What is your pointe shoe secret? Episode 9 : Marina Duarte
- Ikuko
- Oct 9
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 14
Episode 9 of the What is your pointe shoe secret? interview series features Maina Duarte.
Marina, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is becoming a powerhouse of classical ballet, is a Demi-soloist of Staatsballett Berlin. I have not gotten an opportunity to see her perform on stage yet, unfortunately. So how do I know her? She is an avid collector of Prima Materia ombre leotards!
So I see her on her and the company's Instagram posts and it is already obvious she has beautiful feet. To be brutally honest, I am jealous of her arches. She must be gifted but to achieve her long stable effortless line, her hips, legs, feet and toes must work like strong screws into the floor, which is a hard work.
I reached out for Marina and asked her if I could interview her and she kindly said yes! She shared lots of visuals exclusively with us. So let's find out about her secret. Some interesting things (?) too!
1. What brand of pointe shoes do you wear?
I wear Freed of London.
2. What model? Why do you like them?
I wear Freed’s Studios Professional Model. I’ve been wearing them since the last years of my
school times and I would say that they are the most comfortable shoes I have found.
3. What is your size and width?
My size is a 5 1/2 and I use a double E size for my width.
4. Since when have you been using this brand?
I’ve been wearing Freeds since the last years of my school times at the Princess Grace Academy,
and specifically the Studios Professional since my graduating year up until now.
5. Do you ask for any customisation at the manufacturer's side?
This is a very interesting question, because I've never done anything to my shoes in terms of customization, I’ve always liked them the way they are, but lately I’ve been thinking about trying to lower the heels on my shoes, just to see how that could look or feel like, since I see some ballerinas at the Staatsballett Berlin such as Iana Salenko, and it gives such a beautiful look to the foot.
6. Do you do any customisation yourself? If so, how long does it take for you to finish customising a pair?
I would say the only customization I do is to do the tip of my shoes with a thick thread. I do it mostly to give myself some extra stability and somehow it makes the shoes much more comfortable to me. I also love the elevated look that it gives to the foot.
7. Can you share some pictures of your pointe shoes with us?
8. Do you like soft shanks better or hard shanks better?
I will always prefer a hard shank, but of course it still has to feel comfortable to go on and off from
pointe, but it makes me feel more secure when I dance. I will even put a pair of new shoes for a
specific performance.
9. New shoes or old shoes?
New shoes 100%. I’ve always liked dancing more in new shoes than old ones, especially because I
prefer it for the shape of my foot and I feel much more secured in them. For instance, I will always tryto put new shoes for ballet class in the morning, because it also helps me work better on my strength
and technique.
10. What support or protection do you use? Do you recommend any specific brands and products?
I love to wear cleaning cloths, those that you can use in your kitchen as a first layer, and after
I put a soft fabric toe pad on top. I started doing it a few years back and since then, I don’t get
as many blisters and it gives me maximum comfort when I wear pointe shoes all day.
11. Do you use elastics and ribbons of any specific brands?
I use elastics form Grishko, because I prefer my elastics a bit thicker than the normal ones. And I love
to wear elastic ribbons, especially the ones from Bloch, since they give me a soft but still strong
feeling when wearing my shoes. Also for my fellow ballerinas with tendinitis, elastics ribbons are a
much better and healthier choice ;).
12. Have you tried any other brands before? If so, why did you change?
I used to wear So Danca shoes from Brazil for most of my early student years, because
that’s mostly what we had back home. But when I moved to Europe, I knew I had to change
for shoes that were easier to find here, so I tried some different options. I started by trying out
Freed’s Classic Pros, and then I tried some Blochs, until I found my Freed’s Studio
Professionals and kept them since then.
13. Do you use different shoes for different roles?
I would say yes, depending on what I dance. I will have slightly softer shoes, especially for
neoclassical pieces.
14. How long do a pair of shoes last?
I guess that always depends on the amount of work I have during certain times of the season, but I always try to alternate my shoes. I will have at least 2 pairs that are only for class and other 2 or 3 pairs that are for rehearsals and sometimes I will also prepare them for the performances or take the good shoes that I already have from the rehearsals. I would say that I go through 5 to 8 pairs of shoes
a month.
15. Lastly, what is your ambition for the new season?
I wouldn’t call it an ambition, but I do have many goals for the new season. First and foremost, I want to fully return to dancing after an injury that unfortunately kept me off the stage for half of last season.
I also hope to continue growing as an artist by taking on new roles and challenges. Most importantly, I’m focusing on taking the best possible care of my body, both physically and mentally.
Thank you Marina. One day, I will come to Berlin to see you on stage!
All images are courtesy if Marina Duarte. Text and images are unedited except a large area of the floor is trimmed from the third still image. The link to Iana Salenko is inserted by the author.
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Update the excerpt shown on the front page on 14th October 2025 without any changes to the main text or the images.
