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What do I wear for pole dancing?
Yup, it's me again! Back to pick your brains for my school project! As many of you probably know, I've been working on a school project based around the Online Pole Dancing community. My first group interview was so successful, I decided to put out ones on 3 other topics–this will be the last one I post, I promise! Same rules apply as the last ones (See "Tell me your Pole Story! :)" and/or "Are you a "discreet" or "open" pole dancer?" and/or "Questions for and about Male Pole Dancers") where while I intend to use your responses for my class, I will protect your privacy by only using specific names/tags if you specifically state that you allow me to use your information. 🙂
Ok, onto the fun part! I'd like to hear your thoughts on appropriate pole-wear!
Here are the guideline questions, but like I said before–you don't have to answer all or any of them, they are just there to help:
What would you consider “Pole-appropriate” clothing? What makes it pole-appropriate?
Is there a difference in "Pole-appropriate" clothing/shoes for men and women? Why?
Do you think there should be restrictions/qualifications for shoes in competitions?
Why do you wear shoes while pole dancing? What are the positives and negatives?
Is there a specific type of shoe that pole-dancers use? What makes this shoe “style” special? Why is it important to use this style of shoe?
Thanks in advance for helping me with my project! 😀
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13 Replies
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Pole Appropriate clothing: that really depends on the studio that you are attending. I know that at The Mynx Accademy they pretty much just strip down to their bra and panties and it is not an issue. Other studios wear booty shorts and sports bras. And I know of one studio that had done strip tease and lap dance classes that go down to G strings. This is all studio based. That said, I wear booty shorts, tank tops and sports bras. I try to make sure that the booty shorts don't easily slip to expose myself and I always wear a safety thing under. As for the sports bras, I try to make sure that I am not going to easily fall out of it. While I am not large chested I have had issues with stretched out sports bras moving around on me.
For men I would just be sure that you are wearing something that securely tucks your package and does not show too much of an outline.
Comps and shoes: I could care less. There are SOOOOOO many competitions now that if you like wearing shoes you can find one that allows it, if you don't there are comps for that too.
When I am just learning stuff I do not wear shoes. There is nothing like coming clumsily out of a move and rolling your ankle. But then there are some moves that are much easier (and harder) with shoes. I will say that the instant I slip on a pair of shoes my whole mood changes. Kori from this site also has one of the tip jar pairs of shoes that she has filled with pennies and uses them to train inverts. Yeah, she is a beast.
Starting out I think shoes with a wider heel are easier to pole in. Again, the whole rolling of the ankle thing. I think Pleasers and Ellies are probably the most common and the Kiss style (I am not sure of Ellies name for them) are the widest used. These are the styles that you can usually find for under $50 at any lingerie/adult type store. Padded with an ankle strap are probably the 2 most important features. Padded because dancing for any length of time on the styles of shoes you find at the mall just is not comfortable. Ankle straps for 2 reasons: one they give you stability and they also keep the shoes on your feet when you are flinging your feet around. There has been more than one story of patrons of strip clubs getting nailed by a flinging shoe. And they are not light! On top of this, a rocker toe makes the platforms easier to walk and pole in and many store bought shoes do not have this feature. And while both manufacturers will say their shoes are not designed for pole dancing, the quality of the materials and stitching and even the steel post in the heel will tell you differently.
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Hi ladies 🙂
What would you consider “Pole-appropriate” clothing? What makes it pole-appropriate?
I would definitely agree with Chemgoddess1 on this one. I think it is also location specific – if you are pole dancing in a night club or strip club the 'appropriatness' of clothing would be very different to say a Sunday afternoon pole stage jam in a park with kiddies running around. My studio tends to lean more towards the booty shorts and sports bras, with heels if by choice but not taught that way except in the specific heeled classes. I am large chested and have plenty of hassle with bra tops, especially when I want to do moves where more skin is better. I also see a lot of girls just pin their t-shirts up, or learn to do tricks with more clothing (such as pole climbing in pants) to increase the difficulty.
The men in our studio seem to opt towards just boxer briefs style, which they seem to be comfortable in and is no more revealing than what the girls wear.
Is there a difference in "Pole-appropriate" clothing/shoes for men and women? Why?
No, I don't think there is a difference. Both men and women want to hide enough of themselves to their own comfort level, and also keep the bits that might dangle or wobble out of the way.
Do you think there should be restrictions/qualifications for shoes in competitions?
I think each competition with a restriction is their own choice, and that with so many options it doesn't' matter too much. Dancing in heels is a skill, and some would say a reference to the foundation and roots of pole dancing, however the different styles themselves are so broad that you can choose the direction best for you. I personally don't train in heels, but a lot of the girls in my studio do. As for competition, I can see both sides, but I definitely would prefer to have the choice rather than a restriction either way.
Is there a specific type of shoe that pole-dancers use? What makes this shoe “style” special? Why is it important to use this style of shoe?
Being a non show wearer on the pole currently, I admire those who dance in shoes, as it is not only a weight on the end of feet, but also an enforcement to land back down with control. Generally it seems the bigger the heel the better, but I am no expert on this one. Mind you, I saw a girl pole dance in ugg boots the other day and she looked fantastic.
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I see pole dance as an art, therefore, anything goes when it comes to clothing and shoes. However, less is best so you have adequate skin contact with the pole.
Wearing any kind of heel will help improve balance, so besides giving the legs a nice long line (and being sexy) they can also strengthen the feet and calves.
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I'm too new at this (just a few months) to comment on some of your questions intelligently, but I will say from what I have learned so far (trial and error, observing others) that for me, pole-appropriate clothing tends toward the booty shorts and sports bra (sometimes a fitted tank instead). When I first started, yoga pants were ok, and I still like them sometimes if I'm going to practice a lot of spins to save the skin on my legs, but as soon as I started learning to invert I started to understand pretty quickly the importance of skin contact with the pole and clothes that won't get in the way. I'm not normally someone who dresses scantily, but I'm getting over it! I haven't worn shoes (well, not heels. I have worn modern dance shoes/footundeez type stuff ), but I'm starting to see the appeal of those as well.
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PH, I'm real interested in how your project turns out. As a male, I can only answer a few of the questions regarding pole clothes and shoes.
What would you consider "pole appropriate" clothing? What makes it "pole appropriate?"
There is a wide selection of pole clothing available for women, but for men it's a limited, very limited selection. For the ladies, pole appropriate clothing, along with proper fit, is that which doesn't let the ladies upper parts fall out when they invert, and keeps the lower part covered when they do a showcase, or a split. For guys, it's keeping the lower parts from inadvertently going on display, which is generally reconciled with a good fitting pair of underwear.
The skimpiness of the clothing is inconsequential, but the importance is how effectively it works to conceal. In pole, at least for most of us with limited pole experience, you need to have good skin contact to do the holds.
I have only found several limited sources for men's pole shorts, and they're not really pole shorts. One pair I have are yoga shorts. The others are lined boxcut men's bathing suits that work adequately. You need to have skin contact, and longer shorts don't do it for me.
In my opinion good quality sports clothing covers the aforementioned specific areas. At the studio's that I attend I have not encountered anyone wearing sheer, or see through type outfits. Based on the ladies that I pole with, I don't think this would be tolerated in a pole regular class. In private sessions where people are free-styling it would be alright.
Is there a difference in "pole appropriate" clothing/ shoes for men and women? Why?
When the ladies at the studio go to the high heels then I will generally put on a clip on bow tie. I think the heels add a sexiness and finish to the ladies moves. The moves are the same without the shoes, but the shoes change the visual for me significantly. Plus, when the ladies do holds on the pole the shoes seem to elongate the leg, and accentuate the finish of their pointed toes. It's as though the shoes help to enhance the appearance of a straighter leg.
There seems to be this historical aura surrounding pole dance/fitness about really skimpy clothing. The really skimpy clothing comes into play in erotic pole dancing. For that entertainment I direct you to a strip club. Unfortunately, pole dance/fitness gets tarred with the same brush as erotic pole dancing. If you're going to a pole dance/fitness studio to see skimpy clothing, trust me, you'd be better off going to the beach. If you really want skimpiness, buy an airline ticket to a beach destination in Europe. Enjoy!
The lack of total sports clothing coverage for poling is due to the necessity of skin contact with the pole. You will hear this unanimously from everyone who poles. I can tell you that it's not fun putting your exposed skin against a cold pole when you begin a training session.
PH, the other questions surrounds shoes and I really can't answer them. The same applies to this segment of your project as the previous one I answered regarding why I started poling. I know that I speak for the others on the SV website in wishing you all the best on the successful completion of the project. Very happy to spend the additional time to respond to your survey questions. Thank you.
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This post made me realize I know far too much about 'stripper' shoes. 🙂 Everyone needs a hobby. (Or in this case, a hobby within a hobby.)
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Awhile ago, I was looking into pole shoes…. I found a dancer that has designed and sold shoes. They have a glitter base that doesn't flake off… I can't remember or find her now…. by any chance do you have any idea who she is?, her website, or a clue as to what I'm talking about? lololol Thanks if you can help
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Also: https://www.facebook.com/TheSparklingLife
​https://www.facebook.com/groups/199885793358480/?bookmark_t=group
http://aerialamy.com/blog/2012/01/30/from-the-vault-glittered-shoes/
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Thank you guys so much!
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I've been out for about 4 months….. do we not have a Friday Chat anymore?
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Chat went away.
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