Freed Pointe Shoes

Freed Pointe Shoes are a special type of shoe used by ballet dancers for pointework, manufactured by Freed of London Ltd.

History

Freed of London is the leading pointe shoe distributor in the world. [ [http://www.the-perfect-pointe.com/PointeShoeMakers1920.html The History of Pointe Shoes Before 1920 ] ] The company was founded in 1929 by the cobbler Frederick Freed, his wife and an assistant. They had previously been employed by the London based Italian shoe maker "Gamba", also a popular pointe shoe manufacturer. Freed's workshop was originally in the basement of his shop on St. Martins Lane, in Covent Garden and the shop still exists on the site as the only dedicated Freed retailer in the UK. In 1993, Freed was taken over by a large Japanese company called Onward Takiyama, [ [http://www.the-perfect-pointe.com/sfreed.html Freed Pointe Shoes ] ] although the company headquarters and manufacturing facilities remain in England at the international distribution centre on Well Street, Hackney, East London. [ [http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_98/nov98/freeds_shoes_visit.htm Margaret Lumey, “The Day I Met my Maker,” "Ballet" Magazine, November 1998] ]

Types of Pointe Shoes

There are six varieties of Freed Pointe shoes. For these six standard Freed shoes, there are five possible width fittings, twenty sizes, and about thirty makers. Some makers and sizes are less generic and therefore harder to come by.

Freed “Classics”, are the first and foremost type of Freed pointe shoes. They are also the most popular and easily recognizable as being “Freeds”. They allow for different maker specifications. Freed “Classic Wing Blocks” are very similar to Freed “Classics,” but have extended reinforcements along the wings or sides of the shoe. Basically, the box extends further along the sides. Freed “Studios I” designed by Mark Suffolk,feature a tapered box with a long vamp, and very stiff wings. These shoes do not have specific makers that can be requested. Similar to the “Studios I” are the “Studios II.”(Also designed by Mark Suffolk) This shoe features a less tapered box, but has the same long vamp and stiff sides like the “Studios I”. The “Studios II” are usually worn by people with wider feet, and just like its predecessor, do not have specific requestable makers. Next is the relatively new Freed “Studios Professional”. This shoe has a somewhat tapered box, and a v-shaped vamp with an elastic drawstring. The most obscure shoe is the Freed “Gent”. This shoe features a square box with a long vamp. The “Gent” is only available by special order and is not commonly stocked. There is also a shoe designed by Freed in collaboration with the staff at Canada's National Ballet School. It is aptly named the Maple Leaf. This Pointe shoe was created by the close collaboration between Mark Suffolk (then Technical Development Manager at Freed of London and Carol Beevers pointe shoe fitting expert at NBS) The shape of the shoe is much squarer in the block and has a lot less taper than other styles. This shoe is quite hard in the wing blocks and is made to last. The platform is very smooth and straight with very little deviation from one pair to the next. The only known retailer of this shoe, however, is the Shoe Room at Canada's National Ballet School.

Mark Suffolk left Freed of London in 2000 and started "The Suffolk Pointe Shoe Co. Ltd". Mark continues to hand make Pointe shoes under his own signature in Leicestershire.

Components

The last is the mold on which a shoe is constructed. The “box” supports the toe and allows for the dancer to stand "en pointe". [ [http://www.danceart.com/dancestuff/p_fit.htm Gear Guide: Pointe Shoe Fitting ] ] When the shoe’s box “dies”, i.e. gets soft, that pair of shoes has reached the end of its career. For some professional dancers, pointe shoes only last a performance or two. How long the shoe lasts depends on the strength and shape of the dancer’s foot, the choreography they are dancing, and the strength of the shoe. The platform is the flat part of the box right on which the dancer balances. A crooked or lumpy platform can ruin a performance or class. The smoothness of a platform is key when choosing a maker. The “vamp” refers to the length of the pointe shoe upper, measured from the platform to the drawstring. Normally, longer toes call for a longer vamp. Also, if a dancer has very flexible arches, a long vamp can supply extra support. The “throat” is the shape in which the upper is fashioned, usually either v-cut or round. The drawstring is located within the binding on the throat of the shoe. When specially ordering shoes from a maker, the dancer can request either an elastic or lace drawstring. The pleats are located on the underside of the box where the fabric is folded into the sole. The crown is the vertical height between the vamp and the sole. The pointe shoe is supposed to fit very snug, so if the crown is too tall one’s feet could sink right down into the box. The stay is the fabric that covers the seam on the heel of the shoe. The shank is the backbone of the shoe. Different shanks vary in strength based on what the dancer needs. Freed pointe shoes are known by their signature peach colored satin. Freed is also the maker of the pointe shoe "solo". A common shoe for the average dancer.

How they are made

Freed pointe shoes are made using the traditional “Turn Shoe” method. This title refers the fact that the shoes are actually made inside out. Each pair is handmade by a skilled craftsman. [http://www.freedoflondon.com/cat/pointeshoemaking.php] The maker forms the block by hand layer upon layer, using “Hessian triangles,” paper and glue. The basis of the glue used is a water paste in conjunction with “secret ingredients” exclusively used by Freed. After the box is formed, the maker makes the pleats in the satin that covers the shoe. The pleats are achieved by using metal pincers. The shoe is then “stitched” and the sole is joined to the upper by means of a wax thread. After this procedure is finished, the pointe shoe is ready to be turned right side out. The insole is now inserted. At this pointe, the maker’s personal touch enters the construction process. The box, which is not yet dried, is hammered into the maker’s signature shape. This shape is what gives certain makers preference to countless dancers.

Makers

Freed “Classic” and “Wingblock” pointe shoes have a small stamp on the sole indicating which individual maker they were made by. The difference between the look and feels of each maker can be small or quite large. Characteristics that differ between makers are for the most part located in the box of the shoe. They are normally width, height, and weight. Makers’ stamps are usually a letter or some kind of symbol. Examples are makers “A,” “B,” “E,” “F” and, “anchor”, “bullshorn”, “crown”, and “bell”. Also, some makers have retired and therefore their stamp cannot be used again. Examples of retired makers are “violin”, “castle”, “football”, and “dollar”. [ [http://www.pointeshoe.co.uk/makers.htm Pointe shoe - Freed Makers ] ] Each cobbler makes about 50 shoes a day and most of the orders are for individual dancers who order 20 pairs at a time.

Distribution

The price of a pair of Freed pointe shoes varies based on numerous factors. Shoes that have more specifications made by the buyer could be more expensive than a stocked shoe. Depending on where purchased, a pair of Freed pointe shoes can cost anywhere from $50 to $100 USD. Freed pointe shoes are even sold on auction websites such as eBay.

Popularity

Freed is the “Official Pointe Shoe” for many ballet companies around the world among them, the New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and The Royal Ballet are a few. Famous dancers such as Carla Fracci, Vivianna Durante, Margot Fonteyn, and Suzanne Farrell all wore Freeds. Current stars such as Darcey Bussell and Wendy Whelan also wear Freeds.

Freeds were the premier choice for New York City Ballet co-founder and balletmaster George Balanchine. He found Freeds to be lighter and more flexible than other brands of shoes such as Grishkos. Unlike an uneducated observer may presume, it is not the stiffness of the shank or the hardness of the box that really gives the pointe shoe its strength. [ [http://ajsm.highwire.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/4/555 “A Comparative Mechanical Analysis of the Pointe Shoe Toe Box,” "The American Journal of Sports Medicine" (1998)] ]

References

Bibliography

Attfield, Michele. “Evolution of the Pointe.” How to Fit a Pointe Shoe, http://www.freedoflondon.com/cat/pointeshoemaking.php, (accessed February 8, 2007)

Kerner, Mary. Barefoot to Balanchine: How to Watch Dance, 1990. pages 124-125, http://www.the-perfect-pointe.com/Agony.html (accessed February 14, 2007)

Lumey, Margaret Margaret. “The Day I Met my Maker,” Ballet.Magazine, November 1998, http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_98/nov98/freeds_shoes_visit.htm (accessed February 19, 2007).

“Freed Makers,” http://www.pointeshoe.co.uk/makers.htm, (accessed February 8, 2007)

“Freed Pointe Shoes,” http://www.the-perfect-pointe.com/sfreed.html (accessed January 31, 2007)

“Gear Guide: Pointe Shoe Fitting,” http://www.danceart.com/dancestuff/p_fit.htm (accessed February 2, 2007)

“The Pointe Shoe in The Making,” How to Fit a Pointe Shoe, http://www.freedoflondon.com/cat/pointeshoemaking.php, (accessed February 8, 2007)