I've always loved Classic Freeds because the're very pliable and fit like a glove. I don't have much of an arch, but they flatter my feet. And after they're worn-out, they're easy to turn into flats by soaking them in water and removing the box layers.
For years at my old studio, my teachers really pushed for me to wear Freeds because all the other girls in my level just so happened to wear them, so they wanted conformity for performances. I went time and time again to be fitted for them, but they just looked god awful on my feet and made them twist and sickle, which was very painful! I later learned after leaving the studio and studying under a different instructor that it is impossible to wear Freeds with narrow heels, and wide feet. They work best for dancers w/ even, narrow feet. On a side note, there are plenty of pros that wear Grishko, Bloch, etc etc, so I wouldn't feel pressured with having to switch :-)
Same problem here! Narrow heels with relatively square toes. I've been told time and time again by fitters that I just have a Grishko foot, and I've decided to stop fighting it. Grishko has come out with flex shanks, and I'm finding that they allow me better roll through and are building foot strength. I would like to move into the Russian Pointe Rubin eventually because the box feels so perfect for me, but I'm holding off until my foot is stronger.
BlochGirl98 I’ve heard that a lot and my friend was trying to fit into freeds for some reason idk why but nothing she did would work so she trued Bloch instead and the look wayyy better on her feet and she’s lifted and sickles way less too.
I was required to wear Freeds this summer, and they were just so painful. I had to have my teacher call the intensive and ask them to let me wear my Russians,because I couldn't even finish pointe class as they were so painful.
Freed studio pros are different than freed classics I wear the studio pros and there usually more meant for students,is is because the shank and just the shoe itself is built harder and lasts a really long time. I actually find it hard to roll through the freed studio pro pointe shoes and I have pretty strong arches, however that might just be me.
I definitely agree with you! They are very hard and difficult to roll through in my opinion. They were probably the most painful out of all of the freeds I've tried, and they seem to form to the foot the least in comparison to the other styles. Is it obvious that I'm not a fan? haha
For dancers trying to determine which Freed maker or model to try I highly recommend you check out the ballet forum "Ballet Talk for Dancers". There are multiple threads all about Freed shoes that are moderated by the BalletMet shoe master. There are hundreds of pages where you can read other dancers Freed questions and comments plus pose your own Freed questions to the Freed master fitter. I was able to narrow down 3 makers that worked for me just by posting photos of my feet and foot measurements. It was a big time saver! The entire forum is packed with ballet information and I would encourage students to check it out.
Thank you so much! I am not a professional ballet dancer, but I am a salsa dancer with ballet training and plan to start some point training in the near future.
I found a pair that were somewhat decent in the box, wineglass, but they still broke way too low for me. I guess I have a more traditional foot where my arch is pretty high up and my toes are like semi tapered. My store carries a decent amount of them, so I was able to experiment, but my teacher still hated them for me and I returned them. I started getting my Grishko's in a soft shank and that has helped a lot with strength building, especially in the hand stitched sole.
I had tried freed pointe shoe(classic, deep vamp, from Y maker) standard shank. I got them when I was still wearing Bloch heritage, which has a shorter vamp compared to Freed classic. Freed is more easy to roll over and have enough support but it was not very hard for me to go over the box. Now I wear Repetto pointe shoes, with long vamps as well and Bloch balance European. But the vamp of latter one is too short for me and I feel quite unstable. Phew.. so I am actually looking for long vamp but mold to my feet. I sent my information (barefoot/pointe picture etc.) to Freed's office, and they suggested me to have a try on Studio I since they are currently not providing classic because of the pandemic. It is just a hard decision to me 😅
Hey! Just wondering if you knew of a maker that is tapered, wide, and possibly harder than most? (the strength isn't as important) I wear 2007 now also but they are a 5x so my feet are very wide and tapered if that helps! Thanks :)
I've been looking to try Freed Classics for a while now but I'm just not sure which makers make a more square box and I can't seem to find anything about what the shoes the different makers make are like :(
I’ve always worn Bloch but I don’t like them and really wanna try freeds. Bloch don’t let me roll through the feet until they are practically dead. I like very soft shoes but it just doesn’t work.
I now wear freed studio professionals and they are a lot more supportive and it’s easier to balance. They’re not the most comfortable but it’s a small price to pay.
LaFleur aha, a lot of girls in my class wear them. I had Bloch Heritage but they didn’t work well for me. I have quite short toes so I found the vamp too long. The v cut on the freeds makes this better also they have reinforced sides up to the arch which helps my balance.
I'm sorry about that! I would recommend sticking to a more stable shoe until you're ready to try Freeds again (if you ever decided you want to). If you do give Freeds another go, start out really slow by practicing in them at barre (doing lots of releves) until you feel like you're comfortable enough to do center work in them. Keep in mind that they are usually quite an adjustment for most dancers so you have to allow time for your muscle memory to adjust in order to start feeling strong in them.
I'm a dancer who wears Gaynor Mindens and I really want to try freed. I have a love/hate relationship with Gaynors but mainly I miss having a regular pointe shoe. I don't feel good in Gaynors bc like you said, freeds allow you to roll through your shoe completely and Gaynors don't do that for me. That's why I feel like I'm not as strong with them as I could be. I have wide tapered feet so would freeds be worth a try?
I wear 2007s and have tried a few different makers of freeds with no luck. I would like to give them another try...Any specific makers that you think are comparable for a smoother transition?
I would recommend calling the NY store and asking about the "anchor" and "y" makers! I also have very narrow feet which made me avoid Freeds for years, but I think that those shoes actually fit nicely.
The most accurate lists are not the Freed of London USA page at www.freeddirect.com under “Advice” and the British website for Freed and Bloch shoes at pointeshoe.com under “maker Timescales”. I have also has a lot of success calling the Freed of London USA main warehouse in Long Island City (NYC) and speaking to any of the fitters. They were able to help me narrow down makers that would work for me and makers that they had in stock and would be able to get a hold of without a special order. I hope this information helps those dancers in Freed or new to Freeds!
Help! I have a drawstring problem!!! I cut the drawstring to short, and just single-knotted it. the knot on both of my pointe shoes (i wear freeds) and i need help! anyone have any advice? It would be greatly appreciated!
How do you break in your freed pointe shoes and how long do yours last? I tried a pair this summer, and they told me not to jet glue or hand break in my first pair, and they died in a week. I'm hoping to try again and use jet glue this time, but any suggestions for extending Freeds' life?
Hi this is Rachel kochis again (Using my husband's phone so it's under his bame) anyway I was hoping to find the nyc flagship store phone number. I can't find it on the Web site and I've been looking forever. I used to shop there; freeds were my first and still favorite pointe shoe! And again thanks for the post/video! =)
Thank u for the video! I'm a long time freed wearer since my first pair. I was unfortunate enuff to have to move to Los Angeles 5 years ago n I'm now taking classes (had to leave Alvin Ailey; I was a soloist in thier classical ballet co. Not modern dance) but since I've come to L.A. Cali I've found 1 pair of Freeds n I walked out of the shoppe feeling I was cheated: they were too thin I have verrrry tiny feet but wide. How can I find who carries a bunch of Freeds as I'm auditioning for a few companies soon! ( =(( ) nervous!
I love my Freed pointes! However they died way too quickly I danced in them for one pointe class (45 mins) and they died completely. They work better for other girls in my ballet school though
My dance teacher really pushes for as many of us dancers as possible to wear freeds. However, I have very high arches and flexible ankles and the shanks in all the freeds I have tried have all been so weak that I go completely over the front of the box. Is there a certain style or maker that come with harder shanks would I have to order custom shanks?
+Alyssa M I would really recommend calling the Chacott by Freed of London store in NYC to talk to them about what you need in a shoe and what type of foot you have. They have always helped find the best option for me, much unlike any experience I've had trying to order online. There are some makers and styles I could suggest (like pro 90x, wing block, classic pros, or harder makers like butterfly, Z, etc.), but they would be able to help you decide based off of what they have in stock. I hope that helps!
I am also in that intermediate advanced level, and I too wore grishkos 2007 as my second pair of pointe shoes. But, I have a really night instep. I just started wearing Freeds. They wore out really fast! Everyone was saying they were dead. I thought they were too. But when I would dance they worked well, my teacher said they worked well. It's just that my feet get really tired! Like k feel like after a 7 minute piece I want to fall over. Everyone that are like older and more advanced dancers are telling me I might get hurt they are so dead but they work well for me but make me tired as I said, what should I do??
My daughter got her first pair of pointe shoes fitted 4 weeks ago and we went with Freed because of their reputation, however, they have already completely collapsed on the pointe giving no support at all and causing excruciating pain, you can push your thumb through the end as they are so soft. Are they supposed to last longer than 4 weeks? None of the other girls in the English Youth Ballet production had Freed shoes and their shoes were all fine. Have you any suggestions about what went wrong?
Addie Blyth sometimes you just get a bad pair! My first pair were Bloch and they only lasted me three classes. After that I was able to push my thumb through the platform. I switched to Grishko, but am now wearing Freed Studios. Some pairs just aren't correctly made, but if she is killing the shanks and sides of the box quickly then you should try Jet Glue. It basically hardens the paste used to make the shoes again!
I love my Freeds, I use the classic pro 90, size 5 triple x. But I will only use them if they are the butterfly maker! my local dance store rarely has them in stock and it is very hard to get them from that specific maker. Thank you so much!
Hi! I have a big big problem! I have never tried Freeds but I would like to. My feet are not arched and I have a lot of trouble to be on the box correctly and fully and I thought Freed because of their varieties but I don't know anything about Freed or how to order them in their website and I'm from Spain and I don't wanna to waste a lot of money. What I have to do? I wanna a pointe that fits really well in my feet and I would like a little help and advice. Thanks.
I actually think they're an incredibly ugly shoe. They look nice on the feet cause they're soft, but the color is horrible, the box is kind of lumpy looking, the drawstring casing doesn't match whatsoever, and the stitching around the vamp is weird.
I've always loved Classic Freeds because the're very pliable and fit like a glove. I don't have much of an arch, but they flatter my feet. And after they're worn-out, they're easy to turn into flats by soaking them in water and removing the box layers.
For years at my old studio, my teachers really pushed for me to wear Freeds because all the other girls in my level just so happened to wear them, so they wanted conformity for performances. I went time and time again to be fitted for them, but they just looked god awful on my feet and made them twist and sickle, which was very painful! I later learned after leaving the studio and studying under a different instructor that it is impossible to wear Freeds with narrow heels, and wide feet. They work best for dancers w/ even, narrow feet. On a side note, there are plenty of pros that wear Grishko, Bloch, etc etc, so I wouldn't feel pressured with having to switch :-)
Same problem here! Narrow heels with relatively square toes. I've been told time and time again by fitters that I just have a Grishko foot, and I've decided to stop fighting it. Grishko has come out with flex shanks, and I'm finding that they allow me better roll through and are building foot strength. I would like to move into the Russian Pointe Rubin eventually because the box feels so perfect for me, but I'm holding off until my foot is stronger.
BlochGirl98 I’ve heard that a lot and my friend was trying to fit into freeds for some reason idk why but nothing she did would work so she trued Bloch instead and the look wayyy better on her feet and she’s lifted and sickles way less too.
I was required to wear Freeds this summer, and they were just so painful. I had to have my teacher call the intensive and ask them to let me wear my Russians,because I couldn't even finish pointe class as they were so painful.
Freed studio pros are different than freed classics I wear the studio pros and there usually more meant for students,is is because the shank and just the shoe itself is built harder and lasts a really long time. I actually find it hard to roll through the freed studio pro pointe shoes and I have pretty strong arches, however that might just be me.
I definitely agree with you! They are very hard and difficult to roll through in my opinion. They were probably the most painful out of all of the freeds I've tried, and they seem to form to the foot the least in comparison to the other styles. Is it obvious that I'm not a fan? haha
For dancers trying to determine which Freed maker or model to try I highly recommend you check out the ballet forum "Ballet Talk for Dancers". There are multiple threads all about Freed shoes that are moderated by the BalletMet shoe master. There are hundreds of pages where you can read other dancers Freed questions and comments plus pose your own Freed questions to the Freed master fitter. I was able to narrow down 3 makers that worked for me just by posting photos of my feet and foot measurements. It was a big time saver! The entire forum is packed with ballet information and I would encourage students to check it out.
I try to register me in the forum but I cant because the email address is not accepted by the community what I have to do?
+lianmm19lm same with me :( I wanted to be a member so bad!
Thank you so much! I am not a professional ballet dancer, but I am a salsa dancer with ballet training and plan to start some point training in the near future.
I found a pair that were somewhat decent in the box, wineglass, but they still broke way too low for me. I guess I have a more traditional foot where my arch is pretty high up and my toes are like semi tapered. My store carries a decent amount of them, so I was able to experiment, but my teacher still hated them for me and I returned them. I started getting my Grishko's in a soft shank and that has helped a lot with strength building, especially in the hand stitched sole.
I had tried freed pointe shoe(classic, deep vamp, from Y maker) standard shank. I got them when I was still wearing Bloch heritage, which has a shorter vamp compared to Freed classic. Freed is more easy to roll over and have enough support but it was not very hard for me to go over the box. Now I wear Repetto pointe shoes, with long vamps as well and Bloch balance European. But the vamp of latter one is too short for me and I feel quite unstable. Phew.. so I am actually looking for long vamp but mold to my feet. I sent my information (barefoot/pointe picture etc.) to Freed's office, and they suggested me to have a try on Studio I since they are currently not providing classic because of the pandemic. It is just a hard decision to me 😅
Hey! Just wondering if you knew of a maker that is tapered, wide, and possibly harder than most? (the strength isn't as important) I wear 2007 now also but they are a 5x so my feet are very wide and tapered if that helps! Thanks :)
As a british person, freed (of london) are easy to access
I've been looking to try Freed Classics for a while now but I'm just not sure which makers make a more square box and I can't seem to find anything about what the shoes the different makers make are like :(
Oh ok, thanks for the advice! I really would love to try them :)
I’ve always worn Bloch but I don’t like them and really wanna try freeds. Bloch don’t let me roll through the feet until they are practically dead. I like very soft shoes but it just doesn’t work.
I now wear freed studio professionals and they are a lot more supportive and it’s easier to balance. They’re not the most comfortable but it’s a small price to pay.
LaFleur aha, a lot of girls in my class wear them. I had Bloch Heritage but they didn’t work well for me. I have quite short toes so I found the vamp too long. The v cut on the freeds makes this better also they have reinforced sides up to the arch which helps my balance.
This year at my intensive I attended I was wearing Freeds and I ended up injuring myself and I haven't been able to dance for 7 and 1/2 weeks.
I'm sorry about that! I would recommend sticking to a more stable shoe until you're ready to try Freeds again (if you ever decided you want to). If you do give Freeds another go, start out really slow by practicing in them at barre (doing lots of releves) until you feel like you're comfortable enough to do center work in them. Keep in mind that they are usually quite an adjustment for most dancers so you have to allow time for your muscle memory to adjust in order to start feeling strong in them.
I'm a dancer who wears Gaynor Mindens and I really want to try freed. I have a love/hate relationship with Gaynors but mainly I miss having a regular pointe shoe. I don't feel good in Gaynors bc like you said, freeds allow you to roll through your shoe completely and Gaynors don't do that for me. That's why I feel like I'm not as strong with them as I could be. I have wide tapered feet so would freeds be worth a try?
Alison Casper try a freed studio 2!
I wear 2007s and have tried a few different makers of freeds with no luck. I would like to give them another try...Any specific makers that you think are comparable for a smoother transition?
I always wanted to try Freed Classics but my feet are too narrow :( I couldn't find a pair that fit
I would recommend calling the NY store and asking about the "anchor" and "y" makers! I also have very narrow feet which made me avoid Freeds for years, but I think that those shoes actually fit nicely.
I can't seem to find the list of specifications of the makers :( could someone please point(e) me in the right direction?
www.the-perfect-pointe.com/p/freed.html has a chart at the bottom of the page.
The most accurate lists are not the Freed of London USA page at www.freeddirect.com under “Advice” and the British website for Freed and Bloch shoes at pointeshoe.com under “maker Timescales”. I have also has a lot of success calling the Freed of London USA main warehouse in Long Island City (NYC) and speaking to any of the fitters. They were able to help me narrow down makers that would work for me and makers that they had in stock and would be able to get a hold of without a special order. I hope this information helps those dancers in Freed or new to Freeds!
Did you return all the freeds that didn't fit you from discount?
+Destiny De Guzman
I was able to make most of them work, but yes, I did return some that had an odd box shape for my foot!
Help! I have a drawstring problem!!! I cut the drawstring to short, and just single-knotted it. the knot on both of my pointe shoes (i wear freeds) and i need help! anyone have any advice? It would be greatly appreciated!
How do you break in your freed pointe shoes and how long do yours last? I tried a pair this summer, and they told me not to jet glue or hand break in my first pair, and they died in a week. I'm hoping to try again and use jet glue this time, but any suggestions for extending Freeds' life?
Hi this is Rachel kochis again (Using my husband's phone so it's under his bame) anyway I was hoping to find the nyc flagship store phone number. I can't find it on the Web site and I've been looking forever. I used to shop there; freeds were my first and still favorite pointe shoe! And again thanks for the post/video! =)
vid description-
Freed Flagship Store NYC Contact Info:
212-432-4414
Hours: Mon-Sat 11-7pm
Thank u for the video! I'm a long time freed wearer since my first pair. I was unfortunate enuff to have to move to Los Angeles 5 years ago n I'm now taking classes (had to leave Alvin Ailey; I was a soloist in thier classical ballet co. Not modern dance) but since I've come to L.A. Cali I've found 1 pair of Freeds n I walked out of the shoppe feeling I was cheated: they were too thin I have verrrry tiny feet but wide. How can I find who carries a bunch of Freeds as I'm auditioning for a few companies soon! ( =(( ) nervous!
Even form our first pair, we are only allowed to wear freeds at my school
I love my Freed pointes! However they died way too quickly I danced in them for one pointe class (45 mins) and they died completely. They work better for other girls in my ballet school though
Yes they are soft because it is not plastic or something really hard, you can always jet glue them. They have hard versions too:)
My dance teacher really pushes for as many of us dancers as possible to wear freeds. However, I have very high arches and flexible ankles and the shanks in all the freeds I have tried have all been so weak that I go completely over the front of the box. Is there a certain style or maker that come with harder shanks would I have to order custom shanks?
Yes, definitely! Before I recommend some, what have you tried?
TwinTalksBallet i've tried classics and studios.
+Alyssa M I would really recommend calling the Chacott by Freed of London store in NYC to talk to them about what you need in a shoe and what type of foot you have. They have always helped find the best option for me, much unlike any experience I've had trying to order online. There are some makers and styles I could suggest (like pro 90x, wing block, classic pros, or harder makers like butterfly, Z, etc.), but they would be able to help you decide based off of what they have in stock. I hope that helps!
What brand would you recommend for a beginner en pointe?
freed classics or repetto julieta
I am also in that intermediate advanced level, and I too wore grishkos 2007 as my second pair of pointe shoes. But, I have a really night instep. I just started wearing Freeds. They wore out really fast! Everyone was saying they were dead. I thought they were too. But when I would dance they worked well, my teacher said they worked well. It's just that my feet get really tired! Like k feel like after a 7 minute piece I want to fall over. Everyone that are like older and more advanced dancers are telling me I might get hurt they are so dead but they work well for me but make me tired as I said, what should I do??
My daughter got her first pair of pointe shoes fitted 4 weeks ago and we went with Freed because of their reputation, however, they have already completely collapsed on the pointe giving no support at all and causing excruciating pain, you can push your thumb through the end as they are so soft. Are they supposed to last longer than 4 weeks? None of the other girls in the English Youth Ballet production had Freed shoes and their shoes were all fine. Have you any suggestions about what went wrong?
Addie Blyth sometimes you just get a bad pair! My first pair were Bloch and they only lasted me three classes. After that I was able to push my thumb through the platform. I switched to Grishko, but am now wearing Freed Studios. Some pairs just aren't correctly made, but if she is killing the shanks and sides of the box quickly then you should try Jet Glue. It basically hardens the paste used to make the shoes again!
I love my Freeds, I use the classic pro 90, size 5 triple x. But I will only use them if they are the butterfly maker! my local dance store rarely has them in stock and it is very hard to get them from that specific maker. Thank you so much!
Im a freed classic pro 90 w/ the butterfly maker in a size 7 1/4 and i love them so much
Hi! I have a big big problem! I have never tried Freeds but I would like to. My feet are not arched and I have a lot of trouble to be on the box correctly and fully and I thought Freed because of their varieties but I don't know anything about Freed or how to order them in their website and I'm from Spain and I don't wanna to waste a lot of money. What I have to do? I wanna a pointe that fits really well in my feet and I would like a little help and advice. Thanks.
Speak up my volumes up full and I still can't hear you.
Sound?!
Hi!
Hi! :)
Ava Hafner lol
I actually think they're an incredibly ugly shoe. They look nice on the feet cause they're soft, but the color is horrible, the box is kind of lumpy looking, the drawstring casing doesn't match whatsoever, and the stitching around the vamp is weird.
i love foit you,,