What kind of shank do i want

Question

im a little confused could some one please tell me about the pros and cons for each type of shank and what kind help with things and what shank is best for a beginner with high arches also im confused about blocks whatn are they what are they for and what kind do i want to get for mii first pair thanks xo-

Answer 1

Hard shank - Pros: really sturdy. I'm able to balance better on these.

Cons: They're really super hard to break in, so it doesn't stretch your arch as much and if they're not broken in all the way, you may be standing on them incorrectly.

I don't really know much about medium shank. They seem to differ.

Soft/Super-Soft shank - Pros: really easy to break in, and easier for me to point my feet in. They're generally better for those with higher arches and for more advanced students.

Cons: They become really "dead" really quickly. Also, they're not the best for beginners (except for the whole breaking in thing) because you have to get way up over your arch to stay up on them.

Blocks, as I understand them, are the things at the bottoms of your shoes that you're standing on when you're up on pointe. I might be wrong about that, however.

As for what type of shoe you should get, I would really suggest Capezio, Grishko, or Bloch, seeing as you're a beginner, but you should really go to the store and try on different types of pointe shoes, because what brand you should get really depends on your foot.