Bloch
Established 1932Founded in 1932 by Jacob Bloch, a cobbler from Eastern Europe who emigrated to Australia during the great depression, Bloch is one of the most prestigious dance brands, mostly known for its unequalled pointe shoes. In the late 1930s many overseas ballet companies toured Australia, including The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Jacob made shoes for many of these visiting Russian ballerinas, including Tamara Toumanova, Irina Baranova, David Lichine and Helene Kirsova – all to their own specifications. His reputation for making high quality dance shoes spread rapidly and Bloch grew out to become one of the most trusted brands within the industry. The secret of the Bloch pointe shoes lies in the use of several different pastes in the toe box. The Bloch pointe shoe can withstand varying heat and humidity and at the same time mold to the shape of the foot.
Care has been taken to trace the ownership of any copyright material and to contact the owner. The author does not intend to infringe on anyone’s copyright for text, photos or otherwise. Anyone who feels that any item in these pages may have inadvertently breached their copyright should advise the author via the contact sheet, including a link to the page, so that appropriate remedial action can be taken.
