You'll Always Remember Your First Pair!
It's an important moment in every young pole dancer's life when you decide to take the plunge and buy your first pair of Pleasers! It can be quite an overwhelming decision to make, because there are hundreds if not THOUSANDS of different types of shoes on the Pleaser website, which makes for a very daunting decision. So here is a How-To guide on how to pick your first pair of pole shoes!
How High is Too High?
Pleaser shoes come in all different heights. A lot of the Pole Dance Academy instructors and the more Advanced girls wear 8 inch shoes, which is pretty high!! The standard height for the majority of beginner pole dancers is probably 6-7 inches. If you want to play it safe, go for the 6 inch shoes, but be warned - you might find that after a month or so you'll wish you'd gone a little bit higher!
Even though they look crazy high the first time you see them, they're not that difficult to get used to, so long as you're working on your point and strengthening your ankles. We recommend going for the 7 inch shoes, but of course if you do decide to go ahead with the 6 inch shoes there's nothing wrong with that.
Finding Your Style
Once you have decided on the height of the shoe you want, the next thing to think about is which style of shoe you are going to get - the sandal style or the boot style?
If you choose the sandal style, definitely get ones that have ankle straps! We cannot stress this enough - DO NOT BUY POLE SHOES THAT DO NOT HAVE ANKLE STRAPS!!! Because you really need the extra support! Also for safety reasons - it's not the best way to go about making friends at the pole studio if you do a high kick and your shoe goes flying across the room and hits someone in the face...
If you decide that you want a pair of boots, be aware that during summer, dancing in boots can get very hot and sweaty. Boots are great during winter and great for pole choreo, but when it starts to get a bit warmer you might want to think about getting a pair of sandals (maybe get two pairs - summer and winter!).
As for the length of the boot, we wouldn't recommend getting a pair of thigh-high boots when you're first starting out, because they can affect your grip on the pole. Ankle boots are the better option (as you can see on the goddess Felix Cane below).
What Material?
You've got a few different options: clear plastic, patent leather, faux suede - and then of course you've got the ones that are covered in glitter, rhinestones or crystals!
Clear plastic is good for people who have narrow feet because they are quite snug. They do stretch out over time though, so if you get clear plastic shoes and they feel a bit tight, don't worry about that too much - they'll give a lot. You can wear them with socks until they loosen up.
The next type of material is the faux patent leather. These are my favourite ones! I really really like the fit of these ones. They also give a bit over time, but they don't start out as tight as the clear plastic ones do.
Then we have all the fancy shoes... the glittery, sparkly shoes, the faux suede shoes and the bedazzled shoes - they are just beautiful! I love them.
However, there is a small problem with these types of shoes - they look amazing, but be careful with these ones because you don't get a lot of grip on the pole. So if you're a beginner to intermediate pole dancer, it's really going to make learning to climb the pole a lot harder. You don't have any grip at all with these shoes. So steer clear if you're just starting out with pole, and maybe go for the clear plastic or patent leather until you get stronger.
Protecting Your Investment
Now that you have your gorgeous new shoes, you're going to want to think about how you're going to protect your investment!
I know this may sound a little weird, but the best thing to do is to get an old pair of socks, cut the toes off them and slip them over the platform of your shoe! This will help keep your shoes looking pristine and shiny and sparkly for a lot longer.
For performances or if you want to take a video of yourself doing your routine, of course you can take the socks off. But for classes or training in the studio, put the socks over the top of your shoes to protect them and to keep them looking nicer for longer.
Makin' 'Em Look Good
With great shoes comes great responsibility! So it's time to start thinking about your point. Flexed feet and Pleasers do NOT go together. Start paying more attention to your transitions and poses. Your feet should be pointed all the time, and the muscles of your legs engaged and strong.
Another benefit to focusing a lot on your point is that it's going to make your ankles stronger, which means you are less likely to roll your ankles while wearing your shoes.
Discounts!!
Now... which discount you are going to get? If you are a Pole Dance Academy student, you are entitled to a bunch of different discounts!
We have a special discount for enrolled students at PDA - you can add a pair of shoes to your enrolment for only $90 (for shoes up to the value of $145). If you get shoes that are more expensive than that, then it's $90 plus the difference. It's a really special offer only available to Pole Dance Academy students, and it's our way of saying thank you for being a PDA student.
We also have a referral bonus as well - if you refer a friend to Pole Dance Academy and they sign up to enrol, then you get 50% off a pair of shoes. So that's a MASSIVE discount because we really appreciate word of mouth referrals!
If you have any questions or if you need help deciding what shoes to get, just send us an email at info@poledancacademy.com.au. If you want to order some shoes online via our website, then hop onto www.poledanceacademy.com.au and click on the shop tab and select Pleaser Shoes and you will be able to choose and order your shoes from there!
We hope you enjoyed this guide and once you've got your first pair of Pleasers we will see you twirling around the pole in the studio soon!
Happy dancing!!
Michelle Shimmy xx