We kicked off the popular series Dancers’ Candy by Footlights on Youtube June 8th, 2020. Watch our Nikolay 3007 breakdown here.
This extremely fun and knowledge packed experience is now coming to you in written form! New videos + blogs will be coming later 2021!
In our first video, we broke down some of the more popular aspects and features that make the Nikolay 3007 and we want to carry some of that information over here!
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At Footlights, we stock the Made in Russia Nikolay Grishko pointe shoes. These are the same shoes we’ve carried for many years and are excited for the opportunity to offer a wider selection of pointe shoes, high quality attire and accessories.
Today’s focus is on one of the most popular pointe shoes from the Nikolay lineup, the 3007 & 2007. At Footlights, we stock the Pro and ProFlex designs.
The 3007's predecessor is the 2007, which for many years has been a popular shoe for our clients. Overall, Nikolay uses five lasts to base their pointe shoes off of in the beginning stages of pointe shoe making. Many of their styles use the 2007 last as a stepping stone but nothing comes as close in design to the 2007 as the 3007 does.
The 3007 features beautiful upgrades without losing the same defining features such as the super tapered box and extended wings that we enjoyed in the 2007.
The main points to know about the 3007 + 2007 are as follows:
- This shoe works great for Egyptian and Greek shaped feet due to the tapered design. We like to think of the shape of this design is like the inside of an ice cream cone, the dramatic drop in the bottom of the box hugs narrow and very compressible feet perfectly while giving support and comfort to an elongated big toe that is having to withstand the weight of the dancer while en pointe.
- Both options work wonders with dancers who have medium to low arches. HOWEVER, we've had our share of dancer's with super hyper-extensive feet work well in this shoe -- because every dancer is different.
- The very slight deviations made between the two designs often go unnoticed by dancers. These differences include the anti-slip suede heel grip built into the 3007. In addition, the 3007 heel is cut slightly lower than the 2007 model.
- Pro Technology: We carry the Pro and ProFlex options. Pro technology is the specific design of the pointe shoe to muffle loud and often harsh (sometimes referred to as banging) sounds pointe shoes make against the floor. To achieve this design, there is an added layer of fabric through the platform and directly under the toe-area of the box to reduce noise.
- The Shank options are made for optimal support. The strength options vary between Super Soft, Soft, Medium, Hard and Super Hard in both of these designs. With the ProFlex shank option, you get a "Ready to Wear", easy roll-through designed shoe. The flexible design specifically targets the demi area of the pointe shoe, intending to make this section of the shoe easier to break in and control. In a Pro option, medium shanks are still very stiff, meant for more advanced dancing and pointe work and it's not always the best option for beginning dancers due to the level of resistance. Because of the ProFlex design making the shanks easier to roll through, it is the preferred option for many beginning pointe dancers when looking at the comparisons between the Pro and ProFlex designs.
- The Glue: Nikolay offers different glues for custom made shoes to meet every need. They regularly use what is called Classic Glue in the 3007 (and in many of the other styles we offer from Nikolay). This glue is made to breakdown and form to the dancers' foot naturally over time. The biggest restriction we tell dancers during every fitting is to NOT break these types of shoes in by hand and let your feet do the work (here are our Straight to the Pointe FAQ’s about pointe shoes). The glue and materials are meant to form around your foot gradually during the breakdown to ensure continuous support. Some dancers may find that they dance in a very hot and humid studio during summer intensives. The heavy humidity will break down shoes faster because traditionally made pointe shoes absorb the moister in the air as well as from the feet and anything else inside the shoes that may be damp with sweat (such as toe pads). Tropicana Glue is a special glue from Nikolay that works perfectly against high-heat environments and is perfect for heavy humidity environments. Tropicana Glue will not necessarily prolong the lifespan of a shoe but it helps reduce the rapid depreciation in a hot and humid environment. This option is a custom request but is worth the wait if you know your environment meets this criteria! Custom orders with Nikolay tend to take 3-4 weeks, this includes the production time as well as shipping and handling.
- The Material: The box is made of Jute, Cotton and Nettle. This fabric is breathable and is used in every style of pointe shoe made by Nikolay. It's also meant to wrap around the foot to lock the foot in a position that's supportive to your natural shape as it breaks down. The shoes are made with elastic drawstrings now, previous designs sported cloth drawstring.
Interested in trying out the 3007/2007? Shop our locations to be professionally fit by our team.
Images Courtesy Grishko ltd. (Moscow, Russia)
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Disclaimer: Always get fitted by a professionally trained fitter when searching for new shoes. This information is not intended to be used to “self fit". Our professional fitters are trained specifically to help ensure a safe and proper fitting for every dancer. There is so much more to fitting than just knowing your basic foot structure, what feels good, what looks good and what sounds like you might want to try.
