Special Order Pointe Shoes By Grishko

I wanted to write this post to inform those of you who aren’t aware about the fact that Grishko also do special order (also known as custom order), pointe shoes!
I myself have been wearing special order shoes for a few years now and it’s been a dream!

You can get help and order your special order pointe shoes through your Grishko stockist.
If you are based near me I am happy to help you.
I am a mobile pointe shoe fitter and Grishko stockist based in Essex and London in England.

First of all, let me go through exactly what you can change about a pair of Grishko pointe shoes. By the way, certain other brands also allow special order too but some brands won’t allow as much specification as Grishko allows.

Grishko pointe shoes at the factory. Photo from Grishko.com

SIZE:
Do you have feet that may require 1 shoe a different size to the other?
I myself often find in a certain style I adore, that I need a 4.5 on one foot and a 4 on the other.
By special ordering a pair you save money because you won’t need to buy 2 different pairs at once.
You may also order larger size pointe shoes which are not available “off the shelf”.

WIDTH:
Again, with the width, you may order each shoe in whatever width you desire.
I myself went through a phrase of personally wearing a XX and a X.
This is handy for dancers who again have a difference in feet or, perhaps they might have a bad bunion on one foot that requires abit more room width wise. It’s also handy for dancers like me who are super narrow. And of course, handy for dancers who are super wide because you can actually get a 6X width whereas Grishko pointe shoes do go upto 5X width off the shelf.

MAKER:
It may sounds crazy but, sometimes you can find a pair of Grishko pointe shoes that you really prefer. Look inside the drawstring casing of one of your shoes and you will see some writting.
The end number relates to the man who has made your shoes.
You can then request that you have a pair made by that exact cobbler/maker.
For example, you may have 2 pairs of say Grishko 2007 together in the same size, width and shank, but, each pair will feel slightly different to a dancer. This is due to the fact of course not every pair can be the same as they are hand made. 🙂
So when you find your perfect pair, take note of the maker! 🙂

A cobbler (also known as maker) at the Grishko Factory. I have no idea what my favourite makers look like but I would love to visit the factory someday! Photo from the Grishko website

SHANK:
You can decide what shank you would like. Anything from super soft all the way upto super hard.
You may also request three quarter shanks and of course proflex shanks. (Please remember to consult your fitter to see which is best for you).
Typically stockists tend to stock medium and hard shanks. So this gives the dancer a great opportunity to discover other shanks she may prefer.
You can also request easy roll through which allows a easier demi pointe.

COLOUR:
Special order pointe shoes can also be made in a different colour!
There is a great variety to choose from. Please see the Grishko site for details.

Coloured pointe shoes in the Grishko NYC shop window 🙂 photo taken from the Grishko NYC facebook page

MATERIAL:
You can opt for a vegan sole, canvas or even matt satin.

Special order pointe shoes vegan style! Image taken from www.dakinilove.wordpress.com

SOLE:
You can choose to have the sole vegan or you can have a scored leather sole, scratched leather sole or standard leather sole.

Special order pointe shoes – Sole options. Photo from the Grishko.com website.

DRAWSTRING:
You can decide if to have a standard cotton drawstring or elastic drawstring.
This is also handy for dancers who desire a drawstring in the Grishko models that come without a drawstring as standard but fancy having one, and also good for those of us who don’t like having a drawstring.

VAMP SHAPE AND LENGTH:
Special order pointe shoes can also have the vamp altered.
You may choose to have it U shape or V shape.
Also you may increase the height of the vamp, or decrease the height of the vamp.
This is particularly handy for dancers who may find a particular Grishko model to be too long in the vamp and prevents them from rolling through demi pointe with ease.
Or for dancers who feel the vamp is too long for their foot type.
Also good for dancers who have high arches and/or long toes, who need length added to the vamp to help them from going too far over the platform en pointe and to provide better support.

WINGS:
The wings of the pointe shoe can be changed. You can add some height.
This is particular useful to dancers who feel their toe joints are sticking out.
Also handy for dancers who feel they might benefit from extra support down the sides of the foot.

PLATFORM:
The platform of the pointe shoe can be made wider.
But please remember, the platform can only be made wider to a certain degree…
Platform width is usually down to the shape of the shoe. For example, a tapered pointe shoe will have the smallest platform, whereas a square shaped pointe shoe will have the widest platform.
You should never choose a pointe shoe by platform. Always by what pointe shoe is best suited to your foot shape. If you feel you would like width added to your platform it’s worth a shot! It works for me. 🙂

SIDE QUARTERS:
The side quarters of the pointe shoe can be increased or decreased in height.
Some professional dancers like to decrease the height of the side quarters to show off the arch of their feet more. As always, please consult your fitter to see if the side quarters need changing for your feet.

HEEL HEIGHT:
Maybe you feel you would like the heel height altered on your favourite Grishko model.
Again, this can be increased or decreased in height.
This is particularly good for dancers with super narrow heels who need a more snug fit. Plus handy for dancers with a fuller heel who may need the heel height increased or decrease depending on the model and other attributes of the dancer’s foot.

SUEDE CAPS:
You can also ask the factory to attach your suede caps for you. (If you like your pointe shoes with suede caps of course!)

My Personal Grishko Special Order Pointe Shoes…
I currently wear Grishko Maya 1 pointe shoes. And although I can wear “off the shelf” Maya 1’s I personally prefer special order. The reason for this is because I do generally prefer a shorter vamp and a softer shank. However, as time has gone on I have also played the side quarters height and various other aspects to see how else to improve my perfect shoe. 🙂
At present I have had the arrival of 2 new pairs of special order pointe shoes.
Here are the details of each order:

My current special order pointe shoes Grishko Maya 1

PAIR 1:
Model: Grishko Maya 1
Maker: Number 18
Shoe Size: One shoe size 4 the other shoe size 4.5. (I can get away with wearing a 4 on both feet but I personally feel most comfortable in a 4.5 on my left foot due to the fact my left foot does have quite a difference).
Width: X. (I have super narrow feet and although sometimes I can get away with a XX, once it breaks in it’s too wide and I have to wear a size changer inlay to stop sinking). An X is great for me but again, sometimes when my shoes break in I have to pop in a size changer inlay to prevent sinking).
Shank: Soft three quartered with easy roll through demi pointe. (I vary between super soft – medium shanks. Just depends… But of course a medium shanks does last me longer! When I went through some injury I benefit from proflex medium shanks because it helped get my strength back).
Vamp length: 1cm shorter. (I have short toes and sometimes find the standard Maya 1 length to be too much).
Drawstring: No drawstring as standard. (Maya 1 is one of the models that doesn’t come with a drawstring and I prefer it that way).
Wings: 1cm higher. (I sometimes don’t increase the wings, just depends on mood! But I do feel that it can add some extra support to my super narrow feet).
Heel Height: 1cm higher. (An increase in the heel height cups my heel better).
Platform: Made wider.

PAIR 2:
Model: Grishko Maya 1
Maker: Number 18
Shoe Size: One shoe size 4 the other shoe size 4.5.
Width: X.
Shank: Medium three quartered with easy roll through demi pointe.
Vamp length: 1cm shorter.
Drawstring: No drawstring as standard.
Wings: 1.5cm higher. (I decided to play with the wing length to see if I prefer 1cm or 1.5cm increase the best).
Heel Height: 1cm higher.
Platform: Made wider.

I keep meaning to order my soles vegan but always forget. I am vegan and will next time remember to do this! 🙂 So if you are searching for vegan pointe shoes then Grishko can cater for you!

Please note that special order pointe shoes by Grishko can take between 6-8 weeks to be made and delivered. They are also not exchangable. Grishko have amazing quality control. I have had a couple of pairs before not get to me in time because they decided they were not perfect enough so they made them again. 🙂

If you wish to have be fit your pointe shoes or advise you on special order pointe shoes by Grishko you can email me on: leanne@straighttothepointe.net

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A gallery of other special order pointe shoes by Grishko 🙂