Not Your Typical Pointe Shoe Guru

Finding the perfect pointe shoe can be tricky. There are so many options on the market today. Young dancers usually feel a bit overwhelmed. In order to be sure that the shoe fits correctly on the dancer’s foot and gives her enough support, she will have a pointe shoe fitting. The fitter is typically a woman.

Noel Amend has been getting a lot of press lately for his expertise in pointe shoe fitting. Young ballerinas from all over the U.S. visit his store in Castle Rock, Colorado to have him select the perfect shoe for them. Amend stresses that the wrong pointe shoe will not only leave a dancer with blisters, but can also cause ankle issues, knee issues, bunions, and hammer toe. Therefore, it is crucial that a young ballerina has her pointe shoes fitted properly. He will even send a young dancer home with no shoes if he feels that she is not physically ready to dance on pointe.

Amend opened his first dance store in 1978. His wife, Ginger, a former ballerina, owned a ballet studio during this time. Amend thought it would be a good idea to have a small shop attached to the studio. After watching his wife fit hundreds of pointe shoes, Amend learned how to find dancers the perfect shoe.

Today, Amend, is in charge of the smaller Assemble Dancewear store in Castle Rock, Colorado. His wife runs the 4,000-square-foot store in Colorado Springs. Amend and his wife fit about 700 new students each year. He is an expert in every aspect of the 30 styles of pointe shoes that Assemble Dancewear carries. Amend’s pointe shoe fittings take 60 to 90 minutes to complete. He examines the dancer’s feet and educates her on how pointe shoes work. If you are interested in having a pointe shoe fitting by Amend be sure to call his store first. You can only hear his expertise if you have an appointment.

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