Arcotte Muse J Pointe Shoes From Japan

It is an understatement to say this brand from Japan was a thrill to find. It reconfirmed for me that there is always something new brewing out there in pointe shoe world. The Muse J title differentiates the model from the Russian Pointe Muse because the J stands for Japan. There is also that beautiful touch of  delicate artistry that the Japanese do with perfection.

The Sole Design Is Both Artistic And Informational

The first thing I noticed about the sole design was the imprinting of what appears to be birds in flight. Lovely, light, graceful in flight. The epitome of a ballerina. The second thing that stands out are the six model specifications that tell you everything you need know for a customized fit. Two are size, then width, shank strength, sole hardness, then box type.

When I look at the pretty images of these shoes, my collector alarm doesn’t stop ringing. I find them absolutely fascinating. I cannot imagine what retirement would be like for an out-of-control collector. No food, just boiled shanks and an occasional ribbon for lunch.

There Are A Few Mysteries To Solve About The Arcotte Brand Name

According to the Arcotte About page, the brand was created as a collaboration between a ballet dancer and an experienced shoemaker with 50-plus years of making dance shoes.

I spent an incredible amount of time trying to find their names and photos, but didn’t have any luck. The name Naoto Takahashi is mentioned as Shopkeeper on the About page, but makes no mention of whether he designs the shoes or not.

Who is Naoto Takahashi? Who is the ballet dancer that conjured up  this pretty brand? It will take 時間と忍耐 ( time and patience). Hopefully I will be able to find out more soon.

It is wonderful to see a brand on video like this.

According to their product page, the Muse J pointe shoe is a made to order model that takes 3-4 weeks for delivery. Dancers can choose from 4 widths, 3 types of shanks, 3 types of sole hardness, and 3 types of boxes. All of these different choices enable the company to construct a pointe shoe that has 108 different configurations.

Even if you can’t read Japanese, it is interesting to visit the Arcotte Shop page to see their products. You can also visit Arcotte on Facebook.

Esmellia Japanese Pointe Shoes-Mail Order Mystery Company

While writing my previous post about a Tokyo-based custom pointe shoe maker, I was keeping another Japanese brand under wraps until I had as much information to share with you as I possibly could. It is both exciting and frustrating to find a new brand out there, yet one that has so little to offer in the way of specifics.

Esmellia Is An Japanese Mail Order Company Of Dance Supplies

I can honestly say that Google Translate received quite a workout as I went through the Esmellia website looking for their company history and an address. What they do advertise is the fact that they are a mail order business. They offer a simple contact email, nothing else.

There Are Two Esmellia  Pointe Shoe Variations

Esmellia features two models on their website; a **full shank and a 3/4 shank model. The full sole pictured here comes with a medium shank strength. You can see the company logo which resembles some type of  Tulip flower.

**According to the product page, the full sole model will be for sale until inventory runs out. That could mean that this shoe will end up in the discontinued grave yard.

Esmellia Is Not Active On Social Media

Unfortunately, this company doesn’t do any marketing on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites. They are somewhat of a mystery. No street address, no founder name, no clue as to what part of Japan Esmellia operates from. You can visit their official website @ Esmellia.jp. To see the shoes, click on the last button under PRODUCTS on the left side.

If there are any Japanese language experts out there, I would love to know if you can find an address or company history I may have missed.

Tokyo-Based Custom Pointe Shoes By Avignon

Avignon Pointe Shoes Japan

One of the most beautiful things about the ballet world is how connected it is globally.  A dancer in New York and one at the barre in Japan maybe practicing the very same exercise using exactly the same terminology. Most pointe shoes are named not by country, but by variation, character, ballet story, or individual steps.

Thinking about this connection and different countries, my latest pointe shoe brand discovery confirmed this interesting intertwining of cultures and names.  It is the Japanese dance shop with a very French name; Avignon.

Avignon Has A Shop In The Tokyo District Of Setagaya

Avignon Storefront

Nestled among the crowded streets of Tokyo, in the Setagaya district, is a dance shop where they make custom pointe shoes by hand to your specification.

If you are a follower of my posts, you already know how much I respect the craftsmanship of custom-made pointe shoes.

It’s nice to know there is one more manufacturer that does pointe shoes in this personalized way. These smaller shops can not only give you personalized attention, but a real working relationship with the maker of your shoes.

Although the post is very old, I enjoyed reading about one dancer’s experience with her custom Avignon shoes; Fumie’s New Pointe Shoes. The pictures are lovely.

To visit their  official website go to Avignon.co.jp.  Under the Home category links on the left side, choose the first one to see the shoes. Sadly, I couldn’t find any social media presence for Avignon at this time.

Sogei Pointe Shoes; As Beautiful As A Japanese Garden

Sogei Pointe Shoe Sole

As much I love discovering any kind of new pointe shoe brand, I love it even more when they take my breath away because of  their sheer loveliness.

I always thought that Ballerina and Sylvia of Japan had some pretty models, but now we have another Japanese brand to drool over; Sogei.

A Little Bit About Sogei

The Sogei Dancewear Company is based in Tokyo, Japan with its headquarters in Nerima-ku. It was founded by Endo Quing in 1950. He  had a passionate quest to create hand-cobbled pointe shoes that wouldn’t kill a dancer’s feet with poor fit, no support and ugly aesthetics.

Translating Japanese To English Is A Challenge

The peaceful serenity of a Japanese garden

As this website grows and grows, so does my interest in ballet “jargon” in other languages.  Because Google Translate is just a basic tool, sometimes it simply doesn’t translate certain words from one language to the next. Japanese into English is one of those examples.

However, some are easy enough to guess. Take for instance, the Sogei models named Borishoi and Ohrora. In ballet lingo, we can assume that this is how Bolshoi and Aurora are spelled or pronounced in Japanese.

Sogei Specializes In Pointe Shoe Making 

When I found the Sogei website, I browsed through the navigation just taking a wild guess at what category I was clicking on. Without using Google translate, it took me a few minutes to realize that Sogei of Japan is a 100% dance shoe manufacturer.

Not having to hunt through dozens of leotard and accessory pages makes it easier when you are a “tourist” who doesn’t speak the language. With this company, it’s all about the shoes. The Sogei Collection encompasses six models plus one pre-pointe; Toe Balance, Royal, Borishoi, Ohrora, Cerrito, Elisabeth and Pre-Toe.

Exploring The Pretty Sogei Pointe Shoe Models

Toe Balance by Sogei

The Toe Balance Specifications:

The Toe Balance is one of the newest models to the Sogei collection. It made its debut in April of 2014.

• Created with a wide center of balance for extra stability
• Available in 4 widths and 3 shank strengths
• Choose from v-vamp or u-shape throat

 

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Borishoi by Sogei

 The Borishoi Specifications:

• A V-vamp Russian-style shoe with low-cut sides to enhance the arch.
• Tapered toe box suitable for narrow feet.

 

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Sogei Ohrora

 The Ohrora Specifications:

• A customized model where you can choose heel depth, shank strength, width, sides and profile preferences.

 

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Sogei Royal

 The Royal Specifications:

• European-cut shoe suitable for many foot types.
• Comes in v-vamp or u-shape with several choices of shank strengths.

 

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Pre-Toe by Sogei

The Pre-Toe

• A pre-pointe model to condition the feet for real pointe shoes.
• All of the Sogei models are made of the finest texture of  satin. They photograph beautifully.

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Pointe Shoes Made To Fit Dancer Specifications On Order 

Sogei Cerrito- A U-shaped vamp model for more advanced dancers that can be customized

Sogei Elisabeth- An easy to break in model that can be made to order with low or high sides, custom toe box shape, shank strength and vamp cut.

Navigating the website looks scary if you can’t read Japanese. If you visit the official website of Sogei,  click on the 3rd category button down on the left side to see the shoes. The 4th button also shows more variations.

The Pre-Toe is featured with the soft slippers here: http://www.sogei-shoes.com/other.html

My personal favorite is the elegant Borishoi. I also find it admirable that a company like Sogei of Japan chooses to focus all of their energy and skills on creating one thing and one thing only; shoes for dancers. That probably makes them very, very good at what they do.