The Mayer BX1 By Studio Danza

Recently, I made a single model discovery of an Italian pointe shoe with the interesting name Mayer BX1. To my old-fashioned ears, this sounds more like the name of a dirt bike or motorcycle, but that is just my ballet-shoes-should-have-girly-names preference.

The shoe is sold by a company named  Studio Danza in Casagiove, Italy. What’s interesting about their official website is that they not only sell their own model, but other pointe brands like Freed and Grishko.

The Mayer BX1  Is Supposed To Last 3-5 Times Longer Than A Traditional Paste  Pointe Shoe

This ultra-modern pointe shoe is constructed with a special type of flexible paste that has little to no break-in time and a sole design that immediately hugs the arch. According to the specifications, the BX1  paste material creates a moisture barrier that prevents it from breaking down as quickly as traditional pointe shoes. Like Gaynor Minden, the BX1 has shock absorbing thermoplastic toe boxes.

Studio Danza has a modern looking website.  They offer several categories of online PDF catalogs, but if you want to see the Mayer BX1, you can visit this link to the shoe PDF and scroll down to page 8.  You can also visit Studio Danza on their Facebook page.

Antares Dance Line Pointe Shoe From Italy

There are many people the world over that admire the craftsmanship of Italian shoes. Italy dominates the world of high fashion designer footwear. Some people actually travel to Italy once a year to attend fashion shows and purchase Italian-made shoes.

As far as cobblers pride and striving for quality first, Italian-made footwear products are at the top of the list; that includes pointe shoes. Speaking of Italian brands,  we can now add a model by Antares of Italy to our list!

 The Antares Dance Line Company

The Antares Company has its headquarters in Monza, Italy, not far from the border of Switzerland. They own and operate an ultra-trendy dance shop and have been in business since the 1980’s . Antares has a wide selection of professional dance shoes, costumes and accessories. Their shoe designs are beautiful; especially the metallic embellished styles in their VIP Collection.

Italian model Antares

After making an inquiry about their pointe model through their Facebook page, they were gracious enough to respond to me.

Grazie, Antares.

According to Andrea Antares, the model is manufactured by them  in Italy.

It can be custom designed for either a beginner or a professional. 

The model featured here appears to have high sides, a u-shaped vamp, a low profile and a wide, but narrow platform. It has beautiful aesthetics.

A Real Passion For Dance

One of the first things I noticed about this company is that you can feel their high energy and passion for all things dance. You can see it in the company photos. You can feel it through the decor of their shop in Monza.

This Italian shoe-business listing site has wonderful photos of the Antares shop, some products and company members; Negozi de Scarpa Italy.

You can learn more about their dance products by visiting their official website, Scarpeantares.it.  Click on Scarpe Donna, then go to Classica under the Non Solo Latina category to see the pointe shoe and ballet slipper.

Visiting the Antares Dance Line page on Facebook gives you a great idea of the exciting apparel they offer the dance world.

 

Flag photo: Flickr.com, Italian Flag by Ed Yourdon, no modifications, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Aloart XWB 1001 Canvas Pointe Shoes

Lightweight And Ready To Wear

The Aloart canvas model pointe shoe is truly a lightweight, professional pointe shoe. Holding the shoes in my hand, they felt as light as butterfly wings. I can see  how a professional dancer would be able to have the highest freedom of movement in pointe shoes designed this way.

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The toe box on the XWB 1001 is very firm and strong, and yet the rest of the shoe can be bent back upon itself like a ballet slipper. Many dancers spend time removing the last quarter or half of their pointe shoe shanks to achieve this same flexibility.

The XWB 1001 has a strong, sturdy shank that ends at the natural curve of the arch. As soon as I put these shoes on I was able to pointe my foot completely and the shoes hugged my arch closely.

The vamps measure approximately 4 inches in length from the edge of the drawstring casing then down across the entire platform to the platform end. The platforms are 1 and 3/4 inches wide and approximately 1 inch tall. The vamp length would work well for medium to short toes. This model comes with an elastic drawstring.

The Aloart XWB 1001 in canvas makes an excellent rehearsal or practice pointe shoe for professional dancers.

 

Celebrating The Beauty Of Aloart Pointe Shoes

Aloart Alina

How does anyone begin to describe such a beautifully designed pointe shoe as this? This is my own personal photo of the Aloart Alina model and I had to contain myself or I would have taken dozens and dozens of photos. As you can see in this photo, the Alina model has a satin drawstring casing which gives these pointe shoes a very polished and professional look.

The soles are a high quality brushed leather and excellent for traction. There is no need to rough up the surface of the sole before using these shoes.

The toe box is beautifully proportioned and mimics the natural shape of the foot. I would rate the hardness of the paste used in this model as comparable with the hardness of a Russian pointe shoe. Very, very hard and durable! This is a shoe made to last.

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The profile on the box is medium-low and the vamps measure approximately 3 and 3/4 inches from the bottom edge of the platform to the edge of the drawstring casing. I have very short toes and the vamp length was perfect.

The platforms are a generous size; approximately 2 inches wide and 1 3/4 inches tall. The wings are blocked on this model . The combination of brushed leather sole, generous platform size, and firm wings make the Alina perfect for dancers who seek stability in a shoe.

All of the stitching is even and perfectly blended. The elastic drawstrings are thick and firm enough to gather the top of the shoe in easily. The satin material used in the Alina model is of excellent quality. This is no flimsy pointe shoe! These pointe shoes are definitely made to last.

With all of the positive design features that the Aloart Alina has, there is one design feature that really stands out. Aesthetics. The fit of the Alina is very flattering and gives a beautiful aesthetic to the line of the feet and legs. These pointe shoes made my wide feet look very sleek and accentuated my arch nicely.

I have included several more photos of the Aloart Alina. To find out more about the Aloart Company and how you can order the Alina model please visit Aloartdance.com. These pointe shoes are of the highest quality.

Update 5/28/17: The Aloartdance.com domain is no longer in service.

Anniel Pointe Shoes

Colorful Pointe Shoes From Northern Italy

The Anniel Sport Company is a family based business located in Montebelluna, Italy. The business began in 1976 as a gymnastic shoe and apparel company.  Anniel Sport quickly became popular for their cutting edge Italian design and unique way of constructing shoes using their own creativity and innovative ideas.

Anniel Sport now manufactures over 2500 different types of shoes for dance, gymnastics, athletics, and ballet. What makes this company really stand out is the pointe shoe color and fabric selection. Many pointe shoe makers offer canvas and leather alternatives to the classic satin pointe shoe.  Anniel Sport can make pointe shoes in lycra, tulle, charmeuse, cotton, brushed cotton, and triacetate.  Not only can a customer pick different fabrics, but the fabrics come in 21 different colors!

I can’t recall ever seeing a bright fuchsia or burnt orange pair of pointe shoes anywhere. Although Anniel prides itself on unique designs, it does have two very classically designed pointe shoe models. There are three pointe shoe models available on their website:

2067: For beginners to advanced dancers

2095: This is a classically designed pointe shoe in the Russian style with a long v-shaped vamp and medium strength shank and is suited for professionals

2358: This model has the same characteristics of the 2095, but with a medium vamp and is suitable for professionals

2095

Anniel Russian-style pointe shoes are quite beautiful. These particular shoes also come with the same variation in fabric choice as the 2067 model. Having so many color and fabric options would make it hard to choose just one. Perhaps a pale blue charmeuse…

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2358

The best feature of the Anniel Sport website is the fact that it is in English. No translation needed!  To look through all of the color choices in their pointe shoe models you can visit their website here.

Reart Pointe Shoes

En Pointe In Milano

The Reart Company is located close to the border of Switzerland in Milano, Italy which is located in the northern part of the country. Reart has been supplying dance schools and academies in this area for over thirty years.

The Reart Company carries a large inventory of dancewear, R.A.D. practice clothing, and several well-known pointe shoe brands like Grishko and Capezio. Gaining experience with the needs of the dancers that they supply, Reart created their own pointe shoe collection.

Currently, Reart offers six different pointe shoe models, four of which are professional grade.

RE450P: This model comes with a soft shank, square-shaped box, and reinforced platform. This shoe is suitable for beginners to advanced dancers

RE455F: Created for professionals and comes with a medium strength shank

RE460TRS: This shoe was designed for those with strong feet. They come with hard shanks and long vamps

RE470R: This is a professional pointe shoe with long vamps and extra hard shanks

RE465LS: A  professional grade 3/4 shank pointe shoe

RE471M: Created for beginners to advanced dancers, it comes with a reinforced platform and a medium strength shank

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The Reart website is in Italian, but fairly simple to navigate. To find out more about the Reart products visit their website at  Riart.com. Click on catalogo prodotti to see the pointe shoes.

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De Verona Pointe Shoes

I found this photo on a dance directory listing for suppliers in South America. These pointe shoes are being sold as De Verona. In Spanish, when you use the “De” it means of or from. These pointe shoes are either of Verona or from Verona. Verona is a city in Italy, so I am guessing that these are an Italian brand. Very mysterious!

Update: This mystery has been solved. Read more about these pointe shoes in my updated post DeVarona Of Mexico.

Aloart Pointe Shoes

Introducing A New Italian Pointe Shoe Brand

The Aloart Company is a new, up and coming dancewear supplier based in Fermo, Italy, which is located on the east coast of the country. The company is a family based operation that began production in 2008.

The Aloart pointe shoe collection is made using the highest standards of quality during the shoe making process. The Company is dedicated to the complete satisfaction of the dancers that they supply.

Each one of the Aloart pointe shoe models has been created to address the specific needs of the dancers themselves.

I must give the Aloart Company credit; the pointe shoes are beautifully designed.

The Aloart collection now offers four different pointe shoe models:

Lola

The  Lola model was designed for dancers who have strong feet and high arches. The vamp and box are designed to provide the strong foot with the support it needs on pointe. The soles on the Lola are split-sole. The Lola is ideal for dancers who need a longer lasting shoe . This pointe shoe is for professionals.

LOLA

 

Alina

The Alina  model is suitable for professionals. They come with a medium strength shank and are available in either split-sole or full sole.

ALINA

XWB 1001

This model is suitable for beginners to professionals. The have flexible 3/4 shanks and come in canvas.

XWB 1001

XWB 1001/R

This pointe shoe has the same characteristics as the XWB 1001, but comes in satin. Both XWB models are suitable for beginners to advanced dancers.

XWB 1001 Satin

Here is a shining example of that old saying; the best shoes in the world come from Italy!  To find out more about the beautiful Aloart pointe shoes please visit  their website at Aloartdance.com

Update 5/28/17: The Aloartdance.com domain is no longer in service.