The great slipper experiment: 20 pairs + 7 students = a wild day in the studio.Wouldn't it be fun to test drive a bunch of different ballet slippers? We asked the advanced students at Ballet Academy East in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. to do just that. When they agreed, we dropped a boatload boat·load n. The number of passengers or the amount of cargo that a boat can hold. Noun 1. boatload - the amount of cargo that can be held by a boat or ship or a freight car; "he imported wine by the boatload" of new shoes on them! They sorted through canvas pairs and leather pairs, split-soled and full-soled; they even had a variety of colors to choose from, including gray, white, pink, black, and tan. Some slippers featured fabric with antibacterial antibacterial /an·ti·bac·te·ri·al/ (-bak-ter´e-al) destroying or suppressing growth or reproduction of bacteria; also, an agent that does this. an·ti·bac·te·ri·al adj. qualities and material to wick moisture away from the foot. Others were pre-formed into left and right (so you don't have to break them in). At the end of the day one thing was clear: There are a lot of options to consider when picking a slipper. To get you ready to start your own experiment, here's a breakdown of the shoes the students tested including features, available colors, and other helpful info. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Dance Now #DN960L, $10.90 Available from Discount Dance Supply www.discountdance.com A full-sole leather slipper with soft lining and durable, pleated outsole. Sansha Prince #2C, $19.50 www.sansha.com A hand-stitched canvas shoe with a 3/4 sole. Available in black, pink, and white. Gamba Danzina #DLSSMX5703, $39 800.958.5855 A leather split-sole with cocoon lining, Available in black and salmon [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bloch Pro Arch #S0271, $19 50 www.blochworld.com Fine mesh inserts at the arch allow the foot to breathe. A spilt-sole slipper available in pink or flesh color. Main Street Dancewear dance·wear n. Clothing such as leotards and warmup suits that are worn for dance practice and exercising. Debut #3540, $15.50 www.mainstreetdancewear.com Made of soft leather with a full-sole and hand-pleated toe. It comes in pink, white, and black for children and adults. Freed of London Aspire $24 www.freedusa.com A full-sole slipper in canvas, leather, or satin (leather shown). Available in child and adult sizes. Fuzi International $14 888.368.6255 www.fuzi.net Features pre-sewn elastic, a canvas upper and a pre arched, hand-stitched leather split-sole. Chacott #Chacott05, $14 To purchase in the U.S. call 866.693.7333 or visit www.freedusa.com. Features pink canvas and a suede no-slip split-sole. Available in sizes 2 to 11 and C, D, and E widths. Liberts #005, $9.95 www.liberts.com Features a full leather upper, suede splitsole, cotton drawstring and attached elastic. So Danca #BA11, $24 www.sodanca.com A leather split sole with cotton lining and a stretch nylon/spandex insert. Capezio/Ballet Makers Inc. Cobra #2031, $19 www.capeziostore.com A sculpted sculpt v. sculpt·ed, sculpt·ing, sculpts v.tr. 1. To sculpture (an object). 2. To shape, mold, or fashion especially with artistry or precision: canvas shoe with hidden stitches to flatter your arch. Elastics are pre-sewn at the heel only. Mirella Ballon bal·lon n. Buoyancy or lightness in movement that allows a dancer to rise and fall smoothly. [French, balloon; see balloon.] #MS211, $19.50 www.mirelladance.com Made with zig-zag weaved canvas. To emphasize the instep instep /in·step/ (-step) the dorsal part of the arch of the foot. in·step n. The arched middle part of the foot between toes and ankle. , material at the sides and back of the heel height is cut low. The lining has antibacterial properties. Loshin's Dancewear #108, $19.95 www.loshins.com A split-sole leather shoe with stretch nylon insert, elastic binding, no drawstring. Elastic comes pre-sewn. Prima Soft #SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) The leading security protocol on the Internet. Developed by Netscape, SSL is widely used to do two things: to validate the identity of a Web site and to create an encrypted connection for sending credit card and other personal data. 704, $28 215.886.2255 www.primasoft.com A split-sole soft leather slipper with an elastic drawstring that ties on the side to relieve knot pressure. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Angelo Luzio #246L, $19 Available through Body Wrappers www.bodywrappers.com A split-sole shoe that comes with a designated left and right shoe. The canvas has antibacterial, wicking qualities. Also included is a spongy spongy /spon·gy/ (spun´je) of a spongelike appearance or texture. spong·y adj. Resembling a sponge in appearance, elasticity, or porosity. cotton heel insole for comfort. Grishko Model 6 Performance $25.90 www.grishko.com Features elastic along the arch to help the canvas hug the foot. Also includes an elastic drawstring, pre-sewn elastics, split-sole, and shock absorbing heel pad heel pad Orthopedics–foot Calcaneal fat pad A flat encapsulated disk of fat that lies below the plantar surface of the calcaneus, which acts as a cushion for ambulation; normally < 21 mm; enlarged in the obese, with steroids, or in acromegaly Orthotics A . Balera #PG1010, $14.95 Weissman Designs for Dance 800.477.5410 www.designsfordance.com Features elastic drawstrings and pre-sewn elastic strap. It's a split-sole slipper available in both child and adult sizes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Principal by Chan Hon Goh Chan Hon Goh (Traditional Chinese: 吳振紅, Simplified Chinese: 吴振红, Hanyu Pinyin: Wú Zhènhóng, Cantonese (Jyutping): Ng4 Zan3-hung4) (born 1969) is a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada. $20 www.principalshoes.com Made of cotton with twill twill One of the three basic textile weaves (see weaving), distinguished by diagonal lines. In the simplest twill, the weft crosses over two warp yarns, then under one, the sequence being repeated in each succeeding shot (row), but stepped over, one warp either to the lining to wick away moisture. Includes tapered toe pleats and a built-in curved arch. Leo's Dancewear #35, $19.95 www.leosdancewear.com Features stretch elastic binding, cushioned insole, and a full-grain leather upper with a three-layer stretch spandex back for a more flattering point. Repetto #T030, $28-38 800.858.5855 Includes a shock absorber shock absorber, device for reducing the effect of a sudden shock by the dissipation of the shock's energy. On an automobile, springs and shock absorbers are mounted between the wheels and the frame. . Choose canvas or leather. Other colors include black, white, and peach. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Models: Katie Kim, Kerri Riccardi, Laura Wolfe, Alissa Stover stover stalks of maize plants from which mature corn cobs have been harvested as grain, or grain sorghum plants from which heads have also been removed. The stover is usually fed by turning the cattle into the field and is subject to fungal infection, sometimes causing mycotoxicosis. , Katie Vasilopoulos Chloe Sherman and Trevor Felixbrod Photographed by ROSALIE O'CONNOR at Ballet Academy East |
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