Item review: Bloch Grecian Sandal/Pedini/Teaching Shoe

This is the Bloch Elastosplit Grecian Sandal.  Its style is also referred to as a pedini or teaching shoe.  The shoe has a soft leather toe box and heel, which are connected with an X-shaped piece of elastic that goes across the bottom of the foot.  The top (T-strap) of the shoe that goes up to the front of the ankle is made of a soft neoprene fabric.  The shoe has a foam jazz heel that is about 1/2 inch high.  This style comes in tan (pictured) and black.

Usually these shoes are worn by ballet teachers, hence the name "teaching shoe," but many adult dancers wear them for a variety of styles.  Sometimes younger students wear pedini style shoes as well, usually as part of a costume for a specific performance.

The Grecian Sandal comes in women's sizes.  For the best fit, go 1/2 size up from street size.  The toe area should not be baggy, and while the elastic in the arch should be taught, it should not be pulled to it's fullest extent.

I like wearing these shoes for ballroom dance because there is a suede pad on the sole of the toe part of the shoe.  This makes the shoe glide easily on a dance floor.  I love that the shoe is lightweight and flexible.  I usually wear them when my ankle is not feeling good and I don't feel up to wearing my regular ballroom heels.  

Because I wear these shoes on an irregular basis, I haven't experienced them breaking down or falling apart.  Some dancers who wear these shoes more often have noticed the elastics in the arch becoming stretched out.

Overall I give these shoes a 9 out of 10.  They are very comfortable, and they look good on my feet.  The only deduction is the propensity of the elastic to stretch out.