Womens "Balance European" Pointe Shoes Hard Shank

My daughter keeps returning to this particular pointe shoe brand, model, and shank because she finds them to be most comfortable for her xxx feet and because they seem to last longer than others. She makes me buy them in bulk when I can get them at a good discount.

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Arrived on time and great quality

Age: 30 to 39     Fit: Runs very large     Comfort:     Durability:    

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Very good

Age: 15 to 18     Fit: True to size     Comfort:     Durability:    

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I absolutely love discount dance. They always have what I need I stock.

Age: 15 to 18     Fit: True to size     Comfort:     Durability:    

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Great to find sizes in hard shank shoes

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These are my go-to for dance and recitals

Age: 15 to 18     Fit: True to size     Comfort:     Durability:    

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My daughter has a bit wider foot and these shoes in a tripleX are the best. We have done several, 1-2 hour long shoe fittings and we always come back to this shoe for the price, quality and overall ability to last through four days of pointe per week. I always order several at a time to ensure we have new shoes on hand as her size at times are unavailable elsewhere.

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Shoe is pre-arched in manufacturing and helps dancers who say that other shoes caused difficultly in getting over on full pointe. Dancers who wear 4x width in Grishko generally 3x in European Balance. Dancers who wear out the shank in Bloch European Balance before the toe box have the option of the hard shank in the Bloch European Balance. The Bloch European Balance runs wider in the toe box than Grishko 2007. The Bloch European works well for girls that have 3 toes approximately same length rather than a second toe longest. Bloch European Balance in regular medium shank is durable enough for most dancers. The hard shank version comes in larger sizes, and the box is definitely wider than Grishko 2007 without looking clunky.

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My girls love these shoes, its really hard to find them the perfect shoes because they have wide feet... We have tried many but come back to these point shoes Balance European. We would just love if they would have a harder shank, because of the girls strong arches they die pretty fast.

Age: 15 to 18     Fit: True to size     Comfort:     Durability:    

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wide platform helps someonw like me which is on the heavier side with narrow ankles. the hard shank allows me to use the shoes much longer and support for my adult weight

Age: 40 to 49     Fit: True to size     Comfort:     Durability:    

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Love these shoes! So supportive! I feel so confident in these shoes that I decided to mold my Perfect Fit shoe inserts to these. They do need to be scraped when brand new because the sole gives off an uncomfortable squeak noise when I try to go up for a turn without scraping beforehand.

Age: 15 to 18     Fit: True to size     Comfort:     Durability:    

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I have been using these shoes for about four months, they are very durable and the strong shank really supports my arches. These are my first pair of pointe shoes and I so far, they are holding up really well, I dance on pointe three hours a week and the only the tips of the shoes are dirty, although the satin frays at the tips as well. I wore covers over the shoes to keep them clean until I broke them in, for the hard shank I would suggest bending the shank a lot to form to your arches. Overall, I would defiantly recommend these shoes for a beginner.

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These are the only shoes I wear. I have strong feet that are small lengthwise (I wear a size 5 street shoe), but I have wide, short toes and a narrow heel, so it took me a while to find the perfect pointe shoe. For me, these are the ones! I always 3/4 the shank, and I sew down the extra fabric on the inside of each shoe because I have a high arch and the shank pulls to the outside of my foot if I don't sew the sides. I started with the regular shank when I was a student, but the hard shank is definitely more supportive and more durable. I love these shoes and I love that I have found something that works for my feet.

Age: 19-21     Comfort:     Durability:    

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I bought these because I'v worn European Balance normal shank shoes for a while, but the always wear out so fast. The shank on these is fairly hard, but like the soft shanks, the box isn't very durable. Also, they are generally less comfortable than the normal shank. The real problem with these shoes is they have an extra (and very thick) piece of leather on the sole. This makes jumps much louder, demi pointe harder, pointing your foot more difficult, and most of all balance nearly impossible. These shoes are perfect for you if you have strong feet and don't plan to wear them for long.

Age: 15-18     Comfort:     Durability:    

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These were my first pair of toe shoes! They were very comfortable, with a hard shank that supported my feet for 6 months. After that, I was till wearing them, but the shank is breaking down so I have to use my arches to stay up. They're amazing shoes though!!!! Just caution: when they break down, every part of the shoes goes at once.

Age: 15-18     Comfort:     Durability:    

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I LOVE this pointe shoe. I am 44 and plus size. The only reason that I say that it runs small is because I have wide feet. The fit and support are perfect for me, because it contours to my foot, which is hard because my heels are on the small side. I feel as if I can use every muscle in my foot and it feels like an extension of my whole body. I would recommend this point shoe to everyone. :)

Age: 40-49     Comfort:     Durability:    

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I would only recommend the hard shank to girls with really strong and also flexible feet. My arches are not the best and so these shoes took a while to break in for me and by the time they did finally break in enough for me to dance well they had a mushy quality almost as if they were dead. But if you know how to work with stronger shanks this is a great shoe, however I would only recommend them to more experienced dancers.

Age: 15-18     Durability:    

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These shoes are wonderful and they fit almost any foot shape. I first had the medium shank and it turned out they were too soft so of course I bought these. I have extremely strong arches so these shoes are even a little soft. The pair I have right now are dead and I had them for a week. I absolutely love how comfortable these are, and the foam insert is a plus, but they make my feet look horrible!! When I am on pointe my arches look great but once I try to point the shank itself does not connect with my foot making it look even worse. I wear a 51/2 (x) and they look super wide and not flattering. Bloch pointe shoes tend to look that way and I hate it. The bloch alphas are not as bulky but still. I really do love these shoes but it's driving me crazy on how they look. For me personally, I would rather have a nice shoe then a comfy bulky one, but that's just me. So for my next pair I am trying something different but I do recommend these if you don't mind on how they look.

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I have had this model of Pointe shoe before in the regular shank. when I started to feel that the regular shank wasn't supporting me enough, I went to the hard shank. I have wide slightly tapered toes(aka Wide Greek Toe Configuration) and a narrow heel. These shoes from Day One felt great. though they are harder than the regular Balance European, I enjoy the extra support. I have ordered two pairs in the past 3 months. The first pair are not even dead yet, though I pancaked them and 3/4 shanked the inner most shank, they are very good Pointe Shoes. please keep these Pointe Shoes in stock, I think I may have found "The" Shoe.

Age: 22-29     Comfort:     Durability:    

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These shoes are great if you have wide feet. For me, the hard shank is what I needed, since I broke my other shanks very fast. I would defietly buy these again.

Age: 15-18     Comfort:     Durability:    

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I love these shoes!! I have very wide, strong feet so the shank is perfect! I love the fact that the shoe already has a bit of an arch already which makes it easier to dance in and a breeze to break in. Due to my wide feet these shoes provide the perfect support and makes it easier to balance. The built in foam cushions my toes and i dont seem to get any blisters with these shoes :D

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I'm on my second pair of these shoes and I still love them! I have very small ( 6 1/2 in street shoes#, very wide # 2XX for Bloch, D for Capezio) feet, and very strong feet. These shoes fit like a glove. When you first get the shoes, the shank already has a sort of natural arch to it # which helped for my relatively low arches) so it makes these hard shoes just a little bit easier to break in. The box is a lot easier to stand on because it's constructed for wider feet so balancing is a breeze on these.They last for a long time, if you consider 1 month a long time. Overall, I would recoment these shoes to those with wider, stronger feet.

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These are great if you have really strong feet, but are not great if you just kill regular european balances too fast. They are a double shank, and are extremely hard, I believe much more than twice as hard as regular european balances. Still, very durable and if they work they will last you a long time.

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I actually really love this pointe shoe. I normally wear expensive Gaynor Minden , but these Bloch's honestly made my turns better and feel a lot more comfortable than the Gaynor. It's worth a try and the price is a much better choice.

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I have been in Grishko 2007 for the last 3 years, and I was not liking the support from the 3/4 shank in Grishko. I'm a size 8 to 8 1/2 street shoe and my feet are moderately wide but very compressible when up on pointe, and my fitter was determined that 6.5 XX was my size (she wanted me in a 6 but my toes were jammed into the ends of the shoe). However I feel that I may need a 7 X instead because my big toes are being crunched a little in class and the box twists on my toes when I releve quickly on one foot. As for being a hard shank, it seems slightly harder than the grishko medium shank, and for someone with a very high arch, I wish that they came harder than this.

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At this time we do not have date as to when this shoe will be available, sorry for the inconvenience. When we do, there will be a follow up answer to this question.
- DDS Customer Service (09/26/2012)

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