There is something about ballet that makes it almost synonymous with Paris, buying ones first pair of ballet shoes is a right of passage here and every little girl is this city skips to their ballet class after école. Although buying my first pair of shoes is now a distant memory, it seems that it will be an equally important step in my Parisian journey. So I stepped out to buy my (almost) first pair of shoes, to where else but Repetto. Repetto is a Parisian brand that was founded in the same shop that it still can be found today, on Rue de la Paix and is infamous for its elegant and elaborate window displays. Row upon row of rose pink point shoes and tutus hanging from the ceiling are enough to make anybody's heart flutter, but the theatre-style velvet curtains and golden ballet bar transform this ballet shop into a little piece of dancers heaven. A far cry from the cupboard sized space, crammed full of leotards and smelling of feet that I have become accustomed to in England. Repetto is famed for its artisanship, not just of ballet shoes but also of beautiful leather pumps and boots, which make this boutique a haven for fashionistas as well as ballerinas. Impeccable customer service by poised, young professional dancers turn this shop into an experience and an adventure. I carefully selected my pair of ballet shoes that were then wrapped in pink tissue paper and put into a special little box with a ribbon; pure satisfaction. Shoes here are not cheap but are exquisitely made and possessing a pair is a bit like being given magic powers that suddenly make you dance beautifully, or so I hope. What is clear, however, is that each customer, however old or young, leaves this shop feeling slightly enchanted by the beauty of ballet and motivated by the love that goes into crafting each individual shoe. Needless to say, I cannot wait to start dancing.
Mood- On my tippy-toes excited
