How Suffolk Pointe Shoes Are Made | Suffolk Dance

[@Aelea]

@4:23 His idea of a "thin layer of paste" was my idea of a "thin layer of peanut butter" on me sammich as a kid.

[@jaybee2837]

Wow, suddenly $125 doesn’t seem like enough. Beautiful work. I just wish the shoes lasted longer.

[@MsTwirlyGirly1]

Thank you so much for taking the time to produce such a wonderful and informative video. I'm not able to dance (I use a wheelchair for mobility), but I love to watch dancing. I knew pointe shoe construction isn't like any other shoe, but had never had the opportunity to see a pair being made from start to finish. What a fascinating process!

[@fionacurrin]

I used to wear your shoes every day when I danced as a teenager. Never tried another shoe I loved more than a Suffolk. Beautiful video, your craftsmanship has been greatly appreciated. 💗

[@francessim3579]

Your pointe shoes were my daughter’s favourite ever pointe shoe; she had two pairs which fitted her like no others. She went for fittings for most makes and danced in a few (we live an hour away from London so we were lucky to have a great choice) but none were ever as good as her Suffolks! She was gutted when we could no longer get them in England. Your video was mesmerising, and the skill involved is mind blowing! Thank you.

[@exiastephens1931]

Fantastic video! The care and detail in making these shoes is apparent. I dance in Suffolk Stellars and I LOVE them. Thank you! :)

[@girlwheels]

When you turned the shoe inside out, and I could understand how you were stiching the upper to the sole, my breath stuck in my throat. When you set the shoe on it's point AND IT STAYED, I breathed out again. Your work is a thing of beauty. No wonder point shoes cost so much money, having to cure in a drying oven for three weeks.

[@bhasselb9967]

I’ve never been big on ballet, but I have mad respect for the dancers. After seeing this, I’ve got mad respect for the folks that make the tools those dancers need for their craft too. This in-and-of itself is an amazing craft as well - I never realized how much went into them. You can tell the guys been doing it for a long time and knows what he’s doing. Incredible!

[@dillnyetheserviceguy560]

It’s so nice to see you are still at it and doing well Mark! I miss you mate. It’s unfortunate how things went but I was not in a good place in my life. What I can say is you are a great man and I very much appreciate what you do and what you did for me. I wish you the best my friend 🙏🏻

[@carochan86]

I don't do ballet but I am still fascinated with how you make them. Such an art . Thank you for sharing.

[@bartzabel9]

same

[@klrdrawings2205]

3 weeks into the oven??? Lol. Amazimg job. I've always been fascinated by ballet dance, pointe shoes, and all that. Thnak you so much for your incredible job and tecnique. ❤❤

[@avawood340]

I love how the suffolk workers are so nice! i just got my first pair of stellar pointe shoes! I also just finished sewing them! thank you!

[@michaelnoyes7935]

Blessed

[@michelealdworth9297]

Hi there. I have loved ballet since I was three years old and I am now sixtynine. I appreciate the workmanship of the pointe shoe and all the attention to detail for the comfort and support of the dancers foot. I wonder if the same work up is done for an Irish dancer's tap and pointe shoe? I would love to know. Thank you so much for taking the time to show us each step of the process. Stay safe out there. Take care and God bless

[@dronesclubhighjinks]

This video is excellent because of the step-by-step explanation of how pointe shoes are made. I'm not a dancer, and I've never given any thought to the making of ballet dancers' shoes, so I'm kind of surprised to find out that they are made by hand. I was also surprised that the dancers have to sew on the ribbons themselves, and that they go through many pairs each year. Somehow, it makes me feel like ballet is still quite close to its historical roots. The shoes are both essential and very personal. Thank you for the video!

[@naomiwalters4014]

I've been dancing for 7 years, 4 of which I've been en pointe. I first started pointe when i was ten, and I was fitted in the Suffolk Stellar. I decided to mix it up a little and try the Nikolay Smartpointe.... boy was that a big mistake!! I stayed in that shoe for about a year and a half, but it didn't work as well as the Suffolks. Then, I tried the Nikolay (also known as Grishko if you're anywhere else than the U.S) Streampointe and well.... if you dont like one of the 2 you're not going to like the other 😅. Then about half a year ago, I was fitted in the Virtisse Verve and I loved them but they broke really low (which isn't ideal, since many dancers like their shoes to break higher on their arch) and since i have a lower arch AND I knuckle, it didn't look that great lol. Then, about a week ago I went back to Suffolk, only this time I got Suffolk Sterling (which is also my middle name, believe it or not!!) and I've been dancing on them for a couple days, and they do help my knuckling and my low arch! That's basically my whole pointe experience, which has been a roller coaster.... but we do recover ❤Thank you Suffolk these shoes are amazing and so are y'all!!!

[@Beanie148]

I nearly cried I love pointe shoes so much they are so magical

[@sharonreichter2537]

Amazing - what a skill.

[@donnakawana]

Thanks for sharing your art with us.I always wondered how my point shoes were made...!! ✌🏼💗😊🩰

[@m.x.b.9949]

Just changed to using Suffolk, I love them so much. They work so well for me. So happy to see I found a video on how Suffolk shoes are made.

[@Tiffany-Rose]

that was amazing to watch. So much work goes into your shoes, its beautiful 😍

[@standstrongforus8399]

For a shoe that looks so delicate it goes through a lot just to be worn for such a short time. But they are beautiful.

[@rosestwelve3289]

How wonderful! Funny thing is, I actually wear this exact type if shoe, 5 XX, it was lovely to see, literally, how my shoes are made!

[@NeverlandSystemKitten]

This craftsmanship is so beautiful.

[@npats550]

For me, pointe shoes are a beautiful work of art. Thank you Sir, for the education and for creating the art you do.

[@cynthiamorton3583]

This has been fascinating! Thank you very much indeed!

[@pixylips]

I love. This. From a dancers perspective and from an artisan perspective. I’m drooling over your tools of the trade!

[@Soapartisan875]

I always wondered why the toe box was rock hard . Thank you for going through all the steps in making such a beautiful shoe. You are all truly, talented artisans.

[@bkitteh6295]

Thanks for a terrific video! I love learning about how these shies are made. I'd love to see another about Suffolk ballet shoemaker: how one decides to become a ballet shoemaker, what the training is like, what a journeyman shoemaker does in a day,, how one's career progresses, and what it's like to be the shoemaker of a famous principle. Thanks again ❤

[@raraavis7782]

Enjoyed this very much. I love watching videos about historical fashion, tailoring and shoemaking. It's interesting, how this combines traditional show making techniques with certain twists, unique to this type of shoe.

[@kimulm0619]

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the making of ballet shoe.Excellent video .Thank you so much😊❤❤

[@manga12]

ah thanks for the tutorial, on just how long it takes to actually make, and how its actually done, there are few in the west that still make these kinds of shoes, mostly in asia and eastern europe, none as of right now in the red white and blue yet we can print rocketships, make computers, and build some of the best tractors and locomotive including steam locos from scratch but no one willing to make these kind of dance shoes even custom, :{ I might have to change that even gaynor moved production over to bosnia thanks for your dedication mr suffolk

[@SuffolkDance]

Thank you @manga12. This video was filmed in our USA factory. We own factories in the UK and the USA.

[@manga12]

@@SuffolkDance welcome, though I was told you dont make any of the pointe shoes or footwear in the usa factory only clothing when I inquired about customes for someone to replecate an old pair of pointe shoes, and for usa made goods. but thanks for responding.

[@manga12]

@@SuffolkDance is this true or do you make some of the shoes in the usa as well, like your front page says on google search?

[@SuffolkDance]

@@manga12 We do make pointe shoes in our USA factory, but not all styles. Our UK factory is much larger, and all of our styles are made there. The custom you were requesting may only be able to be made in the UK factory. please email us at [e-mail] and we can answer specific questions.

[@manga12]

@@SuffolkDance ah ok thank you, that brings a smile to my face to know we still have at least one left, once an entire skill set is gone for something its gone usually for good, and I thought production of these type of shoe was gone for good, since it is not like any other type of shoe out there, I mean we got millions of dancers but only a hand full of niche industry but some of those have more producers then those that run old equipment like forging presses or steam hammers or gigantic rockets. or the largest running market out there but only three companies or individuals that make regular padded running shoes, and about 4 that make minimalist athletic footwear thank you for your time I might be keeping in touch in the not distant future to try to do the project but wanted to have american made shoes as thats where those old well made pointe were made. Thanks Mark and Karri signed J manga12

[@maelleamand]

Sooo nice! Thank you very much for the explanations and the care you put in the making of these point shoes

[@E.JohnBusser]

Thank you sir and I think you're truly a craftsman !!👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@jessicafurman8470]

so lovely to watch! Thank you for taking the time to make this! Beautiful shoes!

[@PalomaCorrales]

Wow, so cool!

[@Foundingmother1]

Amazing, I have ultimate admiration for the skill it takes to make this point shoe. I would like to see a video on how this skill is acquired. Also do dancers visit the workshop to advise the makers and so the craftsmen study anatomy?

[@roseseeger]

Incredible how pointe shoes are made.

[@chimmyneutron175]

i feel terrible complaining about the prices after seeing all the hard work and time that goes into making a single shoe :( god bless

[@susanyates4233]

So very interesting. I did ballet as a yongster, stopped when I was turned eleven due to homework, so I never did point work.

[@km2997]

Amazing art!

[@angelapreston8919]

Really enjoyed this video. What a skilled man he is. A pleasure to watch.

[@gonefishing167]

Wow! You certainly have to be experienced to do that! What hard work goes into making such beautiful shoes 🩰🩰. Thank you so much for the insight. 🙏🙏🩰🩰👵🇦🇺

[@brendadufaur37]

absolutely amazing

[@faryadabdulghani9247]

Nice work

[@michaelnoyes7935]

Thank you so very much... Perfectly en pointe LLT Middletown CT

[@valb213]

Amazing craftsmanship!

[@bonniefranklin6097]

Splendid.

[@franchonsmith8483]

Love this!

[@zeertek4576]

Beautiful! 😍 I LOVE! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@bartzabel9]

wow ,magic

[@beheroot]

and then comes balerina with box-knife, scissors and needle with dental floss on it...

[@JoniMitchell-qi6hr]

Fabulous❤🎉😊

[@lindaoneill6323]

Beautiful

[@misspomerol]

@thepointeshop This is for you Josephine.

[@theohioinsuranceagent]

this is so cool!

[@livetolovesome182]

And in the end the dancers break the inside and outside of its to fit the purpose of their dancing

[@Qrtuop]

Very nice

[@bonniehawkins2979]

Thank you.

[@Sujowi]

Missing a step...how are the uppers constructed?? That satin has to be specially sewn to stand up to all that dancing?

[@elleelsaltador2657]

this is how most pointe shoes using the turn shoe method are made. the hammering molds the toe box and the drying oven cures the paste to hold the shape

[@delygolchin]

😍😍😍🥰

[@OlgaArnautu]

Woaw2

[@celestek.2395]

My OCD is on FIRE!!!

[@gracegonzalez3314]

Thank you for this very informative video! Does Suffolk plan on offering vegan pointe shoe options/customizations in the future?

[@michaelnoyes7935]

Degout... Merci

[@minty_fresh8899]

What is the paste made of?

[@tiffanygrimsely14]

Question: I understand the pointe shoes only last a month/ more or less. Why can't shoe make use more a harder material for the box area of the shoe for longevity of the shoe? If I were a ballet shoemaker, I would customize the shoes.

[@leinonibishop9480]

How long they last depends on the dancer. Student shoes tend to last months or even a full year. Professionals can need new shoes every week or even every performance if they are dancing constantly. It’s usually the shank that breaks down first, not the box. The shank can’t be too hard or the dancer can’t bend the foot enough to point but if the shank is too soft then it doesn’t provide enough support. It’s a fine line finding the right shank strength. The shoes are also constantly changing and conforming to the foot from sweat and wear. There are newer brands of shoes that use more plastic so the shoe isn’t as affected by getting wet and wearing down but that has drawbacks because it might not conform to the foot as well. There are a ton of different factors effecting how the shoe fits each dancer’s foot.

[@thecrownedonefromthechurch]

Could you make a men’s size 13?

[@elleelsaltador2657]

custom order, i guess but side note, male dancers need extra training to dance en pointe

[@MissMustang98]

I always wonder how the craftspeople feel when they see ballerinas crack the toe boxes and rip out the guts as part of their customization. All that work…undone. 🥺

[@randomowl2056]

how about using a wider aperture so we can actually see what's happening and it doesn't keep losing focus?

[@jaquelinalopez9803]

La cosa es que se realizan un montón de pasos para hacer unos zapatos hermosos y que según nuestro pensar y ver son perfectos para la danza pero una vez terminados tal cual en este video los zapatos al llegar a las manos de las bailarinas son literalmente rotos ,rasgados ,descosidos ,y otras linduras que les hacen para estar a la perfección en sus pies , por lo que de qué sirve me pregunto yo ponerles las suelas duras si ellas se las rompen e incluso las quitan?, de qué sirve que le pongan adornos si terminan perro qué zapatos de maratonista!, veo como los transforman y los maltratan para tenerlos adecuados a sus pies , pero y el arduo trabajo de estos señores?. No entiendo nada!

[@Hearts4Kaiden]

❤❤👣😊

[@backtowork7815]

So scary 😮

[@chrisdeoni1697]

Does Suffolk have a school?

[@belmarre]

bad work camera 😭

[@christinebaker8754]

And after all that effort and expertise, the first that happens is the shoes get the box smashed and the shank bent and broken ...

[@philipmalaby8172]

All this work for a shoe that lasts 3 days on a professional dancer.

[@anethers7545]

If that, sometimes just one act in a show

[@bearvillebear1468]

Keep strong. Dont forget that despite the evil in this world, God is full of justice, mercy and love. Justice said we broke His perfect law - causing the world's previous perfection to be destroyed - and therefore we deserve Hell (like a punishment in any legal system but this is eternal as His perfect law is eternal too). Don't think you fit in that category? Ever done one of these?: lying, stealing - regardless of how small the object EVER, hating others - which is murder in God's perfect law, lusting (plus God sees our entire thought life). Justice says "the soul that sins shall die" - if we break one in thought/word/deed it's as if we're guilty of all of them. Quite simply, living by the law (which is doing everything perfectly) is impossible for sinful humans . The law shows us that 1. We will die in Hell if we fail to follow it and 2. We cannot save ourselves BUT, 3. God's perfect, immovable law points us to Christ, who followed and fulfilled the law in thought, word and deed perfectly in our place. He did what we couldn't and did it on our behalf. He was then sentenced to death on a cross, and took our personal punishment for our sin, paying our penalty (like paying our fine) completely FOR us, and has given us freedom. If we turn from the sins we have committed and repent (pursue the opposite direction of love through Christ) He will, overtime, recreate us back into that previously perfect image through The Holy Spirit which Jesus sends to all who accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior of their life. It's not about following the law - perfectly, as it's impossible - it's about letting Christ in to guide and teach you and obeying Him through His power (not ourselves as it's impossible without depending on His power and instruction). He is our substitute in His life, death and resurrection. He essentially rewrote history in our place so that, if you believe in Him, it will be as if you had never sinned if you accept Christ's death as our own in our place. He is in Heaven right now preparing a place for us so that He can take His faithful, believing children home with Him when He returns. He will ressurrect us from death when He returns, giving mercy to those who accept His love, instruction and teachings in their life, and give justice to those who refuse it. He doesn't want ANY of us to go to Hell and die for continuing in evil and rejecting His way to life, thats why He died FOR us. Hes giving EVERYONE a chance, He wants everyone to take the free gift of salvation from Hell. He wants us to be His and begin to follow His life of love and service through His power and abiding (staying) with Him. So long as we keep our hearts near to Christ through His strength, strive to follow His will of perfect love revealed in the Bible, and let Him lead in the midst of (very certain) pitfalls and struggles, we will, in time, win the ultimate victory over sin, pain and DEATH through Christ. Even if you are willing to be made willing, pray for Jesus to come in and He will do what we can't. Give us The Holy Spirit who will guide us in the right way. NOTE: You are NEVER too sinful or messed up that God cannot turn your life around through Jesus. EVER If you have any questions let me know

[@turkoala9193]

I'm confused. I must ask, exactly how does this pertain to the making of pointe shoes?

[@damianlopez7630]

Such a waste of lovely satin.

[@anethers7545]

How?

[@damianlopez7630]

@@anethers7545 HOW?!!!!! ARE YOU BLIND OR S-T-U-P-I-D???!!!! Don't you see all the shoes they throw away after they make them after using them for a week or two you better not reply to me again or I'm going to insult you. "how"... you're being a jackass do not reply to me again

[@wqtrwgegsv343]

Hi…Is the phase vegan?

[@БАБАЯГА-ю4ч]

❄orthopedists all over the world should unite against pointe shoes in ballet. This is pathologically unnatural to the anatomy of the foot . High art and such sacrifices by selfyazania -.unjustifiably stupid... In relation to human health ❄

[@anethers7545]

And against high heels too?

[@jaybee2837]

How about instead of uniting against, they offer a solution. Ballet is a art form steeped in tradition. If there’s a healthier alternative to these shoes, someone should offer that.

[@annettefournier9655]

Nobody is forcing you into Pointe shoes deary.

[@margaretr5701]

Ballet didn't start out the way it became. The history is interesting.

[@bonniefranklin6097]

Splendid.