Bloch is an Australian-based

manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or Production (economics), production of goods with the help of equipment, Work (human activity), labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary se ...

pointe shoe A pointe shoe (, ), also referred to as a ''ballet shoe'', is a type of shoe worn by ballet dancers when performing pointe technique, pointe work. Pointe shoes were conceived in response to the desire for dancers to appear weightless and sylph-li ...

s and other types of dance shoes,

dance costume A dance costume is the clothing worn by a dancer when performing before an audience. A dance costume may be custom designed for use in a specific dance work, or it may have a traditional design, such as those used in some ceremonial and folk danc ...

s, and dance

fashion accessories In fashion, an accessory is an item used to contribute, in a secondary manner, to an individual's outfit. Accessories are often chosen to complete an outfit and complement the wearer's look. They have the capacity to further express an individua ...

History

The Bloch company was founded by Jacob Bloch, a cobbler who emigrated from

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

to Australia in 1931. Bloch's love for dance and music inspired him to travel to local ballet studios and watch the dancers. Bloch began making

pointe Pointe technique ( ) is part of classical ballet involving a technique that concerns ''pointe work'', in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet when wearing pointe shoes. A dancer is said to be ''en po ...

shoes in a workshop in Paddington,

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

in 1932, when he noticed a

ballet dancer A ballet dancer is a person who practices the Art (skill), art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. B ...

struggling to stay en pointe and offered to make her an improved pair of shoes. Later, he made custom ballet shoes for

Tamara Toumanova Tamara Toumanova ( ka, თამარა თუმანოვა; 2 March 1919 – 29 May 1996) was a Russian-born Georgian-American prima ballerina and actress. A child of exiles in Paris after the Russian Revolution of 1917, she made her ...

David Lichine David Lichine (; 25 October 1910 – 26 June 1972) was a Russian-American ballet dancer and choreographer. He had an international career as a performer, ballet master, and choreographer, staging works for many ballet companies and for several Hol ...

, Helene Kirsova, and other visiting Russian ballet dancers. With the expanding popularity of his product, Bloch began selling his pointe shoes throughout Australia. The company has since expanded its product line with the addition of dance and street apparel and accessories. Today, Bloch's corporate headquarters are located in Sydney, Australia, with a European head office in London. It operates one flagship store and 14 other stores across Australia, European stores in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Warsaw, and one US store in New York; all other sales are conducted through independent retailers.

Products

Bloch manufactures various types of shoes, including pointe shoes, ballet flats, jazz shoes, character and tap shoes, ballroom shoes, dance sneakers, barre shoes, and fashion flats, as well as a wide range of dance apparel, gymnastics, and activewear. In January 2024, Bloch acquired RP Collection (formerly Russian Pointe).

Pointe shoe manufacturing

Bloch employs a pointe shoe manufacturing method known as

turnshoe A turnshoe is a type of leather shoe that was used during the Middle Ages. It was so named because it was put together inside out, and then was turned right-side-out once finished: this hides the main seam between the sole and vamp—prolongin ...

. Bloch's pointe shoes use three different recipes of paste in the box of the pointe shoe. The standard paste, "paste A", is a firm, hard paste that was formulated to withstand varying heat and humidity. "Paste B" is more malleable and thus allows the shoe to more quickly mold to the shape of the foot; because of its high malleability, this paste breaks down (i.e., shoe structural support degrades) faster than paste A. A third recipe, known as "TMT" or "Thermo-Morph Technology" paste, is a heat-activated material that allows the shoe to be molded to the foot when subjected to directed hot air from a hair dryer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bloch (Company) Dancewear companies Sportswear Clothing companies established in 1931 Clothing brands Manufacturing companies based in Sydney Pointe shoe manufacturers Australian companies established in 1931 Manufacturing companies established in 1931 Shoe companies of Australia

History

Products

Pointe shoe manufacturing

See also

References