Company History

Gaynor Minden opened its doors in New York City in 1993, having outgrown its first home in John and Eliza Minden’s small Manhattan apartment. We had one part-time employee and one product: the patented pointe shoe that Eliza Minden had developed over the preceding eight years — the first successful modernization of ballet’s iconic footwear.

Pointe Shoes

Today Gaynor Minden is a global brand, available at hundreds of dance-specialty stores nation-wide as well as through numerous overseas distributors. While still very much a family business, we have offices on three continents and at last count we ship to 85 countries and over 200 professional companies. Gaynor Mindens are used at almost every major ballet company in the world including American Ballet Theatre, England’s Royal Ballet, The Paris Opera Ballet, The Bolshoi Ballet, The Mariinsky Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, The Dutch National Ballet, The San Francisco, Houston, and Boston Ballets… to name just a few.

The original Gaynor Mindens had stiff shanks and were available with only a few fitting choices. We now offer a greatly expanded range of options including ultra-flexible shanks and boxes, a narrow-heeled style for the sleekest possible fit, longer sizes for today’s bigger feet, built-in suede tips for extra durability, and shades of brown as well as pink satin — all for stock shoes. In addition we offer extensive additional customization by special order.

Since 1993 our pointe shoes have proudly been made in the USA. Starting in 2020, they are also being made in Europe. Our original Lawrence, Massachusetts factory and our new factory in Bosnia and Herzegovina both use exactly the same high-tech internal components — polymer shanks and boxes and Poron Performance cushioning. All Gaynor Minden pointe shoes are handmade by skilled shoemakers using time-honored techniques.

Apparel and Slippers

Gaynor Minden began producing leotards in the late 1990’s, in a handful of distinctive styles that were markedly dressier and more fashion-inspired than typical studio wear; today even our basic styles are still distinguished by unique details. Our children’s line, Miniminden, arrived soon after. Our apparel also includes a popular line of tights, as well as innovative warm-ups that bring fabrics such as bamboo, silk-knits, stretch fleece, and featherlight Italian wool to practice clothing. We make dance bags, training aids, and unusual accessories, too.

Joy, the Gaynor Minden technique slipper (patent pending) for adults, debuted in 2014, following the launch of the children’s version in 2013. Like the pointe shoe, our technique shoe spent years in development to ensure that it not only met Gaynor Minden’s standards, but that it offered features not available in other slippers.

Acceptance in the Ballet World

Enthusiasm, skepticism, gratitude, suspicion — the initial reaction to Gaynor Minden was mixed, not surprising given ballet’s traditionalism. (There was a scandal the first time a ballerina wore a tutu on stage.) Fortunately, early adopters and influential teachers encouraged other dancers to try them. Dancer feedback led to the development of many additional fitting options, and to this day we still work closely with dancers and teachers as we update and improve our products.

Ballet’s traditions are part of what make it so wonderful; being conservative has helped ballet preserve its greatness. But ballet has often been reluctant to acknowledge the athletic needs of its amazing artists. Unlike sports equipment, where innovation is constant and welcome, ballet “equipment” has been slow and resistant to change. Gaynor Mindens became controversial almost as soon as they became successful; they were even dubbed “Cheater Shoes”. However, unlike traditional pointe shoes, Gaynor Mindens do not soften or weaken over time, ensuring consistency and durability for the dancer.

We realized that no advertisement is as eloquent as the example of a great dancer moving beautifully, so we created the Gaynor Minden Artists program. Gaynor Minden Artists dance at the world’s greatest companies; they must wear Gaynor Minden exclusively and have used them for at least a year before being invited to participate. We never pay dancers to wear our shoes.

We were among the earliest users of the Internet (that’s how we got dancer.com for our domain name) and we pioneered online fitting, enabling us to serve dancers who live far from a dancewear store. But we also still travel extensively—from Japan to Panama to Siberia—to personally visit stores, schools, and companies.

Gaynor Minden has been the subject of many programs and articles. Featured publications include:

The New Yorker
The Wall Street Journal
The Los Angeles Times
The Times of London
The Telegraph
Shape
Victoria
Glamour
Working Woman
Vogue

Today

Our New York boutique, still in the parlor of a nineteenth-century brownstone in Chelsea, is now open seven days a week to accommodate dancers from all over the world. Our commitment to dancers’ health and education is stronger than ever. For over a decade our “Eat Right” campaign has helped raise awareness of disordered eating. The Ballet Companion (Simon and Schuster, 2005) continues to be a definitive reference book for students. Gaynor Minden also sponsors the Studio Awards Program to help deserving students with shoes and dancewear.

Meet the Team

Eliza Gaynor Minden, Head of Design

Eliza designed and developed the Gaynor Minden pointe shoe. The impetus to create a better pointe shoe came from her own extensive experience in ballet and her frustration with conventional pointe shoes. With her husband, John Minden, she formed Gaynor Minden, Inc. to produce and market her invention. Eliza holds a B.A. degree from Yale University and was named “Inventor of the Week” at M.I.T. She is the author of The Ballet Companion.

John Minden, Co-Founder

John Minden is a native of Manhattan and holds a degree in Economics. After a stint on Wall Street and years in marketing and advertising, he co-founded Gaynor Minden, Inc. in 1993 with his wife, Eliza, to produce and market the revolutionary pointe shoe.

Team Members

Kira Anderson: Fitting Specialist & Customer Service
Jen Arsolon: Senior Bookkeeper
Belinda Bell: Operations Director
Ellana Casas: Bookkeeper
Ella Gregory: Products Assistant
Chelsea Hannah: Customer Service Manager
Florrie Huang: Asia-Pacific Sales Manager
Sarah Jannsen: Senior Products Manager
Robyn Jutsum: Senior Communications Manager
Elisa Mestres: Europe Sales Manager
Hanna Olvera: Products Assistant & Office Manager
Anna Pearson: U.S. Senior Sales Manager
Jessica Pelletier: VP of Operations
Natalie Pitt: Customer Service & Marketing Senior Manager
Libby Riddick: Fitting Specialist & Customer Service
Jeanne Share: VP of International Sales
Madeline Van Haaften-Schick: VP of Art & Marketing
Nuria Varela Vilor: Global Logistics & Warehouse Manager

Pointe Shoe FAQ

Why are Gaynor Mindens more expensive?

Actually, Gaynor Mindens cost less to use than other brands because they last an average of 3-5 times longer than conventional pointe shoes. Their shanks and boxes are made from flexible molded inserts (engineered polymers) rather than paper and paste, and they include genuine Poron® Performance Cushioning.

Why is a flexible molded box better?

Because a flexible molded box doesn't weaken or deform, it lasts longer and promotes correct alignment. It makes it harder to stand incorrectly, which is essential for good technique and protecting joints from injury.

Should pointe shoes be fitted with room to grow?

Never! A shoe that is too big cannot provide proper support, which can cause severe pain and serious injury. Gaynor Mindens should be fitted snug around the metatarsals.