One would think that seeing Handmade in Russia on a pointe shoe sole would mean a simple search in Russian for puanty MaSha.
Then, I would find loads of wonderful information to add to the brands database. It would be quick. Easy. Chock full of information.
However, the only place I ended up was right back here. After all these years writing about brands, you would think I have learned to search through the morning fog in Cape Cod, Massachusetts before I assume that what is made in a country is available in that country. I should also remember that brands can be invented, promoted, lose steam, and die out long before I discover their existence. They can also be made in Russia to be sold only in Japan.
Does MaSha Mean Misha In Japanese?
Because I don’t know when these pointe shoes appeared on the market, it is hard to say if they were intentionally destined for the Japanese market. The name MaSha is incredibly close to the name Misha, but that is simply me reminiscing about the shoe treasures of the Baryshnikov brand. I could find absolutely no proof that Misha translates to MaSha in any language. However, if you know anything about these interesting shoes, feel free to share.
Specifications Of The MaSha Full Sole Model
It is always wonderful when you can read dancer accounts of a particular brand or model. However, with these, we only have the general description to go by. Currently, the Full-sole model appears to have the following specifications:
- Long vamps
- Medium strength shanks
- Elastic drawstrings
- Narrow, normal, or wide width
- Made in sizes 35-40
- Available in Light Pink only
Is This Simply Another Demand For Russian Aesthetics?
MaSha Soft
Under the Japanese Pointe Shoe Brand Category on this site, you will see that they definitely know how to create shoes with beautiful aesthetics. Although some may be collectors items today, Japan is no stranger to pointe design and construction. However, I can imagine today’s young and savvy students asking for shoes that are made where many of the worlds finest dancers get theirs; Russia.
Learning More About The MaSha Brand
MaSha 3/4 Sole
This particular brand took me on quite a hunt. I thoroughly scoured the Internet for mentions, reviews, photos, and even videos. There are lone photos of them here and there, but only one company website that actually features all three models; Fairy of Japan.
I was thrilled to find this pretty dance shop and learn a bit about its history. It began in 1989 as a small shop in Gaienmae , Tokyo, but now has its larger storefront in Omotesando.
Although it is disappointing to consider that this brand might not have reached the heights of popularity that Russian-made pointe shoes typically do, it is an interesting lesson about global manufacturing and logistics.
How far is it from Russia to Japan? From Moscow to Tokyo, a little more than 4,600 miles by air with an approximate travel time of 9 hours. After such a long trip, I have to ask the question; are they selling? When you visit Google Translate to go from English to Japanese, enter the following url- https://www.fairynet.co.jp/SHOP/1132120/list.html ( scroll down) and click on the models, each comes with a message that states : stock will not be renewed.
So there we have it. Made in Russia or not, it appears that dancers in Japan prefer the Grishko name to a made-in-Russia MaSha. How long were they on the market as a fully-available stockable shoe? As they say in Japanese:
わかりません ( I don’t know).
Pointe Shoe Brands 