Pointe shoe sizing: It’s complicated…

One reason to get a professional fitting before starting pointe or changing to a new brand of shoe is that sizing is extremely complex and wildly inconsistent between brands (and even between models in the same brand).  You CANNOT look at pointe shoes online, choose your usual street shoes size or the size you wear in another kind of pointe shoe, purchase a pair, and expect them to fit.  The size guides that brands offer are usually not entirely accurate.  There is no way to know if the recommended size is supposed to include a toe pad, apply to a wide foot, include a full pinch at the heel, etc. 

Here is an overview of the sizing of many brands and models of shoes that I know and have tried on.  My foot is very small and narrow (ladies’ US size 5.5/UK size 3, usually N or XX width).  Sizing will be based on US sizing unless otherwise stated.  Always get a professional fitting before trying a new pointe shoe.  This post is meant to help dancers and parents understand the huge variety of sizing “rules” across brands, not explicitly recommend sizes to purchase.

Grishko shoes based on the 2007 last (excluding the Maya and Triumph): go down 1.5 sizes (In the Grishko 2007, Nova, Miracle, and DreamPointe, I wear a 4 XX.)

Grishko shoes based on the Elite and Fouette lasts (plus the Maya and Triumph): go down 3 sizes

Russian Pointe Almaz, Rubin, and Sapfir: convert to European size by adding 30.5 to US size and round up to the next whole number except for 34.5 and 37.5 (In the Russian Pointe Sapfir and Almaz, I wear a 36 w2 v2.)

Russian Pointe Entrada: convert to European size by adding 30.5 to US size, then add one, and round up to the next whole number except for 34.5 and 37.5

Bloch:  For the Seranade and Axiom, convert to UK size by subtracting 2 from US size.  Subtract additional .5 or 1 for very narrow feet. (In the Bloch Seranade and Axiom, I wear a 2.5B.)  For the European Balance, Eurostretch, and Alpha, convert to UK sizing by subtracting 2.  Add back 0.5 for wide feet. (In the Bloch Alpha, I wear a 3.5 X)

Freed: convert to UK size by subtracting 2 from US size.  Subtract additional .5 for very narrow feet. (In the Freed Studio II, I wear a 3 D.)

Capezio: For all models except the Airess, add 1 to US street size.  (In the Tiffany Pro, I wear a 6.5 N.)  For the Airess, add 1.5 to US street size.  (In the Airess, I wear a 7 N tapered.)

Sansha: For the Debutante: women’s sizes 7 and larger, add 1 to 2 to US street size.  For women’s sizes 5 and 6, street size.  For children’s sizes up to 4, up 2 sizes.  (In the Sansha Debutante, I wear a 5 M.)

Gaynor Minden: US street size to 1.5 sizes up (depends on whether or not you want to wear toe pads). (I wear a 6.5 Narrow 2 box.)

Brand Spotlight: Capezio

Capezio has been around for over 100 years.  Salvatore Capezio was an Italian cobbler, and when he opened a shoe shop in NYC near the Met, he began repairing and producing theatrical shoes.  Salvatore Capezio produced Capezio pointe shoes for Anna Pavlova, and his reputation grew from there.  Today, Capezio is a well-known brand that makes all kinds of dancewear for all styles of dance.

pronunciation	Kuh-pee-zee-oh
website	capezio.com
styles of dance included	ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, hip-hop, ballroom, modern/contemporary/lyrical, acrobatic/gymnastics
types of items	shoes, bodywear, warm-ups, accessories
country of origin	USA
price point	Generally moderate, but ranges from economy (“team basics” collection) to luxury  (“Vintage whisper” and other fancier collections)
quality	Generally decent.  Tights and “hard” shoes (tap, ballroom, etc.) are excellent.  Pointe shoes are not as good.  Leotards, ballet shoes, and modern footwear are fair.
availability	Very broad availability in the US.  Easy to find in local dancewear stores, online (discountdance.com, etc.), and in flagship stores.  Decent availability overseas as well.
sizing	shoes (including pointe): generally small, go up at least 1 size from street size leotards/bodywear: long and narrow, but true to size (most fabrics very stretchy) (Bradon collection: runs big all over) tights: size chart is accurate warmups: on the baggier side
Jillian’s top pick	“1816” convertible tights are super soft, durable, and have an awesome color selection.
Jillian’s item to avoid	Most pointe shoes are rather disappointing, including the much-hyped-about Airess.

Help! My dance bag is really heavy!

Dance bags can easily get weighed down and become super bulky if they are not regularly cleaned out and organized.  This post will give you some ideas of how to par down.

First, what kind of dance bag do you have?  Sometimes thick canvas, plastic, or leather bags can be heavy all by themselves.  Nylon is a bit lighter weight, and usually smaller bags are lighter too.  Refrain from putting too many key chains or other decorations on your bag; they can also add to weight.

After you have chosen your bag, lay out everything you absolutely need every time you go to class.  You may be surprised at how little this is.  For most dancers, shoes and footwear are all that is absolutely 100% necessary.

 If you only do one style of dance, like jazz, you will only need one pair of jazz shoes in your bag.  If you have an extra pair or a pair you reserve for performances, keep them at home and put them in your dance bag only when you need them.

If you do ballet with pointe, put one pair of flat technique shoes in your bag, and up to 2 pairs of pointe shoes.  Advanced dancers should alternate pointe shoes so they will last longer.  Do not carry more than two pairs of pointe shoes at a time.  Replace them as they become soft. 

If you do several styles of dance (like ballet, tap, and jazz), pack only the shoes you will need for each day’s worth of classes.  If you have just tap on Monday, pack only your tap shoes when you’re getting ready for Monday’s class.  If you have ballet followed by jazz on Tuesday, pack both your ballet and jazz shoes when you’re getting ready for Tuesday’s class.  Be sure to take yesterday’s shoes out of your bag before you pack today’s shoes.  This will make your bag a lot lighter and give you much more space.

If there are items you consistently use during most classes, leave them in your dance bag as well.  If you usually wear a wrap skirt, pack one.  If you get frequent blisters, pack some Band-Aids.  If you do resistance band exercises before class, leave your exercise band in your bag.  The key with these items is not to pack duplicates.  If you wore a black skirt yesterday and want to wear a white one today, take yesterday’s skirt out of your bag before packing today’s.

Some things like hand sanitizer, bobby pins, chapstick, and Tylenol are good to have on hand, but are not 100% necessary every day.  If you take a purse to dance class and it already has some of these things in it, you don’t need to pack them in your dance bag too.  If you don’t carry a purse, pack the items you use most in your dance bag (and leave them there all the time).  If you find that you are not using some of these items, take them out and save the space and weight in your bag.  (If you can’t remember how often you use your hand sanitizer, chapstick, or other items, try putting a small sticker on each item when you use it.  After a month or two, the items without stickers are definitely not getting used often enough to justify carrying them around.)

It’s also very helpful to repackage some bulkier items like Tylenol, lotion, or Second Skin squares into smaller containers.  You don’t need a whole bottle of lotion or medication, and Second Skin comes in such a large container that it takes months to use up.  Small Tupperware containers, travel toiletry bottles, and recycled Altoids tins all work well to hold portable portions of your favorite products.

If you wear warm-ups or street clothes over your dancewear on your way to class, you probably shove clothing items in your bag as you take them off.  I like my dance bag to have plenty of extra space to hold my jacket, leggings, socks, etc.  These items are usually really bulky and add a lot of weight to a dance bag.  Make sure you put your warm-ups or clothes back on before you leave the studio, or at least take them out of your bag when you get home.  It can be hard to fit today’s sweatshirt in your dance bag if yesterday’s hoodie is still crammed inside.  (Follow the same guidelines for water bottles.  Pack one each day, and make sure you remove or refill yesterday’s rather than just tossing in another one.)

Clean out your bag at least once every couple of weeks.  It’s really easy to lose a sock or toe pad in the depths of your bag, and sometimes small items (papers, coins, makeup, etc.) collect at the bottom and add sneaky bulk and weight.

Company or college?

Are you a high schooler hoping for a career as a professional dancer?  There is no one perfect way to navigate your choices post-high school, but this post will give you a few tried-and-true options to consider.  (Note: this post is providing guidance to dancers who plan to graduate from “regular” high school, then pursue professional work, not those who attend dance conservatories or who already dance professionally as minors.)

Think about what you want.  Dancing with a company is like jumping right into the “job” world.  Your training is over, and you will be getting paid to dance.  Attending a college with a strong dance program will give you a degree and 4 more years of education.  You will probably have fewer performance opportunities, you will have to take math and English, and you will not be getting paid.  

Talk to your dance teachers, school counselors, and your parents to decide what options may be best for you.  If your dance teachers believe you are strong enough to do well in auditions and get hired by a company right away, this may be the way to go (especially if you feel that you are not as strong academically).  If you are stronger in academics and are unsure if you will be hired right away, taking few more years to train could be a better choice.

If you are still unsure, there is a middle path.  Audition for companies, and apply to your local college or university (it does not really matter if the school has a strong dance program).  If you are hired, retract your college application.  If you are not hired, attend college (decide if you want to live at home or in the dorms, if available) and take basic classes like history and math while you continue to train at your home studio.  After one semester, decide if you want to try to audition for companies again or if you want to transfer to a different college.  Spend the second semester working on your resume or applications, then make it happen the next year.

When everyone else goes on college tours (between junior and senior year, usually), you should go a college and/or company tour.  Make sure you (and your family) are ok with you living in New York or Texas or another potentially unfamiliar location.  Understand that dorm life can be tough, and living on your own can be tougher if you have never been away from your family before.

Put your best work into your auditions and applications.  Be aware of deadlines (early submission is always best).  Your dance teachers, academic teachers, counselors, and parents are all resources to help you.

Once you hear back from your companies or colleges, consider your options carefully.  Sometimes it’s worth it to make less money and live in a more desirable location, or attend a second-choice school if you are offered a full scholarship.  That said, remember not to settle.  Follow your dreams and make the best choice for you, not someone else.