Josephine reviews and compares Gaynor Minden's newest development, Lyra!
After the closure of Gaynor Minden’s factories in America and their transition to Europe, a lot of changes occurred within the brand. Now we have two beautiful shoes, Europa and Lyra.
Gaynor Minden uses a specific system for their pointe shoes that contain many specs including 5 different box shapes determining how tapered or broad the shoes are, as well as three different widths for the widest part of your foot ranging from narrow, medium and wide.
With both the Lyra and Europa you also have an option for a high or low heel and a deep or low vamp.
Both Gaynor Minden pointe shoes have a u-shaped throat and have their drawstrings placed on the side of the shoe for a cleaner look from the front. The suede tip on the platform of the shoe is now standard for both the Lyra and Europa, but both can be custom ordered without.
There are also three shapes to choose from for both Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, "classic" which has the most room due to its oval shape, "sleek" which tapers towards the heel, and "sculpted" which is narrowest at the waist seam.
For both Lyra and Europa there are five shank strengths to choose from: pianissimo, feather, supple, extraflex, and hard, but the Europa will most likely feel harder due to the tighter and more supportive satin.
The Lyra is made out of a more pliable and soft satin than the Europa, and compares a bit better to the old U.S. Gaynor than the Europa. The Lyra is a good option for dancers struggling to roll through and get over the Europa because the satin is more pliable.
Gaynor Minden offers sizes ranging from 4-13.5, and typically sizes one up from street shoes.
Watch the full video to hear Josephine’s opinion on this new addition to Gaynor Minden!
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Gaynor Minden Lyra and Europa: https://thepointeshop.com/collections/pointe-shoes/gaynor-minden