







Salvatore Capezio was born in 1871 in Muro Lucano, Italy. Uninterested in following in his father's footsteps as a construction engineer, he became an artist of his own right, a cobbler. In 1887, at the age of 17, he opened his shop on Broadway and 39th Street, diagonally across from the old Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Soon, the shop became a meeting place for dancers who would stop by to discuss their needs and to get a pair of his shoes. As Capezio's popularity grew, dancers from around the world made it a point to visit him and purchase his shoes. The innovation of the products that Salvatore Capezio created and the camaraderie he shared with the dancers molded the direction that his company would follow. In this image, the Capezio brand was established to promote and recognize ongoing achievements and participation in dance. Capezio products remain in the forefront in quality and in technological advances with innovations like the split-sole, the stretch-insert, the Dansneaker and the Tapsneaker. Capezio believes that their success is dependent upon the individual commitment of each customer to continually set new standards of creativity and performance, while preserving a reputation for dependability and distinction. Capezio pledges their support and dedication to the advancement of dance, theater and recreation in communities worldwide.
T**E
Fantastic Character Shoe: Broadway look on a budget
I started dancing when I was five and continued until I was 22. Fast forward about 10 years (and MANY pounds heavier) where I'm coming out of my dancing/theater "sabbatical" and making a return to the stage. I had lots of experience buying dance shoes, but since it'd been awhile I wasn't exactly sure what to expect of these. I love the look of LaDuca shoes (seriously, who doesn't?) but it didn't make sense to shell out the hundreds of dollars for them since I'd only be using them periodically. So I kept coming back to Capezio's Broadway Flex and Bloch's Split Flex. I went w/ Capezio b/c of the aesthetic look - I'm not personally a big fan of the T-strap look. I wear a 8.5-9 in street size, and after reading many reviews I went w/ a 9 in the caramel color.Firstly, these shoes are GORGEOUS. It took a minute for me to work my feet into them - the strap system isn't like typical character shoes - but they fit great, not too tight & not too loose. Sometimes for me when I buy regular street high heels I have to get Wide sizing. I was worried these would be too tight, but they're not. The elastic along the sides worked in my favor. There is just enough elastic stretch to allow a bit of pointing (though not as much as a LaDuca would, but still it's better than your standard blocky character shoe). The soles are super soft. The heel height is perfect - not too high to feel uncomfortable, but high enough to give you a nice sexy feel.I knew these shoes were worth the purchase when, after being cast for a local community theater show, the director came up to me after a rehearsal and raved about the shoes I was wearing. Now I'm eyeing up a pair in black :)
K**2
good sturdy dance shoe
I really like these shoes. While they are not what I would call a pretty shoe, they are not too unattractive, and they are comfortable, flexible, and support my foot and ankle. I use them for ballroom practice. A little long in the toe box, but not so much that I would order up.
G**E
Seconds?
I like the fit and I think these shoes would have worked except.......the right shoe cap was sewn crooked! I'm wondering if these shoes are seconds since I haven't seen poor craftsmanship from Capezio. Maybe it is better to buy shoes from a traditional dance store. I posted a pic, if you're interested.
L**E
So adorable!
The sizing is a little weird with Capezio depending on the style but I made sure I tried them on in a store before buying online. This particular style fits true to size but some of the other character shoes they make do not.These shoes are really great looking on and are super flexible and soft. The soles are the texture of a jazz shoe and I would not recommend wearing them outside a dance studio.I love my purchase.
S**.
I Really Wanted to Love these, but . . .
Can't seem to find a size that fits. In street shoes, I wear a 7.5. Based on reviews, I ordered an 8M - the length was WAY long. There was almost an inch gap behind my heel,. At the same time, the open area of sole was so narrow that it basically left my foot unsupported and felt very unstable. I returned the 8M and ordered a 7.5W. Those were good for length, but I couldn't discern any difference in width, and the toe box area was too narrow for comfort. The shoes look good, and are quite flexible. I know that if I could get the fit right, they would be comfortable. I was hoping to find something comfortable to wear to a wedding reception.
E**E
Great product!
These shoes are just what I expected and more! I am very happy with them. I bought these for my teenage daughter. My daughter has a sensitive foot and it is a little bit wide so these shoes are perfect for her. The neoprene allows for a stretchy, comfortable fit at the widest part of your foot without digging into sensitive skin and the rest of the leather is a very nice quality. Definitely recommend them.
H**I
Not a character shoe!
I've been in the ballet world, opera world, and off broadway world for many year, this shoe did not fit like or resemble anything like a character shoe. It was a cross between a jazz/lyrical shoe with a slight heel. If you are going on off broadway auditions forgo this shoe no one even takes you seriously unless you are in a 2inch heel or higher and that includes dancers. This heel was not accurate in height. It flailed out slighting so it made the height almost 1 1/2 inch not 2 inches. The bottom of the shoe was made like a ballet slipper maybe slightly stronger but not much and the vamp of the shoe was like a jazz shoe. It's definitely not a good match for narrow feet by any means. I ordered a 5.5 and it was about a whole size to a size and a half to large as well as to wide.
C**H
Quality made shoe!
I bought this shoe for my adult daughter, who lives in Japan. She wanted a comfortable and pretty shoe, this one met all those requirements. She is not so much the dancer but a 'stander'! She is on her feet all day, teaching dancers, singers,and musicians English! We shopped online and reviewed many shoes, Capezio has always made great quality character shoes. In the past my daughter has worn Capezio's for ballet, jazz and stage dance.
Trustpilot
3 days ago
1 month ago