Catch our episode of Dancers Candy that breaks down the Balance Lisse + European Balance here.
At Footlights, we've carried the Bloch brand for so many years, it has become a staple name for our clients and a favorite for beginners. The European Balance has been the flagship shoe leading the brand's popularity amongst our clients, that was, until the Balance Lisse came in.
Image by Molly Ellis, Footlights Dance & Theatre Boutique
In March of 2020, the week we shutdown at the start of the pandemic was the week the Balance Lisse (Lisse for short) came to Footlights. We were the first retailer in the USA to stock this pointe shoe...and no one was around to try it in person. The Lisse was a promising shape, featuring a new and much anticipated sleek design that had been requested for years.
As we were fortunate enough to work with dancers again in person, we began testing the Lisse on a wider pool of dancers outside of our team.
The feedback was 100% positive.
So, what was it that has made the Lisse our number one selling shoe now for beginning pointe dancers? Overall, it's the comfort and features that check off all the boxes most beginning dancers need.
Let's break it down further: (check our glossary of terms here to learn more)
- The Shank: The shoe is lightweight, currently only offered in one shank strength. Even though Bloch labels this as a medium shank, we consider it to be light in the realm of our stock. Built on a curved last, this shoe has a slight pre-arch in the design which helps dancers with rolling smoothly to the platform and into correct positioning. This has been wonderful for those dancers who are still building the strength and just starting out with pointe training.
- The Platform: The wide platform helps with stabilizing dancers as they make it all they up through demi. Giving them the security they need to feel confident en pointe.
- The Heel Cup: The heel on the Lisse creates a more flattering look than previous models in the Bloch line (like the European Balance). There is still a flexible sponge material in the heel to help hold shape but it doesn't take away from the natural line of the dancers heel. With less materials there, it allows the shoe to hug the foot better and elongate the line of the dancer.
- The Crown: In the Lisse, the crown is a little low but this compression enables to shoe to hug lower profile feet better than the European Balance. With four width options, fitters are able to secure the dancer in a shoe that feels comfortable without having the manipulate the box.
- New optional toe cushions. These squishy toe cushions sit in the bottom of the box but are not glued down, so if you don't like them-you don't have to use them! They are intended to provide extra comfort to the toes while en pointe.
- Materials: The Lisse is made with durable satin that helps support dancers while dancing. With a more streamlined design, this shoe follows the contours of the foot accentuating the arch and providing a beautiful line. The Lisse has an elastic drawstring for added adjustments as needed.
- With a medium vamp and wings, the Lisse is able to adapt to work with more shapes of feet than some other styles of pointe shoes. They really do "sit in the middle" of the spectrum, allowing the shoe to be one of our most versatile beginning pointe shoes.
If you're interested in trying the Lisse, shop one of our boutique locations to be professionally evaluated and fitted.
Read all about the European Balance here, including new information about the B-You campaign that was recently launched.