Capezio’s classic Pro canvas ballet shoe is a sturdy shoe that’s built to last. The heavy-weight canvas with traditional split-sole construction does not mold to the foot exceptionally well, nor is the thick fabric as soft as other shoes offer, but the durability may outweigh those issues for some dancers. The shoe gives a rounded appearance at the toe and U-shaped throat for a modern American style look but the lines are marred by a sequence of V-shaped stitches in the center.

I personally prefer a shoe with more bells and whistles and a lot less bulk. My feet want luxurious details and thoughtful features if they are going to put in hours of dancing! And I prefer a shoe that’s more flattering in appearance and conformance to the arch. But this shoe is fine if you just want something simple that’s built to withstand hours of class time on roughly taped or even wood surfaces.

The Juliet ballet shoe by Capezio is a step in a slightly more advanced direction, but offers nothing exceptional. The material is much thinner and lighter than the Pro but could use more softness and stretch and the pink color should be deeper.

The split-sole construction is evolved a little with a diamond-shaped arch gusset. The shape is more streamlined than the Pro and therefore more flattering, but could do a lot more to maximize the lines of the foot and arch.

I’d love to see softer, stretchier fabrics on these shoes and light padding for impact protection on the heels. I’ll be moving on soon to ballet shoes offering more modern touches, including the Capezio Cobra, Capezio Sculpture II, Grishko Performance, Bloch Proflex, and the MDM Intrinsic. The search for the perfect shoe continues!