Why Freed of London Ballet Shoes
Since 1920, Freed of London has been synonymous with quality and used by professional dancers worldwide. We’ve chosen to partner with Freed and their Chacott lines because it provides our dancers with the highest quality experience. When you choose BalletBox and the Freed brands, you know you’re starting or continuing your ballet experience on the right foot.
About Freed of London Pointe Shoes
Every Freed pointe shoe is made by hand in the UK factory in Hackney, East London. Freed also has two smaller production sites that are based in Leicester and Norwich.
How Freed Pointe Shoes are Made
Freed pointe shoes are known for exceptional quality, and are made using the traditional turn shoe method, with their “signature” peach-colored satin.
The toe box is constructed by gluing together hand-layered triangles of hessian and paper, using a proprietary, water-based glue. After the box is formed, pleats are formed in the satin that covers the shoe and secured with metal pincers. The shoe is then stitched and the sole is joined to the upper with wax thread. Next, the pointe shoe is turned right-side-out and the insole is inserted. Finally, the box, which is not yet dried, is hammered into its final shape.
History of Freed of London
Freed of London was established in 1929 by cobbler Frederick Freed, his wife, and an assistant. Freed and his wife were previously employed by London-based dance shoe maker, Gamba.
After several years of production, Freed soon outgrew their company headquarters in Covent Garden, and manufacturing was moved to a small factory in Endell street.
Due to the popularity of Freed dance shoes, manufacturing was moved once again in 1947. Freed of London transitioned its headquarters to a larger factory on Mercer Street. In this time period, Freed became one of the most prestigious names in ballet and dance. Frederick Freed retired in 1968 and the company was acquired but still operated as Freed of London.
In 1985, Freed finally began manufacturing dance apparel. In 1993, Freed of London became a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese apparel company Onward Kashiyama. Freed maintained its corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities after the acquisition.
In the 2000’s, Freed of London continued to expand. In 2012, Freed launched its first collection of Bridal shoes and opened a retail store in New York in collaboration with Chacott. In 2013, Freed released its first line of ballet flats that were the first shoes they created not designed for dance purposes. In 2016, Freed of London became the first dancewear manufacturer to attain ISO accreditation.
