitter put me in the softest shank in Merlet, which was called the Prelude at the time. Extremely comfortable but I broke them so so fast ! Mine didn't have the purple lining however. Beautiful shoes, some are handmade in Limoges. Thank you for the video !
I wish i could speak French with the same ease that you speak english
I have had the Preludes twice already and you are right. I wore my new ones four times for like half an hour and they’re so soft already. Before that I had Merlet Pulsion and they were heaven! My absolute favourites. My very first pair were Bloch Serenade though. Didn’t like them very much
I used to wear Repettos when I used to dance almost 30 years ago. I still have a brand new pair.
Me too, I wore Repettos in the 90's. I'm from Northern California and I probably first tried them on in San Francisco.
I also remember encountering them in the 90s. I was in Vermont at the time.
Miss Josephine!!! I love you’re videos! They helped me know what to expect when I got my first pair of pointe shoes! :)
It's amazing how much thought goes into how you choose a shoe for each person! I love hearing all the different considerations, it's fascinating. I wish you were a fitter in NY!
I have no idea why i'm so obsessed with pointe shoes and how they're constructed/fitted/customized/broken in
I love my repettos! I find that they are a great replacement for Freeds because they still look beautiful, but they last a lot longer and much more consistent, so no need to worry about makers! I think they’re really great for students who don’t want to be going through shoes every week and they look soooo gorgeous in the SFB girls too!
totally agree!
Never took dance, never took ballet, love watching these videos :)
I wear merlet pulsion at the moment and I really like them. I think merlet shoes are a great option for beginners and to build up strength.
I love you sitting so close to the camera so we can really see the shoes.
It's always kind of funny to realize that dancers from other parts of the world don't know Repetto !
Repetto is like THE ballet shoe in France. I started with Repettos, when back in the 60s. I still have my vintage white leather flats for that matter, although when I went back to ballet class last year, after a 42 years gap, my teacher suggested I switch to soft, split soles slippers. I bought Capezios Hanami, and I have to admit stretch fabric and split soles are so much more pleasant to work with, so comfortable, and give you a very beautiful line. So my vintage Repettos went back in my archive box, right next to my first pointe shoes, Repettos also ! When I went back on pointe this year, my fitter found the perfect pair for me, not Repettos but Blochs.
Fun facts : Rose Repetto started making her son's dance shoes in 1947, in a small shop near Opéra de Paris. So the first user of Repetto slippers was none other that Roland Petit, famous dancer and later choreographer. And in 1956 she created the Cendrillon slippers for everyday wear at the request of Brigitte Bardot, who made them famous by wearing them in And God created woman... Nowadays, a pair of Cendrillon slippers will cost you about 195€, if not more depending on the material.
Great to see that you're talking about these two brands - I have a pair of Repetto 206 in the late 90ies, but the lady at the shop back then didn't really know much about fitting and neither did I, so I ended up with something way too hard - a bit later I got Merlet Etoile from another shop, and these were, finally, my shoes. I still have a pair of both but after a 15 year break, my feet have changed.
I'm now in Merlet Pulsion, which I like a lot, but I was always confused that you never really hear much of that brand or Repetto at all, it's always Bloch, Gaynor Minden, and Freed ...
In france these brands are very very popular, maybe the most popular. At my first fitting the first pair that the fitter made me try was repetto and right after merlet.
Can you discuss the particular needs and issues for plus size dancer’s point shoes?
Yes. This.
Yes. Absolutely! I'd love to do this in person
I started out as a plus size and now that I am slender I still use the same brand and model, just smaller 🤯
After watching this video I went and purchased my first pair of Merlet (Diva HARD shank model). I got them today and seriously they are GORGEOUS! I’m in love. ❤️❤️❤️❤️I’ve tried loads and loads of shoes to try and fit my awkward feet. These shoes create beautiful lines and they don’t hurt on pointe as much as some do. Can’t say enough good things. Definitely recommend them . Thanks for letting me know about these brands xxx
Used to wear repetto’s over 25years ago. I was at Joffrey when it was suggested I try them since I have high flexible arches/instep, compressible feet, and disappearing heel. Loved them for quite a few years before switching out of need due to where I was dancing and difficulty in getting them.
I wear Merlet Diva’s and I LOVE THEM😍 but they run out of stock pretty quickly on discount dance, so I order like two pairs at a time even if I still have an unused pair. They are definately it for me. Great to know you sell them!!!
I also take out the gel that’s inside and wear regular toe pads.
Always smart to buy extra of something that you use all the time when it's on sale-- no matter what it is, from food to clothes.
How does the size run? Do you buy your usual size and rip the inside gel out? This is what I was planning on doing
@@sebeckley absolutely!! Now I have stocked up in quarantine and have enough for a while!
@@rebeccasanders6475 hi! I wear on street shoes a 6.5 and the size online for my merlet’s is 37eu (15D is what says at the bottom of the shoe) I personally take out the gel to have space for my toepads. If I don’t take it out it’s quite tight with the toepad. Hope that helped!
I wear street 8 so I’m thinking a 38.5-39. I’m a 5.5X in freeds
I'm so obsessed with this channel and this is the first time I've heard her mention toes like mine!
It's so nice to hear someone talk about Repetto! I wish I could remember the name of the ones I used to love, I think they were the Wilis model, but not 100%. They were asymmetrical so that they had a true left and right shoe and they were amazing. Anyway, I used to try to tell people about this brand and no one had ever heard of them before.
We actually love Repetto! They're just hard to get in US & def not for everyone.
@@ThePointeShop the shop I worked at in Seattle in the ‘90’s sold Repetto, Chacott,* Gamba, Freed, Bloch and Capezio in that order of popularity. Repetto had a hard time getting dance stores to carry them, I think they had 1 sales rep for the entire USA. We carried them because the region had some French instructors who requested them. *This was before Chacott was bought by Freed. Russian brands were hard to source and unreliable and Gaynor Minden weren’t on the market yet.
I got my first pair of pointes today, and they were merlets. they are infinitely better than my Grishko Demi pointes( not to shame grishkos, they are great, but they didn’t really work for my feet) the merlet feels so comfortable, im already in love after 5 minutes of wearing them
omg i have merlet cloes rn and they're most definitely my fav pair of shoes ever they're so so so comfy and workable and they perfectly fir my foot shape I'm in love with them !!
I love swede tips! My favorite pointe shoes were an off brand with swede tips. I felt so secure in them. I wore them past dead, and I still have them.
*suede
I feel like sodanca is a quite well known brand but most people don’t talk about their pointe shoes. I think they are specially good for people with very thin feet. Maybe you could do a video about them, it would be great! :)
I don't do ballet, but I often dance on wood floors, and recently fell in love with suede soled shoes! Mine are from a brand called swayd (get the pun). Excellent option for teachers or anyone looking for an alternative to traditional dance sneakers or ballroom shoes, and they also have an amazing assortment of dance boots! They feel so secure when I'm turning, without feeling grippy. I would imagine that feeling would be even more incredible for pointe work
I love Repetto!! I haven’t worn any of their shoes, but they have some really good dance wear and beautiful bags!!
Hi Josephine! I am a pointe shoe fitter in Germany and just absolutely love, love love your videos! They always give me new inspiration and whenever I get stuck durong a fitting, i think "what would Josephine do?" ^^ We have actually been carrying several Merlet models over the years and their Belle is a wonderfully soft shoe for beginners with narrower, more tapered feet. Have you ever checked them out? Best of luck and a sunny spirit to you in these troubled times
I was fitted into Merlets right before lockdown. Since we stopped dancing for awhile I haven’t actually tried them yet (still killing my Grishkos). Very curious to see how they feel because they are wildly different than Grishkos!
I’m exactly like that! Been wearing grishkos and have been re-fitted into merlets
Have you ever seen Degas shoes ? The very first pair I wore was a pair of Degas Petit Rat (little rat, term of endearment for young dancers), they're shoes made for beginners. If I remember correctly, they have a very soft shank.
When I got my first pair of shoes I actually tried on a Merlet and I felt really supported it was an amazing feeling! Unfortunately it hurt a bit on my pinky toe, otherwise I would've definitely bought them. So I'd recommend them still.😊
Thanks. A lot of people are telling me bout repetto and merlet so it was nice I got a review.
I have been having Repetto for years! And those are absolutely amazing
Now I realize what I am seeing is darning around the toes of the shoes. Thank you for that video. Also someone commented about dancers that prefer ‘dead’ shoes. I am pretty sure the squishy pointe shoes I saw on a certain Russian dancer were ‘dead’. So much to learn about pointe shoes.
I just had a first pointe shoe fitting and got fitted in Merlet Belle’s! I have yet to do my first class in them but I did a lot of research before and knew that different pointe shoe brands were very different but I only fully understood it in the actual fitting. I was fitted in grishkos(never went on pointe in those) and then blochs. With the blochs i found it pretty hard to get on the platform and it was a little wobbly, but when i tried on the merlet it was so much better! I could get onto the platform so much easier and i felt pretty secure once i was up there. I can definitely see this similarity with the divas, as they seem to have a very flat and pretty stable platform. Before i went in for my fitting I didn’t really want merlets because i didn’t know much about them, but it just shows how you must keep an open mind for different brands as they were such better shoe for me! Btw im 14 and have been doing ballet since the age of 3. My teacher approved my pointe shoes and i am so excited for my next lesson so i can wear them!😃
I feel DIVA are really comfortable for me, but I do have medium-short toes and it’s hard for me to go through demi with them. Nevertheless, I tend to have big toe calluses and flexible toes so I feel DIVA is really making me feel stable and supporting my sides to don’t have that much pressure on my big toe. But also my line is not looking that much nicer… But I do dance so much better with them and they last long! So, people told me to try Chloé from Merlet… Would you suggest trying Chloé then?
Thank you!
Repettos are pretty popular here in Brazil bc it's one of the 3 brands we can get from the actual store.... everything besides só dança, repetto and bloch you can only get online or from an independent fitter but either way they are subjected to crazy importation taxes that make the shoes too expensive
Repettos were my first pair of pointe shoes back in the mid nineties (they were soooooo tiny) ! And now I have a pair of Merlot Divas circulating among my Capezios! But I have freakishly short toes 🤷🏻♀️
I tried Repetto when I was living in Europe. The model that our studio offered fits beautifully but breaks too quickly on my feet. They were really soft.
I am camping and cursing because ballet and camping are not a great match... THANK-YOU Josephine 💙💚💛🧡💜
I tried repetto years ago for a performance shoes and the one I tried was too soft! It was gorgeous on my feet and they really pushed me over my box as well. But I went with Russian pointes and blochs in the end.
They are super soft - like Freed's in that way. Glad you found something that worked :)
Thank you for doing merlet! Merlet cloe saves my life when my size of Russian Pointe is out of stock. It's platform is supet flat you don't have to darn it! And I think cloe has the shortest vamp in merlet. It's soft so I expect it to die faster but the current pair is still good. Fingers crossed. ❤️❤️
I wear the Diva and they actually last a lot longer than I thought they would. I think it’s because of the plastic shank. I dance 65+ hours a week, so I need shoe that won’t die super fast. They are much better than my Grishkos I had before that would die after one day.
@@kyliee8586 thank you for bringing me hope 🤓! Divas vamp is too long for my short toes but it looks fabulous! 😍
What Russian pointe shoes were you wearing? I’m wearing Almaz because of low profile tapered toes...do we have the same type? If so I might be able to try Merlet cloe :D
@@mwai608 sorry for the super late reply. I didn't get any notification back then. I live in Japan so Russian Pointe is actually called R class here, and they have this RC series, and I wear RC34, acctionally RC80. :) the RC34 basically looks like rubin except have higher crown/profile according to my local retail store. It also looks a lot like Merlet's cloe. Except much harder. But I prefer soft shoes anyway so it didn't bother me. I never tried almaz, the local shop said the crown might be too low for me.. BTW Cloe doesn't have super high crown or something but I felt the box and the fabric around it has more give, maybe it is because it's shorter vamp compared to other merlet shoes. PS my feet are tiny, quite square, short weak toes, high profile high/strong arch, disappearing heel. Hope it helps!
Thanks for the clarification on the merlet point shoe. The sizing is a bit confusing but I tempted to buy a pair.
merlet was my very first shoe! i'd never heard of it until my fitter brought them out as options, and they were the ones that worked best for baby pointe dancer Corvid KEKW
I was super intrigued by the Merlet from this video so went to look more into them and saw they have a model called Lisa that has interchangeable/removable shanks! I've never heard of this before and would love to hear your thoughts on this!
I wear merlet Lisa and they are the best shoes I have ever used! They’re especially well fitting on narrow long feet and the way the shank breaks into the arch is lovely and they lasted me thrice as long as my previous shoes! I only wish they came with pre fitted gel toes and the vegan suede tips don’t last as long as the rest of the shoe which is quite bothersome. But I’m still in love with them!
But I would love to hear Josephine’s review of them!
It was really funny, because my ballet teacher doesn't like merlet and she said she has told ballet emporium stores not to fit dancers from her studio into them and when me and my friend first got fitted, they fitted us in merlet first and they said that my teacher loves them lmao
It's true, I wear the merlet diva and I really love them they are so comfortable but I think the vamp is maybe a little bit too high for me and the box a little too soft but still pretty nice shoe
I had a friend who wore Repetto for years but was told she had to find a more "mainstream" brand shoe for some reason, I think it had something to do with going to different places for summer intensive or moving on to a big school in the future. She ended up struggling for a couple of years trying to find something else that actually worked and her pointe work really suffered for it until someone was able to find her another shoe that really did work for her. Hopefully more of these brands that are unpopular in the US will become more widely known and accessible so others who are doing well in them don't have to change.
Enjoyed this review, Josephine. Keep them coming!
Oh lord, before I switched to Freeds at the age of 14 1/2 and then for the rest of my career, I lived in Gambas by Repetto. The Gamba 93 was my every day in the studio training hard-core shoe. I loved them. I have a pretty wide foot that is square shaped, with short to medium length toes and those shoes were so great if you were a student that needed a relatively affordable stock shoe with those dimensions. I don’t think Repetto makes the Gamba line anymore But I think you can still find them online through warehouses that sell discontinued and overstock shoes. They are definitely worth finding if you have a certain foot type, especially if you have white feet, square feet or medium to short toes.
Have you seen R Class pointe shoes anywhere? Recently i’ve been seeing a lot about them but I’d never heard of them before or know anything about their quality
There are two versions of merlet, I am not a fan of the Diva. The length of the box is too long, but there is the basic merlet that has a wide box and it melts beautifully to the foot, it has lasted me for a while. I dance every Saturday for a few hours in them. So far they have last three months and I need to new pair. But they are something you have to try to see how they feel, because it is different from other people.
I used to wear Gambas. They are not found in the us anymore.
Grishko and Merlet are the only brands my local ballet store has, so it's nice being able to see some reviews. Any thoughts on Merlet Adagio?
I’m curious to know what you think of Siberian Swan pointe shoes!
Can you talk about the new so danca Electra? And split sole pointe shoes? And possibly the custom gaynor mindens? On last thing... could u talk about a U vamp vs V vamp and how they can change your lines? Thanks!!! Luv ur videos!!!
Yayayay! I've been waiting for a Repetto Review. Thank you!! 😍🥰
My first ever shoes were Repettos! My fave of all time 😍
For French pointe shoes brands, I quite recommend Sansha. I've used almost all my years of dancing and they have a lot of different shoes from beginners to professionals.
I've used sansha too (I'm from Germany) and they last forever. Great shoe
@@annacbrown1986 They indeed last long but mine became to narrow pretty quickly.. It's really a shame..
I wear Merlet (the Divas), and I wish they were easier to find in North America! With long toes, I love the long vamp and wings... But I pull out the gel in the toes. It's too thick for me!
Will you ever come to Texas?❤️
I use merlet divas for first time they are comfortable actually but idk if it’s my shoe for life I think I’m gonna change it btw
Hii Josephine I’m a huge fan, I have a question so my big toes are shorter then my second toes and my pinkie toes are very short so when I’m on releve my pinkie toes “float” is there a certain pointe shoe I should try out (I also get a lot of big toe pain on pointe)
Grew up in the US, and all I grew up on was Repetto. And all I wear are Repetto ballet flats now that I’m not dancing.
I wore the Merlet diva before for like 3 pairs but they legit lasted like a week. I didn’t hate them but I would never be able to wear them unless it was for a performance 😂
I do dance and these videos are so helpful.
What seems to be generally a good shoe for very long tapered toes? I have always had trouble finding one that's narrow enough for tapered toes, but a high enough vamp and wings to support me without sinking.
Josephine - would Merlet work for someone with a longer second toe than big toe? (And with the Merlet, is there mobility for the whole foot?/to roll through and what do you think of SoDanca shoes? I returned to pointe as an adult and got a pair of Gaynor's (which I had always sworn against - on pointe, they feel great, but standing in them, running, trying to work through my feet, my toes just curl and its bad).
I wear Merlet Divas and my second toe is longer than my big toe. They are honestly amazing and much better than my Grishkos and Russians that I had before. It is very easy to roll through due to the softer shank and the more flexible plastic shank it has. Hope this helped!
@@kyliee8586 that's awesome, thank you! have you tried the bloch split soles?
I love this!
Thank you so much. Did you ever fittet the new Bloch elegance with split sole? It would be interesting whats different between a full sole and a split sole on a point shoe.
Can you review the new Bloch grace pointe shoes? :)
Can you review more models of Merlet? E.g. Cloe and Belle
Can I take ballet classes once a week for 3 years and then get my first pair of pointe shoes? 🩰
Any intel on the new Bloch stretchy/relevease shoes?
As a current Bloch wearer, I am also super interested in the stretch line up. I don't hear Bloch mentioned much on this channel though, other than in passing.
I love your videos so much! Im so excited to be fitted by you in July! I believe my studios Academy 3 girls get fitted by you! 🤩🤩
I love you so mutch thank you for sharing this❤😘
Hi Josephine, I wear Grishko 2007s which I like, I have a shallow foot with long toes, wide at the metatarsals then really narrow (triangle shaped). I feel that I struggle to get the pointe under enough if that makes sense e.g. when stepping out to pique it feels like I won't get on top of the shoe. Do you think an angled box would help with this? many thanks!!
Angled boxes usually make it harder to balance/get en pointe actually! They can feel slippery too if you're not used to it. Might be more important to get a shoe that helps you feel your ankle mobility more to help you get en pointe :)
The Pointe Shop thanks Josephine 🦋
Your videos are so informative! THANK YOU!!!
I'm on the edge of my seat with bated breath. Do you foresee doing in person fittings in the near future???
I got my first pair of point shoes yesterday. The lady had me try on sooo many shoes and then she had me try the Alicia Repetto shoes. I haven’t danced in them yet but they feel alright I think. But the box is indeed very hard. Idk if I should try to break them a little bit or leave them like this
Can you do a video on pointe shoes for flat feet? I’ve always struggled with trying to find the right shoes for my flat feet and it would be interesting to see what you recommend!💖
Noted!
Hi Josephine!
I was wondering how similar is the repetto to the capezio ava? I am currently using the ava however the box is much too soft for me and I'm realizing I need more support in that area. I also wore Suffolk stellar before the ava and they were by far the prettiest shoes on my feet however they would often break weird in my metatarsal. I am wondering if the repetto is something I should consider trying?
@thepointeshop what do u think of Merlot Lisa with interchangeable shanks???? They have 2 different shank lengths - also do u do online fitting?
have you thought about giving online workshop on how to fit pointe shoes? I aspire to be a professional one, but it's hard to get a certificate in my country, Indonesia.. It'd be great if you can! :D
We actually just launched a certification program! If you email info@thepointeshop.com we can email you the application :)
PS - one of our fitters is Indonesian
Our pointe shoes in the 70s had suede platforms. Yes I'm from the dark ages.
My capezios in the 80s had suede caps too! And they were an atrocious pink colour, and loud as clogs! :) I guess I’m from the dark ages too!
@@dancingconvolutions4491 welcome🤣
Hi, Josephine! I recently had a stress fracture in my big toe’s growth plate on my right foot. I was in Suffolks Stellar, and I was kind of hoping to try a new brand, one that wouldn’t be as roomy in the box. I have Egyptian feet, and my street shoe size is, depending on the shoe, a 7 or 7.5. Are there any pointe shoes that you would recommend me getting that would be safe to start back in after my toe injury, and would maybe give my foot a snugger feel? Thank you so much!
I really want to return to dance as an adult. However, my hyper-flexible joints are catching up with me in my 40s, which lead to injuries. I won’t be going on pointe (way overweight). Where do I go for soft ballet shoe fitting as Thorough as yours?
I was rewatching this video since I'm currently trying out the La Carlotta and I noticed my shoes don't seem to have a tilted platform. Is it so subtle only a professional eye can see it or is this something that has changed over time (or are there different options)?
Interesting that both these brands are French and you mention both these shoes have long vamps & wings. Is that a particularly French thing in pointe shoes? Not a dancer so I'm not looking for a detailed technical explanation - it just struck me and I'm curious.
@Μαρια Σπυρ That makes sense. Thanks! 😊
we love an educated ballerina 😍
Hi Josephine!! Thank you so much for your great content and knowledge. I love all of your videos 💜 I was actually fitted last year at your Santa Ana location and was put into Capezio Avas. They were good at first but I’ve been having the same problem with them I’ve had with most shoes - a lot of big toe pain/pressure and sinking down into the shoe 😞 my teacher said that they don’t seem to be supporting me well and that they are too soft. Do you have any suggestions? It’s mostly for me big toe pain pressure that have made pointe unbearable. I stuff tons of lambs wool in the shoes but I feel like there must be a better way. I have low profile, super compressible feet with Egyptian shaped toes. I feel like I have the worst shoes for pointe 😭
You actually might need a stronger shoe for more support! If you've been fit with us before, def book another appointment so we can re-evaluate. We'll have notes in our system about your feet & we can take notes on how you are progressing. It's kinda like going to the doctor - we love for dancers to come back so we can keep recommending shoes as they grow and improve
I have the same problem with basically every shoe I have tried except Grishko's - I wore the 2007 Pro's for many years, but the Maya's had also worked for me. They are more tapered than most other shoes and have a strong box - which is perfect for me because my metatarsals are more compressible than just narrow and need the box to hold them in place. A toe spacer could also help. Not sure if any of this will work for you but might be worth trying!
@@engagedfig7144 Aw thank you for the advice and tips!! I'll try the spacers. I've been wanting to give Grishko's a try. Which shoe works best for you - Maya or 2007 Pro's?
@@MikaCigic I was in the 07's for much longer. Basically, the 07's break a bit higher than the Maya's for me (probably because the 07's have a slightly longer vamp). So I prefer the Maya's when my ankles are more sore/strained (I feel that I work my feet muscles more and take some pressure off the ankles) and the 07's otherwise (which look more elongated visually for me). Also always preferred the 07 Pro's over the straight 07's because they're so much quieter (I think there's a bit of extra fabric built into the platform, which also makes it more shock absorbent in my experience). Hope this helps and good luck!
@@engagedfig7144 Ah ok yeah that all makes sense! Thank you so much for sharing your insight and knowledge :D Can I ask also how many hours a week do you dance on pointe? How long do the shoes last you?
I'm French so I have had a few pairs of Repetto and Merlet pointe shoes over the years, but if you have narrow feet like I have you should stay away from these brands if you can't get the narrowest size they produce ( and it's really hard to find in a pointe shoe store or online, so i ended up having to size up and the shoes were never right for me ), and even the narrowest size is quite big compared to other brands. If you have larger feet I know that these brands are well loved by many of my friends, so go for it but really pay attention to the widht you are getting !!
May I know what brand n model you are wearing? :)
I have pretty small toes but I wear Merlet. I live in a 3rd world country where we don’t really have very good pointe shoe supply or fitters. I have a bit of trouble rolling through my shoes because the wings are so long. What should I do?
My very first pair of pointe shoes were Repettos.
Hey Josephine! What do you think about En Pointe Orthotics molds for toe pads?
ahh i feel like the merlet would be perfect for me only if the vamp was shorter
They have another style called Lisa which has a shorter vamp
Hello, My daughter will be starting pointe next year and I need to get her fitted.But we live in nyc just wondering what you would recommend
Hi! Would love to fit her virtually if she/you are up to it :)
my first pair of pointe shoes was the repetto julietta :)
Hi Josephine! I have a question about my pointe shoes, whenever I point in them they look sickled but my foot is properly aligned. Even if I just try to move my toes it looks like it’s twisting. Do you know what would be wrong with it! Also my big toe is the longest too, I’d that helps.
If*
Hmm hard to tell without seeing your feet but they may be too narrow!
The Pointe Shop ok thank you!
Hi Josephine, we keep watching all your videos because you are so lovely and informative. We are having lots of trouble finding a shoe for my student daughter. We are looking for a shoe with a very low profile, good for extremely long skinny feet, with long toes. She has been in Chacott, Veronese for the narrowness. Any suggestions?
Has she tried Nikolay or Grishko? Usually good for narrow pencil feet - and profile varies by model!
The Pointe Shop thank you so much for your reply, we are very appreciative. Yes, she has tried them, profile was still high. We have been ordering online, we likely tried the incorrect models. Maybe we can try a virtual fitting with your shop since we are having so much trouble.
What shoes are good for squares short toes?