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 have been 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 Korean 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.
In 2020, when covid restrictions deemed our American factory a “non-essential business” and forced it to close, permanently, our pointe shoe production moved from the United States to Europe. Just like our original Massachusetts factory, our factory in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a family business that blends tradition with innovation. Our pointe shoes still use exactly the same high-tech internal components — all have our flexible shanks and boxes and Poron® Performance Cushioning, but their satin exteriors are sourced in Europe. And all Gaynor Minden pointe shoes are handmade by skilled shoemakers using time honored techniques.
Technique Slippers
In 2024 Gaynor Minden introduced the Liberty technique slipper, an ultra-lightweight, arch hugging, stretch canvas slipper for both men and women, in a range of colors.
Apparel and Accessories
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 apparel also includes a popular line of microfiber tights, rehearsal tutus, and innovative warm-ups that bring fabrics such as lightweight MicroTech and Italian knitwear to practice clothing.
We make several popular dance bags, training aids, and unusual accessories, too. Inspired by sport-science research and the tools of physical therapy, our extensive line of Go Beyond the Barre training aids were designed just for dancers. Our popular dance bags sell out every season; they help dancers stay organized in style.
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, whose job it is to conceal athleticism under a serene smile and who understandably do not want their art to become a sport. 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 dubbed “cheater shoes”, and one of our competitors even accused us of being a CIA plot intended to destroy Russian ballet. (Any overly stiff pointe shoe can allow the dancer to “cheat” and not work her muscles correctly but unlike traditional pointe shoes, Gaynor Mindens do not soften with use. In fairness to dancers who have found Gaynor Mindens too stiff, you may not have tried our more pliable styles because not all stores carry them.)
The Gaynor Minden Ambassador Program
We realized that no advertisement is as eloquent as the example of a great dancer moving beautifully in our shoes, so we created the Gaynor Minden Icon, Artist, and Muse programs. Gaynor Minden Icons and Artists dance at the world’s greatest companies; they have chosen to wear Gaynor Minden exclusively, and have used them for at least a year before being invited to participate. Their honoraria is in the form of pointe shoes which they may use themselves, or donate to deserving schools or companies. We never pay dancers to wear our shoes. Their endorsements and images — usually in striking live performance photographs — appear in posters and our award-winning advertisements. Gaynor Minden’s Muse program identifies up-and-coming ballet talent around the world, and supports those dancers for a year while following their progress on social media. Learn more about our Ambassadors.
Gaynor Minden has always embraced technology when it helps dancers. 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 — worldwide — to personally visit stores, schools, and companies, and our New York Boutique still offers in-person fittings with our expert fitting specialists.
Our Mission
We help dancers thrive.
Dancers are artists who deserve no less than the very best that human intelligence and imagination can deliver. To best serve dancers, it is essential to recognize that they are athletes as well as artists, and that the dancer’s body is her instrument. Gaynor Minden dedicates itself to creating and producing products that respect the instrument, benefit the artist, and enhance the art.
Read our full Mission Statement.