PS4Y has been given a special opportunity by the Bloch headquarters in Sydney, Australia. This line of special order lasts(the form on which the shoe is built) has never before been publicised and I am pleased to announce the PS4Y is the first organization to have permission to publish anything about them.

Bloch sent PS4Y samples of these pointes for inspection and comparison. (But no official pictures yet, though. Cross your fingers!) It appears that Bloch's design team is a pretty creative group of listeners because they fufill the needs of a professional in their shape while keeping the strength and support already found in their stock models. But of course there are "tweaks" here and there that a professional would be more likely to appreciate.

Why does Bloch have this separate set of lasts for special order? Because a young, training dancer can use a stock shoe and make it work for them. Usually and the older, professional dancers have feet that have changed from so many hours in pointe shoes. They have "picky problem feet."

The common thread among these professional lasts is that they are all designed with:
*narrow and form fitting heels
*half moon shaped inner platforms
*slightly rounded and curved profiles
*a slim and mildly tapered appearance and fit
*with these lasts, pros typically go with the lighter glue Bloch makes, which will break down and mold to their feet faster. However a change in glue is asked for with some companies and their needs provided for.

How do these professional models differ from one another? The degree of taper inside the box and the size of their inner platforms.

Here's a breakdown of their specs.

Chilli:

The lowest profile, most tapered inner box, and the smallest platform of all these professional lasts. (PS4Y says, "Capezio Pavlowa, eat your heart out! This is the most realistically shaped tapered pointe yet.") The Chili last was designed for shallow and tapered feet and toes. Bloch's main push behind its creation was to try and get rid of the excess space in front of the smaller toes while still having a perfect fit across the metatarsals. Great for dancers with tapered toes that don't like wearing pads to fill in empty space. While it is for the most shallow foot, this last does not give the shoe a flat boxed feel or appearance.

Salt:

I think they should have called this one Sugar instead, 'cause this last is Bloch's sugar baby and is the "medium" of the professional line. Hence, it pleases the most. And seems to be the most versatile. Bloch set out to relieve the "professionals first" pressure on their cobblers and released the "Alpha" upon the dance world earlier in 2002. The Alpha is made on the Salt last and has the specs that most pros ask for: high vamp and 3/4 shank. Even with the Alpha being stock now, the Salt last still belongs in this Special Order segment due to its demand and difference in feel between the Alpha and a typical Salt last with the full outer sole. The Salt is made for tapered to moderately square feet and toes. The lowest to medium profile foot is comfortable in a shoe made on this last. It's medium half-moon shaped inner platform will accommodate dancers who like wearing pads and those that don't, while still maintaining its shape and professional fit. Because of the shape of this last, the shank tends to break in at the halfway mark.

Pepper:

The Pepper last is more similar to the Salt in its overall "medium" feel and fit but with a unique, slightly larger toeshape. The Pepper widths fit in between Salts, meaning both lasts grade up by 1/2 widths when lined up together. For eample, an X Pepper will sit right in between an X and XX Salt. To accomodate the differing arch positions of individual feet, the shank bends at a higher point in the arch than the Salt.