Engineered For Expression
MDM represents the fusion of traditional craftsmanship with new and exciting physiological science and technology. Dedicated to injury prevention and support MDM have created the ultimate dance shoes.
70% of all dance related injuries occur in the lower leg. MDMs purpose built dance shoes help to support and decrease the chance of injury whilst also aiding in the recovery of any injuries. Â
Whether you are a beginner or a professional MDM has the perfect shoe to support your dance journey.Â
MDM Dancewear is an Australian owned and operated company established by former professional dancers, Timothy Heathcote (Sydney Dance Company) and Simone Goldsmith (Principal of The Australian Ballet).Â
With a deep appreciation of how a dancer’s footwear can subtly yet profoundly effect technique and physiological development, they designed the world’s most advanced footwear for dance. Supremely beautiful and comfortable the unique innovations of the MDM range help to;
promote an improved culture and conversation about safe dance practice.
function as a training aid to assist in correcting pronation and alignment through proprioceptive feedback.
provide shock absorption.
Reduce fatigue and improve recovery, with the arch support provided by the Dance Base Support.
Assist the development of the intrinsic muscle activation in the feet
Alleviate pressure on the back of the heel, which can lead to inflammation of the bursa and consequently the achilles tendon.
Allow for a more functionally correct demi-pointe position.
For these important reasons, we believe every student will find value in wearing MDM.
hybrid sole
The MDM Hybrid sole, develops a better proprioceptive awareness as the foot works against the slightly greater resistance, which better assists young students in transitioning to using floor pressure when moving through degagé into tendu.
bones
Our feet start as cartilage and don’t fully develop into bone in most people until our late tween years. And as young people go through the process of growing spurts their bones thin slightly, adapt and change before thickening and strengthening again, repeating until they stop growing. And like any involved in high intensity physical activity dancers can be susceptible to over-training and muscle fatigue. For this reason MDM have added a layer of EVA for impact support and protection to their range of shoes, which cushion the landing to absorb some of the stresses away from the muscles and bones.
arch support
Landing from jumping, running or even walking on hard surfaces places strain upon the foot up to 5 times our body weight. In an ideal world where we all had optimal posture and technique 100% of the time we wouldn’t require arch support. We would land, naturally pronate forward a little to absorb the landing stresses, before rolling back into the middle of the foot to take off again. Most people however do not have optimal posture or technique, and even for those with great technique they too are susceptible to fatigue which means a disengagement of accurate technique at certain times. In such cases we land and pronate forward, yet fail to activate the musculature of our foot accurately and take off from a position of non-alignment which puts stress on the feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back leading to injury over time. It is for this reason that MDM added arch support to it’s Jazz Protract making them the most comfortable and also the most valuable piece of equipment in your dance bag.
drawstring
While it seems a purely cosmetic change, by reinforcing the heel MDM are able to dispense with the pull-in drawstring. While there are indeed many cosmetic reasons for doing this and some that are simply irritations, the most important reason is that the majority of the public have protruding heels. This means the heel is susceptible to inflammation if too much pressure is placed upon it. For this reason MDM have replaced the drawstring with a pre-tied elastic that snugly fits the heel to avoid undue pressure on the bursa.
pronation
Pronation is inevitable and indeed desirable. Pronation helps absorb the natural stresses of landing. But as importantly, the foot must also move back from the pronated position to the middle neutral position and take off with the weight evenly distributed across the toes to ensure correct alignment and avoid injury. Dancers with flatter feet or weak feet (and we all start with weak feet) tend to continue pronating and take off from this position, putting undue stress on the skeletal system which can result in the development of a non-aligned musculature.
Intrinsic Reflex
The Intrinsic Reflex is a hybrid sole canvas ballet slipper that has been specifically designed to supersede the full sole ballet slipper. The MDM hybrid sole has a split sole outside appearance combined with the functional resistance of a full sole.
available in canvas & leather
Intrinsic Profile
The Profile 2.0 offers optimal performance features coupled with all the unique safe dance practice essentials you’ve come to know and love about MDM.
The new Dance base Support has been reconstructed to be wider at the forefoot, improving the aesthetics when in the pointed position
Protract Jazz
The MDM Protract Jazz Shoe features the patent applied Dance Base Support that builds muscle strength and stability over time.
The shoe has been built on a dancer specific last that was created by utilising the latest 3D scanning technology.
available in canvas & leather
Lyrical Shoes
Encourages blood flow from the foot to the heart, which in turn improves oxygenation and gives the dancer more energy in the feet and legs.
Muscle recovery is facilitated by reducing the accumulation of toxins in the blood stream, and the gentle massaging properties will reduce the feeling of tired and achy legs.
Protects and supports the foot, aids recovery and performance.
