The Pointe Shop — Local services in Santa Ana

Josephine was kind, quick, professional and wasted absolutely no time. We went over ALL my failed pointe shoes, why they were duds, and what I had done to modify them. We went over my biggest issues and what I could do to improve the way the shoes fit. She gave me great tips and was realistic about expectations, but never made me feel bad for not being perfect. Finally, she decided on one shoe that I had never tried, no hesitation whatsoever and that was it. It took about 6 weeks for my order to ship out, since the shoes I was fitted in were out of stock and needed to be made. Once they were out to be shipped it took approximately 4 days to be at my doorstep. When my shoes arrived I was ecstatic, but still remained skeptical because I had never found a good fit. I was determined to give up if this shoe didn’t work out either. However, as soon as they were on I could not believe how perfect they felt! Finally, the “fitting like a glove” feeling happened for me! I can push over my box, I have much better alignment, no big toe pain, the shank wasn’t twisting, I felt supported, there was no gapping, etc. I’m still sooo shocked that she was able to fit me virtually and only needed one shoe, without any hesitation. She really is the pointe shoe fairy godmother! Thank you, Josephine and all staff at The Pointe Shop, for making ballet accessible...

We love The Pointe Shop! Totally worth the nearly full day road trip for us coming from Bakersfield. They have the biggest selection of brands and styles to work with and will find the perfect shoe and even entertain some on a whim try ons because your child has heard about certain brands on social media or TV and thinks they know better than the fitter. However, they will also be straightforward about why they think things are not working right. I think a good relationship with a fitter is like finding the perfect training, photographer, or any relationship in dance really. You need someone that understands a lot of factors (are you at a school that’s more contemporary/American and wants you to “roll through” your shoes, or Russian style popping up and down?), particular quirks in your unique feet, how bendy you are at various joints, how strong you are, how all of that is changing while you are growing, etc. We’ve tried a few different fitters/stores over the last couple years where we’ve had both good and bad experiences picked for convenience or personal recommendations, but we’ve always been happiest with the shoes Melissa (and now Josephine)...

Exceptionally knowledgeable and skilful. You'll get a shoes that actually fit, have the exact stiffness that you need, and take into account all of your specifics. The payoff online avoiding injuries and long-term damage is worth every penny.

Worth the hour and a half drive. If the size of your foot stabilizes, they have a subscription plan where they simply ship you new shoes automatically at the pace that you normally wear them out. Critically, they will teach you how to recognize when your shoes are worn out. You'd expect every dance instructor to know, but it's surprisingly spotty.

Finally, they keep notes on every customer, so that they can review your history and development. This isn't a single fitting that's disconnected from every other fitting: this is an ongoing process of spotting trends and heading off problems. It's like having a very good doctor who sees you regularly, instead of you waking in and saying, "Hey, I have a headache."

Can't recommend...