Individual Pointe Fittings
We do not require fittings for individual pointe shoe fittings! All of our employees are trained to fit pointe shoes so we can take walk-ins on a first-come first-serve basis. When coming in for a first-time pointe fitting, or if you are thinking about changing shoes, we request that you allow at least an hour for a fitting. It may not take the full time, but this allows us enough time that we do not feel like we are rushing the dancer to make a decision.
Group Pointe Fittings
If you are a teacher who is looking to bring a group of girls in for a group fitting, we do appreciate advance notice – a minimum of two weeks’ notice gives us time to ensure we can be fully staffed and well-stocked for your fitting. We also advise having dancers stagger their arrivals. We can usually fit 2-3 dancers at a time, and with the teacher available to approve shoes, we can often complete a fitting in 20-40 minutes
Fitting Best Practices
- If you are not coming in with your teacher, check with your teacher to find out if they have specific preferences for your fitting:
- Some teachers have specific brands they prefer or do not care for
- Some teachers want their students to use a specific toepad
- Some teachers want their dancers to purchase two packages of ribbon, or to have enough elastic to secure the shoes with crossed elastic
- Wear or bring convertible tights – tights will keep your toepads in place as you take pointe shoes on and off
- Wear or bring bottoms you can move in – shorts or capri leggings are best, but sweatpants that can be pulled above the knee can be suitable as well. Jeans are less than ideal.
- Be prepared to communicate with your fitter. We cannot see inside your shoes, so we rely on your feedback, combined with the things we can see to determine if the fit is good, or what tweaks we need to make to get you the best fit.
- If you are coming in for a refit, bring your current shoes, toepads and any spacers you normally use in your shoes.
- If you are buying a new pair of the same pointe shoes, we still recommend that you try them on in the store. Nearly all pointe shoes are handmade to some degree, which means there can be variances in the shoes.
- We recommend that you have your teacher approve your shoes before sewing. Shoes can be exchanged if the teacher does not like the fit, but once a pair of shoes has been sewn, they will be a final sale.