Grishko/Nikolay Pointe Shoe Review

Grishko has recently changed their name to Nikolay for the US market. But you can still get the same models. I explain 4 different models of Grishko/Nikolay pointe shoes: 2007, Nova, Dream, Smart.

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[reedxhenry]

everyone’s talking about the review but am i the only one that wants her to start vlogging? or just me

[AkemiNishikido]

This is great info, Josephine. This really helps us dancers who don't get the opportunity to be fitted by you. I don't think I'm the only person who obsessively researches brands before getting fitted. Sometimes fitters don't explain the shoes they give you, especially for first fittings. It's usually just "this shoe is perfect for your foot" and then off to the till you go. At least in my experience, it is.


I love your reviews on specific shoes from different brands but I love this type of video even more where you discuss the different models from one brand because we get a comparison. I hope you do more of these for other brands that you have in stock. I know it's not possible for certain brands but I'd love to see a video like this on Bloch, Capezio and other big name brands.


Stay safe! (And sane hahahaha)

[ariesrising]

I'd love to see some comparisons between different shoes - ie. this is a low vamp, this is a high vamp, this box is tapered, this is wide. This platform is small, this is big. Differences in colours between shoe brands etc. Or just differences between brands in general - the look of a Capezio vs a Freed etc. (I'm a nerd who likes to guess what shoes people are wearing ...)

When they're shown on their own, I never get a real sense of what they actually look like without the ability to compare to something else.

Also, I've read that some shoes have a different inner box shape vs outer shape - so a wide looking show may be more tapered on the inside etc. Not sure how you could show that, but it interests me that the outside look may not be the reality.

Please use this isolation time to make extra videos! :) We so look forward them. These are such a valuable resource to the ballet world.

[kristinarvarade]

Been wearing Grishkos since 2000 (I now swap them with Russian Pointe). Used to wear the Ulanova, which was an amazing shoe for people who wanted a hard shank. The 2007's are still great- an oldie but a goodie. Josephine is right on the money with this review (as always ;)

[sav]

Can you do a Gaynor Minden review? I love how much knowledge you have about pointe shoes!😁

[tinaplank]

I'd love a tour of your place! I'm not a dancer but I just love watching your videos because I'm fascinated with ballet.

[heatherdickson]

I my 2007’s back in the day! So comfortable and easy to dance in as a teenager..they fit my tapered feet well but I would go through them realllly quick. They died really fast for me, and I never did toooo much pointe work to begin with. These days returning back to ballet in my 30’s I wear Suffolk Spotlights

[sopranosd]

It’s amazing how much you know about pointe shoes. Did your study podiatry? Did you used to dance? You are fabulous and I love watching your videos. I took ballet for years and was so never going to be a ballerina, and I never had the chance to do pointe, so I take vicarious pleasure watching you fit different shoes.

[marenglad]

Could you do a video of how and why you travel and sell point shoes? I am so intrigued by your knowledge. I am not a dancer, nor have ever had any experience with it, but I think meeting dancers and helping them find the best shoes for them would be a dream job 😍

[meglehmann]

I had dreampointes for a bit but I ended up switching to a different shoe cause they didn't look great on my feet. But I swear, they're unbreakable! I have a pair that I've kept around for a few years and I wear them when I'm out of shoes, the fabric on the platform's almost completely gone but they're not even close to dead.

[brittanybouvier]

Grishko 2007 was my shoe from 2003-2008. Loved that shoe so much!!

[loveanddreambig]

After dancing in Bloch Serenades for the first couple years, a different fitter put me in the Grishko 2007 Pro Flex. Holy cow, it was SO much easier to get over my platform! Only problem was that the vamp was too high and the platform was so small…that’s why I finally switched to Russian Pointe Rubins, and with the shorter vamp and wider platform, I could finally dance without feeling like I was going to wobble off balance.

[ComedianAshelyTomajan]

Hang in there your videos give me life. I don’t have the body for ballet but love to learn about how dedicated dancers are.

[JessieBanana]

So far I really like the 2007's. Though my feet aren't very tapered, I've come to realize they're quite the same width throughout until you get to the ankle and are very compressible in the metatarsal. I think what happens in wider shoes is that they just continue to slide down, where the tapered shoes hold them in place.

I also really like the smaller platform. The only thing I don't like is the higher cut sides. I find the heel slides off really easy, despite being cut higher than my older shoes. I've had to get really creative to prevent that. I think this happens because when rolling though, the sides really gap and loosen the back of the shoe.

The vamp is also a smidge high. Looks very pretty (you can't even tell my feet are chubby from a distance!), but require a bit more work to soften up to be able to roll through.

[rhsbanddancer]

I wear 2007s! I wore them as a hard shank growing up and now I wear the short shank 👌🏻

[kyliee]

Love the video! I used to wear Grishko Smart Pointe, but I had to switch to another brand of shoes because I broke through my Smart Pointe very fast, and they went dead immediately afterwards. Very informative! Thank you!

[dees]

Excellent video. Hope you manage to make a load of these. Very interesting and useful.

Also, sound quality great. I often struggle with the audio but this was really clear.

When you run out of points can you please go through Demi points and other flat and practice shoes?

[kaykomckayface]

Lol wondering when are you gonna start dressing your Pointe shoes up like barbie dolls 😂 just kidding, stay healthy josephine ❤️

[JessieBanana]

I was wondering if you have ever carried the Elite or Maya/Ulanova/Fouette models? They're all recommended for short toes, but the Elite is wide and Foutte models are all tapered I think. I'm getting this from what the Grishko website said. It's all really confusing, do not envy you having to keep all these nuances in mind!

The SmartPointes look really nice.