Russian Pointe® Retailer: On Pointe Dancewear

Before Bert Meier opened On Pointe Dancewear in St. Petersburg, FL, with his wife, Cari, he was working full time as a real estate agent. At that time, he knew a lot about buying and selling homes, but he didn’t know much about the intricacies of fitting pointe shoes — until he studied the professional fitting guides from Russian Pointe®.

“Their DVD taught me a lot. It was very useful,” Meier says.

Today, thanks to Russian Pointe®’s in-depth, yet easy-to-understand training brochures, Meier is now considered one of the top pointe shoe fitters in the Tampa Bay area.

Recently, one dance studio more than an hour away sent a group of 15 advanced dancers to be fitted by Meier in his St. Petersburg store because of his reputation as an expert fitter. “Russian Pointe® is a big part of that,” he says.

Meier and his wife opened On Pointe in 2007, when their daughter was a teenager and was heavily involved in dance. And although Meier himself had never studied ballet, he was an avid ballroom dancer, so naturally, On Pointe carries a wide selection of ballroom shoes in addition to pointe shoes and clothing and accessories for ballet, tap, jazz, swing, gymnastics and ice skating.

On Pointe has been an Authorized Russian Pointe® retailer ever since they opened, and they carry more Russian Pointe® shoes than any other brand of pointe shoes. “A lot of dancers really like the way they look on their feet,” Meier says. “And durability is a big factor. They feel like they last longer.”

Meier believes Russian Pointe®’s strong toe boxes last longer than other “softer” brands, and he also likes the wide varieties of shanks, widths, vamps and styles that Russian Pointe® offers, which help him find the perfect shoe for every dancer. “I really feel it’s a good shoe for most dancers,” he says.