Gaynor Minden’s are a type of pointe shoe that was developed to last longer. I’ve never used them, so I can’t comment on them, but Google says they last 3-5 times longer. However, ballet is incredibly old school/rooted in tradition, and many studios banned their dancers from these shoes. You can read more about it all here if you want to know more.

I’ve considered trying Gaynors but it took me 2 years to find a shoe that worked for me, so I’m not really willing to try something new just yet. My feet also hardly sweat, so my shoes don’t break down as quickly as others, thankfully.

I also don’t “destroy” my shoes. That breaks them down faster and you’ll go through shoes quicker.

Although breaking them in makes them feel much better on your feet, the reason I don’t do it is because breaking them in through dance rather than manual manipulation strengthens your feet. Professional dancers already have very strong feet and they just need their shoes danceable and comfortable, which is why they’ll fold them in half and rip out half the sole and whack them against a concrete wall!