Pointe Shoe Fitting: How To Choose A Vamp

Ever wondered if you were in the correct vamp length? Watch our fitting from Phoenix, Arizona on how to choose the correct length!
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[@decodolly1535]

I'm not a dancer - no-one who ever met me would be in any doubt on that! But I adore ballet and boggle at how the ballerinas dance on pointe so this is fascinating to see how technical it is just to fit a shoe. Thank you. Found this video by chance and am now going to check out all the others.

[@summersinanan5739]

Not being rude do you know what anything or most things mean in the video?

[@decodolly1535]

@@summersinanan5739 What could be rude about asking a reasonable question? To answer, not yet but that's what's great about videos like this - learning all the time.

[@summersinanan5739]

Deco Dolly thank you for being so nice you could take a ballet class in my school it’s in New York in queens if you live there

[@decodolly1535]

@@summersinanan5739 That's really kind but unfortunately I'm in the UK. And it's about 40 years too late for me to think of taking up ballet. Also, my family really doesn't breed women designed to be ballet dancers. Shot-putters, maybe :-) but not ballet dancers. I shall continue to admire the art & skill as an enthusiastic audience member.

[@logiclanguagelearningFrench]

@@decodolly1535 I know a woman took it up in her sixties. I live in the UK, where do you live? I would happily accompany you to a class. Google, SILVER SWANS

[@StraighttothepointeNet]

Just to let you guys know - Grishko vamps can be special ordered to be longer or shorter. Should the dancer wish to stay with that particular model. Takes up to 6 weeks for a custom.

[@AudreeAdam]

Yes and thank God (or Grishko actually....)! I have long feet (10.5-11 US in street shoes), so I wear Triumphs in a 8 1/2, but my toes aren't long (the vamp is 4 inches long or something). For a while, I did cut my vamps and resewed them, used alcohol (on my shoes, lol), but a special order makes life *_SO MUCH EASIER!!!_* , plus you can buy them with a vegan sole, yay for animals!

[@deborahclem4901]

Love this! I wonder how many dancers you save from diving head first into a lifetime of bad technique, bad shoes, bad classes, and frustration just by putting out concise, accessible information on one of the most basic elements of classical ballet.

[@earthestar]

I'm so drawn to these videos and I have never danced ballet in my life. It's so interesting and really cool to see soooo much goes into the art not only for comfort, but also safety. Ballet dancers are hardcore and badass!! ♡

[@sparkybish]

When she went up on pointe I said “ooooooooh” out loud. Such pretty feet.

[@Linaskye143]

Same!

[@Velvet_Wings9]

I love your videos! Can you do a fitting for inflexible feet/ankles? I'd love that! :)

[@diegotejera1741]

Hey josephine, are you going to do more videos for boys on pointe. I really enjoy the last one, and the amount of views that got was really rare I think is because there is more curious people like me, interested about that unusual topic. 🤔

[@123lilcaroline]

Her feet are stunning😍 the tighter shoes look so streamline

[@daisykay23]

Can you please do a fitting video for people with low arches? Love your channel!❤️

[@loveanddreambig]

Fascinating. My vamp was too long in my Grishkos.

[@lindypierce3766]

The right shoe looked like it was wanting to break low again, but they did look much nicer than the previous pair.

[@tameraalvarez6438]

Yes!!! Looks much better on the 2nd shoe!

[@vivelaresistance3239]

I’m glad you don’t mention brand names of shoes because I was completely the sort of girl who would have wanted the same pair of shoes as my favorite ballerina, whether they were right for me or not.

[@stellamangowal2085]

I aspire to be a professional pointe shoe fitter, can you recommend any course I can attend? I'm from Indonesia, so if there's an online course, gonna be very helpful :) thank you!

[@chilanya]

it's always a trade off, the high vamp keeps your knuckles inside the shoe, cleans up the line and helps prevent clawing and scrunching your toes. the low vamp makes demi point so much easier, works much better for short toes and improves the lines of people with less than perfect feet. my beginners students with high vamps and the very tough grishko shanks really can't bend the shoe for demi pointe when they start out.

[@ashimochi]

I got fitted in really high vamps and my progress as a dancer stalled as soon as I started pointe, I would often get told that I'm not practicing enough and I always felt so discouraged when other dancers that started later than me could get right on their platforms inmediately, while I couldn't do so even on dead shoes. I'm kinda really happy the issue wasn't my feet or effort, but rather a ridiculously long vamp!

[@AmandaMoen]

@@ashimochi I didn't break in any pointe shoes until after several years. Mostly, due to the fact that my feet were still growing quickly. It wasn't until I started wearing Gaynor Minden's, that I actually was able to wear the pointe shoes long enough to break them in. Dancing 2 days a week en pointe, my Gaynor Minden's would last about a year. I was also skinny, so that helped prolong the life. I have long toes, and love my deep vamp, and the high heel.

[@ashimochi]

@@AmandaMoen my biggest issues were that I was in a medium-hard shoe with a pretty long vamp, moved to my low vamp pianissimo Gaynors and I can actually roll through! My feet are really stiff and my toes are short, I must admit I'm also a Gaynor lover myself 😍

[@AmandaMoen]

@@ashimochi my biggest issue, right now, is that my pointe shoes might be a bit more dead than I thought. In the past, that wasn't an issue, dancing 3-4 days a week meant my toes and feet were pretty strong, and I could dance with my old Gaynor's, without any issue. But, last time I bought a pair of brand new pointe shoes was April 2008. Back then, my Gaynor Minden's were 10.5N/3-121-22. Which translated to, size 10.5 Narrow, 3 Box, ExtraFlex, Deep Vamp, High Heel. Since then, Gaynor Minden has revamped their sizing, and then changed materials.

[@ashimochi]

@@AmandaMoen try to seek for a re fitting for the new Gaynors, since the sizing got a little too different when they moved to the eu manufacturers (I got into Gaynors recently so they fit me for the europeans straight away, never wore americans) Your other option might be seeing if you can find anyone selling american gaynors online. I've gotten the bad luck that my feet are pretty wide and need a low vamp + very soft shank so sadly my only option was to get them made, but you might have better luck finding your american shoe on some online store at least

[@usagiLain]

Just found this channel, love it!! thank you for making all these helpful videos!! I have short toes, thin profile, compressible feet. I just had another pointe shoe fitting and was suggested to go with a shorter vamp than the Grishko size 3 I have now. I feel like if I go with shorter vamp I lose some support and it doesn't look good on my feet. But with the current vamp height, it's kinda cut into top of my feet when I roll up and down from pointe...... any suggestions?...

[@zourdoudaki]

Great video, as always! Very informative! I was wondering which kind of shoe do you recommend for a 12year old beginner with an egyptian foot type, medium toes and not very high arches? My daughter is about to go on pointe and I'm nervous cause our feet are tooootally different (i have a very narrow greek foot, very low profile). I really wouldn't know where to start with her! Which features should we look out for? I presume durability for an adolescent beginner isn't so important, for instance.

[@ameliamarsh5162]

I couldn’t tell from his comment whether you were a fitter or just a mom but you should probably take her to a filter in your area to figure that out or the pawnshop does virtual fittings

[@SaltySugarPlum]

I wear Grishkos and love everything about them EXCEPT the vamps! I have so much trouble with them. I want a short, low, open U shaped vamp to allow my instep to "pop" out more (cuz i have flat feet. (but I wear a 6.5) i need to create the illusion of having more instep) but their vamps are so inconsistent. every pair i get is different. it's so frustrating. I dont think it just depends on the size, I think the shoemakers are just drunk when they're making them.

[@AudreeAdam]

Hahaha you always make me laugh. I think they are drunk, indeed. I wear a 8 1/2 in my Triumphs and the vamp is sooooo long, so I customize my order. I have long feet, doesn't mean I have freakishly long toes (no offense for people who do), I don't get that. The Elite has a very low vamp, but that's it.

[@Loungemermaid]

I didn’t even look at the username and was like, “huh, that sounds like salty sugar plumb!” I’m on your channel way too much

[@JGreen-le8xx]

YAY!!! new video day! ❤Josephine😄

[@taffyholvenstot8297]

actually the two shoes the old one and the new one side by side, I didn't see any difference in the area that touches the floor. They look the same size to me. But I love these videos and clearly she is very very knowledgeable.

[@lauramcgibbon2093]

can you do a segment for beginners of where to sew ribbons? for different foot styles?

[@hanbigim]

at your arch, i believe

[@Deinareia]

Do you have any advice for compressible tapered feet with tailor's bunions? If I get a narrow shoe, they stick out and bruise and if I get wider one I slide down in it.

[@Madeline96]

I have feet like this and in a previous video Josephine said to get wings that come up a bit higher and support the sides of your feet, so that your bunions aren't sitting on top of the box

[@arielburrow9433]

First!! ✨❤️ love you Josephine!

[@ceciliadepauladias]

Hey! I also like smaller shoes but my second toe is bigger than the others and if I get a smaller shoe the second toe gets too much pressure on it.what should I do?

[@SaltySugarPlum]

tape your toes together. or add a little bit of padding under your big toe

[@jbgem82]

I saw on a different channel there's some company that makes molds of your toes and you use these instead of toe pads. The lady said she had no pain en point in using those pads. I don't dance (why am I here??) so of this makes no sense, sorry!

[@DanielleHaddockFitness]

Her feet look amazing in those shoes that fit her better!

[@natalie8457]

Hi Josephine, what shoes do you recommend for someone with flexible ankles but not so flexible metatarsels

[@AudreeAdam]

That's so vague... You should add pictures of your feet from above and the side.. or describe them at least. Without knowing the shape of your feet and toes, your profile (height) and your age, it's not possible to answer that question I'm afraid (I know you didn't ask me, but I thought you should know). Have you ever had a fitting?

[@neledupree8688]

Hey there! What is the exactly name of this shoe? I have the same Problem... :) thank you

[@deathn0t3o-o40]

Where is your shop,like the address and city or country bc I’m saving up to buy my own point shoes 😄

[@biva71]

I do like tighter pointe shoes to prevent me from Sinking and also because i have very narrow feet but my problem is i gave a hard time articulating or doing ballet running where you run on demi pointe. How do you solve that part?

[@andreawallenberger2668]

Just curious: What brand & model pointe shoe did you re-fit her into?

[@BethanyAnnette91]

Andrea Wallenberger it looked like one of the new Capezios. I’m not sure which one possibly the Ava....???

[@sarah78neidrich83]

Might be kylee

[@andreawallenberger2668]

@@sarah78neidrich83 you might be right, ty! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYDKiaawotiMlcU

[@AleahZucchi]

I am a size 8.5 in a regular shoe and I have super short toes. I Have been looking for a low vamp shoe that will fit my big feet but can’t find anything. Right now I wear Suffolk sonnets and they are good except for the vamp. Any suggestions???

[@katiebrown9894]

I also have short toes. I've found Russian Pointe Rubins and Bloch Heritage have nice short vamps! Might be worth trying those on.

[@elizabethresurreccion7234]

You can custom order Grishko’s with a vamp height of your choosing. Takes approximately 6 weeks for custom but worth it.

[@AudreeAdam]

@@katiebrown9894 RP are nice like that, they let you choose your vamp length. Except most of the stores don't have in stock the V1 option (not in my area and shoe size anyway).

[@katiebrown9894]

I wear vamp 2 in RP and they are still pretty short vamps.

[@katiefulton9456]

Aleah Zucchi I have the exact same problem. My favorite shoes are my custom Freeds & switching between Gaynors (strange, I know) I wear a sleek-fit 10M-5 box (feather shank) custom ordered with a “low vamp” - I too have found great success with Rubins with a V1 vamp (hard to find, but makes all the difference) Capezio “Donatellas” are/were the greatest - they seem to have gone away as soon as they came to market. Best wishes. Happy to help more if I can! Lots of love! 😊❤️🙏

[@jadenyuki4818]

I want to dance en pont.

[@disasterpiece6894]

HELPPPP. I got new pointe shoes and I had Russians before. I thought I should try something new so I tried Bloch European balance and it hurt so bad on flat like the knuckle of my big toe is pressing against the top of the shoe but when I go en pointe it doesn’t hurt. I do wear toe pads.

[@sharonreeve7509]

What shoe did she end up with?

[@h.b16]

Called it from the thumbnail. Vamp is too short.

[@andraglg13]

Can a boy wear pointe shoes?

[@abbywalden8168]

For certain roles they can. There is a video on it if you want to watch it

[@EliseCharlotte]

Isn't is bad for her foot growth to wear her shoes too tight?

[@tameraalvarez6438]

If her feet are done growing.. She should be ok. If not, then that could be a problem in my opinion. Many studios allow students to go on pointe before age 14. I caution this. My rule of thumb is wait until about 6 months to 1 year after begining the first menstruation. Or closer to age 14 when the bones are more dense.

[@EliseCharlotte]

@@tameraalvarez6438 She seems pretty young, about 12-13 yo. There are videos of girls aged 7 on pointe... I wonder what do people have in their heads to put a little girl through that.

[@juliaolson2109]

I feel like this lady is rly weird because she never talks to the person she's fitting, doesn't ask them if the shoes feel ok, etc

[@lisamaiwald1703]

They do the fitting before the video. She just sums up the problem and what to do. If they film the whole fitting i think the video will be two long.

[@painterdawn2]

That was an odd comment. These videos are for the viewer's instruction. Any extraneous conversation is not included.

[@sarah78neidrich83]

I assure you, she does ask. I was just virtually fitted by her last tuesday

[@zourdoudaki]

Great video, as always! Very informative! I was wondering which kind of shoe do you recommend for a 12year old beginner with an egyptian foot type, medium toes and not very high arches? My daughter is about to go on pointe and I'm nervous cause our feet are tooootally different (i have a very narrow greek foot, very low profile). I really wouldn't know where to start with her! Which features should we look out for? I presume durability for an adolescent beginner isn't so important, for instance.

[@karsyncocanower5653]

i would get her fitted in person, guessing online is hard. i’m not a professional, just an eager leaner however 😊