Ask any dancer and most will agree that pointe shoes are elegant on stage, but not the most comfortable to wear. By creating a custom mold for your foot, PerfectFit Pointe Shoe Inserts are working to change that. In doing so, PerfectFit makes dancing on pointe more comfortable and helps to prevent damage to the feet.
Artistic Director, Linda Hurkmans recently invited Kelly Schmutte, founder and CEO of PerfectFit, to our San Jose ballet school to educate us about this game-changing product.
What’s the concept behind PerfectFit?
A dancer herself, Kelly launched PerfectFit in 2015 after spending years to develop the ballet shoe product. With the idea in mind that every dancer has unique feet, Kelly came up with the idea that what goes inside a dancer’s pointe shoe should be just as unique.
Why even put anything inside a pointe shoe?
The front end of the pointe shoe that encloses a dancer’s toes is known as the box. Looking at the box, you’ll notice it’s square, which is not the shape of most people’s toes. Putting padding around the toes helps to fill up the box and prevent friction and blisters. Dancers use a variety of padding options, such as lambswool, gel pads, or even paper towels, with each offering a one size fits all solution. Ultimately it’s up to the dancer to customize her padding and make it work for her feet.
How are the PerfectFit Pointe Shoe Inserts different?
By providing a kit to create a custom mold, PerfectFit inserts fit the feet like a glove. Dancers create the molds themselves, and the mold fills up the space inside the pointe shoe where traditional padding cannot. This provides more even weight distribution while on pointe, more foot support and control, and ultimately more comfort while dancing.
Feedback from our ballet dancers:
A few advanced dancers from San Jose Dance Theatre gave the PerfectFit Pointe Shoe Inserts a try, and they’re loving the results. Level 5 dancer, Natalie Taylor, said she previously used gel pads in her pointe ballet shoes and always required additional padding around her big toe. Now with PerfectFit, she only uses her custom mold and though it’s less material inside her shoe, it’s more support for her feet. Level 5 dancer, Twilight Lin, said the mold is a perfect fit, just like it says in the name. There’s a reason so many professional dancers already use this product!
Curious about giving these inserts a try? Visit the PerfectFit Pointe Shoe Insert website and try them out for yourself! Enter code PFSJDT20 at checkout to get 20% off your order, or click on the PerfectFit Pointe Shoe Insert logo to download coupon cards. Offer good through 4/30/2018.
If you are interested in a list of other ballet apparel stores in the Bay Area, check this handy list of Top Dance Stores.
