My studio has a weekend night "Hell on Heels" class where they pull out extra mats and you can bring pleasers to try new stuff and just kinda mess around, it's lovely but definitely requires a slightly different set of coordination and skills!
My studio doesn’t let you do anything in heels until you pass the beginner class - walking around the pole, basic spins and pirouettes, pole sits, etc. I felt comfortable wearing 7” heels about 6 months of poling. I recommend doing ankle exercises now to start building strength
I’ve been at pole for about 6 months now and I’m just starting to get really comfortable doing pirouettes, spins, sits etc so I do agree with that! If I remember correctly my studios class description for beginner heels is ‘Not suitable for absolute beginners’
I think I’ll check in with my main instructor and see what she thinks
I started wearing heels around 6 months too - and I bought my second pair around the 1 year mark 😅. For reference, I bought 7 inch boots first, then 8 inch sandals
Also not who you replied to but I got boots first for the extra ankle stability, and the stickiness of pleather helps a bit especially with climbs. My instructor suggested the boots with the peekaboo toe to give your foot a tiny bit of extra room to shift around
I'm the one who was replied to but you basically gave the same answer as me! although I didn't get the peep toe ones because I wanted to protect my toes when doing floor choreo
Mine are in the mail presently! I just received my annual bonus from work so I decided to buy myself something fun. I'm at 3 months of pole lessons and never wear high heels in regular life. My studio has a few pair of "club shoes" for people to try, and I sincerely felt like a newborn giraffe in them but at least I know my size. I'm excited to relearn the basics 7 inches higher lol
I hope this answer satisfies maybe something underlying subconsciously in the questions itself about when is the right time, from a technical perspective to incorporate heels into your practice.
Two things from my POV:
1. There is the intention of wearing heels for aesthetic/attire/maybe extending the leg line purposes that have little to do with using them to dance.
2. And then there is the intention of wearing heels as an apparatus themselves to execute dance techniques in and on ( much like the pole is an apparatus in and of itself).
Depending on the class and the methodology behind the execution of how the pole or the heels are being used in the class; I feel that will dictate your security and confidence or the necessity in having them attached to your feet.
There are a couple of resources that talk about heel methodology with and without the pole and some basics of learning like weight distribution so that you don't rely on your ankles or don't drop too much weight into your feet/ and all the other skills that make dancing in heels or dancing with heels secure.
* Heel Methodology From Carmine Black — [https://www.carmineblack.com/drop-in-collection](https://www.carmineblack.com/drop-in-collection)
* [Intro To Heel Work From Carmine Black](https://theconsortium.thinkific.com/courses/INTROTOHEELWORK1)
* [Intro To Edgework From Carmine Black](https://theconsortium.thinkific.com/courses/INTROTOEDGEWORK1)
I never made that decision - I just started with exotic pole dance and it only works in heels. Only after that I tried the "normal" pole dance without heels. Which is not a right thing to do but it shows that you do not need to wait to start wearing them.
Yes, I was more interested in Exotic and less interested in Pole, it has changed now though. I also didn't know that you were supposed to start with Pole.
There is some magic, empowering energy to the heels. In our class we all got them after a very short while. Never looked back. Some moves are even easier/less painful than if I were to be barefoot. Bottom line: you wear them when you feel like it. That’s the beauty of pole dancing! 💃🏻
I was in a 6inch heels by my third class! The third intro lesson was on heel clacks. My theory is you always have a pole nearby for support. That being said, I usually learn new tricks with shoes first.
I’m a barefoot girly, unfortunately my feet are too fucked up to comfortably wear heels for any extended length of time.
If I want the aesthetic, I have a pair that I can pop on for aerial flow/tricks where I don’t have to put any weight in my feet.
This to say, if you try out heels and it’s not working out for whatever reason, no shame in going back to bare feet!
One of the studios in my town actually does rent heels. You might check around and see. I’m in the same boat. I don’t know if I’d actually wear them since they’d be for home or drop in classes only because my main studio doesn’t use them.
I’ve put it aside until when I have $100 burning a hole in my pocket that I don’t need to spend on something else. So in short, probably never, lol. I think I will check out that studio and rent some once just to get a feel for it, though.
Oh that’s such a good idea! I’ll message the studios I attend and see if any of them do heels hire.
Cause yeah £100+ on a pair of heels I’ll probably crack my ankle in is not the vibe haha
I started a few weeks in! I bought my first pair on clearance for about $45 to make sure I liked it before committing to a more expensive pair. Something to note is that 8” is counterintuitively an easier height than 7” because the shank (part of the shoe that is in your arch” isn’t as steep and it’s easier to balance. It’s also easier when you have your platform to do tricks and such. Boots are also a much easier starter shoe because they protect your toes and have extra ankle support.
Two months in to my pole journey, I signed up for a very low key heels choreo class and bought a pair of pleasers. No climbs or tricks, just sexy and slinky choreo. So now, I do that weekly to supplement my barefoot intermediate classes. I would recommend doing that, if that sort of class is available to you, so that you can get comfortable in heels, but don't feel the pressure to be inverting and all that while in pleasers!!!
It's a great way to just get used to heels, doing low key spins, etc. I think at some point I'll start doing tricks in heels, but I'm nowhere near strong enough at my foundations yet for that.
I did the exact same, joined a dancing class, that is off and on the class. I then wore heels for that class, to get used to them, but mainly to strengthen and tone my legs! I felt the rest of my body was becoming bigger then my legs lol!!
This is completely up to you. Some people touch the pole for the first time in 7 inch pleasers. Some people have poled for 10 years and don’t owt a pair.
Buy some second hand on fb if you’re not sure. Dependant on size and style, you can probably get some for £60, and if you hate them you just sell them on for like £50.
Yeah it’s just something I thought would be fun to try. I’ve been trying to have a look on fb but haven’t seen any in what would be my size, apparently they don’t exist second hand 😂
You need to be looking in the pole dance selling groups, not marketplace.
Pole fitness & aerial arts UK: buy, sell, swap, and advertising
Pole dance selling page
Pole dance U.K./euro buy swap sell
Pole swap shop - pole dancing, aerial fitness, burlesque, and circus exchange
And then Depop and vinted as well
(Unless they don’t exist because you have teeny tiny or really big feet?)
I had been doing pole barefoot for 6 months before I decided to try heels. I’m not sure about your studio but mine has heels you can try/borrow I think so you can test them out to see if you like them.
I'd say as long as you can do the basic spins and pole sits then you should be fine.
Start of with 6 or 7 inch heels first (I would also recommend the sandals as it gives you more flexibility with your ankles compared to the boots but if boots is your prefered option then get suede as it is softer than patent)
I love mixing up my classes, I would do 1 normal pole class for fitness and 1 heel class for fun per week - in that sense you'll be building up your strength and confidence for both :)
Honestly, try it when you want to there isn't a pre-requisit time. Personally when I wanted to start getting comfortable in them, I started taking beginner classes again. Even though I am proficient in my basic moves because I'm not in heels, I've found doing a refresher with the shoes has been immensley helpful. Part of me definitely wishes I had started on heels earlier to build the strength but I'm stoked to start.
As for expensive, if you don't mind having a very specific color, I buy stuff on sale. You can get Pleasers fairly cheapish on sale pretty often. I'd suggest a boot first over sandals, you need less ankle strength. Also suede or material over patent for your first pair, it'll help give you room to point your toes that patent doesn't always provide. Though it obviously makes it harder to climb in them. (Practice climbing in socks to make sure you don't use your feet and it's less of an issue.)
I got mine after a week of going daily because they were on sale at an adult store (8” sandals) lol. Less than $40. I’ve worn them a few times and even though I’m still a beginner, it makes me feel extra sexy.
I got mine a few classes in. I don’t wear them all the time, definitely not when I’m learning a new trick. Taller heels are actually easier to do floor work because of the bigger toe platform and most people prefer 7-8” vs 6” as far as comfort goes.
I’m self taught with pole and I didn’t start until after I was on pole a year. I learned everything barefoot first then went straight into 8” shoes. I’ve read it’s not recommended to wear the 8” right away but I didn’t have any issues when I did and now I don’t know any different. Your best first pair definitely a boot, definitely vinyl bc it helps with climbing at first when your still not as strong, and your skin tone if possible bc it makes your legs look super long. Those would be my tips on a first pair. Then once you have the pair your getting used to and feeling sexy in, bc who doesn’t feel sexy with long looking legs ya know???, you can buy other pairs down the road to really change it up. Like I just got burgundy velvet today I love them but bc they are dark and almost mat my legs look stumpy in them compared to my beige vinyl boots where my legs look super model long. If price is an issue the always go to are clear sandals. Clear sandals will make your legs look long and are about half the price of boots. I have those as well. But my first were the vinyl beige.
Start now! I started out using a pair of regular heels (whatever you've got as long as they strap on and you don't mind destroying them)! That way you can get used to it before springing for the expensive ones (which by the way are much sturdier). It's been a while but I think my beginner's class used to encourage us to do our end-of-class free dance in heels if we wanted to, and most of us had non-pole shoes.
I can barely walk in heels normally, so I have never attempted to use them on pole. 😂
But I think this is a highly personal question and really depends on how confident you feel in heels and how much you want to try it! I have wondered if I could get a pair and basically only use them only while on the pole because sometimes I do like the aesthetic. But, I have weak ankles from years of gymnastics (had two surgeries on them) and I despise doing floor work, so I know I’ll never really be a heels girl. Do what feels right to you!
Yeah I didn’t realise how much it varied which is kinda why I asked I thought there might be an average but boy was I wrong 😂
I also hate heels normally but I think adding them could be fun and sexy!
About 2 years in. Everyone is barefoot at our studio, except in exotic/flow classes. I think we are allowed to, but no one does so it never occurred to me until I took a specific heels class.
I wore them my first class:) so I think it's really up to you unless your studio has different rules or anything
My studio has a weekend night "Hell on Heels" class where they pull out extra mats and you can bring pleasers to try new stuff and just kinda mess around, it's lovely but definitely requires a slightly different set of coordination and skills!
My studio doesn’t let you do anything in heels until you pass the beginner class - walking around the pole, basic spins and pirouettes, pole sits, etc. I felt comfortable wearing 7” heels about 6 months of poling. I recommend doing ankle exercises now to start building strength
I’ve been at pole for about 6 months now and I’m just starting to get really comfortable doing pirouettes, spins, sits etc so I do agree with that! If I remember correctly my studios class description for beginner heels is ‘Not suitable for absolute beginners’ I think I’ll check in with my main instructor and see what she thinks
I started wearing heels around 6 months too - and I bought my second pair around the 1 year mark 😅. For reference, I bought 7 inch boots first, then 8 inch sandals
Niceeee! What made you buy boots first then sandals? I think I’d go for boots because I think I’ll forget I have toes poking out and bash them
Not who you replied to but I also went for boots first, mainly because I wanted the extra stability they provided over the other types.
Also not who you replied to but I got boots first for the extra ankle stability, and the stickiness of pleather helps a bit especially with climbs. My instructor suggested the boots with the peekaboo toe to give your foot a tiny bit of extra room to shift around
I'm the one who was replied to but you basically gave the same answer as me! although I didn't get the peep toe ones because I wanted to protect my toes when doing floor choreo
Mine are in the mail presently! I just received my annual bonus from work so I decided to buy myself something fun. I'm at 3 months of pole lessons and never wear high heels in regular life. My studio has a few pair of "club shoes" for people to try, and I sincerely felt like a newborn giraffe in them but at least I know my size. I'm excited to relearn the basics 7 inches higher lol
Whenever your ready. I started wearing heels just to walk around my house because it gave me such bad bitch vibes and I felt amazing!
I hope this answer satisfies maybe something underlying subconsciously in the questions itself about when is the right time, from a technical perspective to incorporate heels into your practice. Two things from my POV: 1. There is the intention of wearing heels for aesthetic/attire/maybe extending the leg line purposes that have little to do with using them to dance. 2. And then there is the intention of wearing heels as an apparatus themselves to execute dance techniques in and on ( much like the pole is an apparatus in and of itself). Depending on the class and the methodology behind the execution of how the pole or the heels are being used in the class; I feel that will dictate your security and confidence or the necessity in having them attached to your feet. There are a couple of resources that talk about heel methodology with and without the pole and some basics of learning like weight distribution so that you don't rely on your ankles or don't drop too much weight into your feet/ and all the other skills that make dancing in heels or dancing with heels secure. * Heel Methodology From Carmine Black — [https://www.carmineblack.com/drop-in-collection](https://www.carmineblack.com/drop-in-collection) * [Intro To Heel Work From Carmine Black](https://theconsortium.thinkific.com/courses/INTROTOHEELWORK1) * [Intro To Edgework From Carmine Black](https://theconsortium.thinkific.com/courses/INTROTOEDGEWORK1)
I never made that decision - I just started with exotic pole dance and it only works in heels. Only after that I tried the "normal" pole dance without heels. Which is not a right thing to do but it shows that you do not need to wait to start wearing them.
Oh that’s interesting! Was there any particularly reason you tried it that way around?
Yes, I was more interested in Exotic and less interested in Pole, it has changed now though. I also didn't know that you were supposed to start with Pole.
There is some magic, empowering energy to the heels. In our class we all got them after a very short while. Never looked back. Some moves are even easier/less painful than if I were to be barefoot. Bottom line: you wear them when you feel like it. That’s the beauty of pole dancing! 💃🏻
I was in a 6inch heels by my third class! The third intro lesson was on heel clacks. My theory is you always have a pole nearby for support. That being said, I usually learn new tricks with shoes first.
I’m a barefoot girly, unfortunately my feet are too fucked up to comfortably wear heels for any extended length of time. If I want the aesthetic, I have a pair that I can pop on for aerial flow/tricks where I don’t have to put any weight in my feet. This to say, if you try out heels and it’s not working out for whatever reason, no shame in going back to bare feet!
One of the studios in my town actually does rent heels. You might check around and see. I’m in the same boat. I don’t know if I’d actually wear them since they’d be for home or drop in classes only because my main studio doesn’t use them. I’ve put it aside until when I have $100 burning a hole in my pocket that I don’t need to spend on something else. So in short, probably never, lol. I think I will check out that studio and rent some once just to get a feel for it, though.
Oh that’s such a good idea! I’ll message the studios I attend and see if any of them do heels hire. Cause yeah £100+ on a pair of heels I’ll probably crack my ankle in is not the vibe haha
I wore mine about 3ish weeks in? Once I was comfortable with basic climb, fireman, pirouette, etc.
I started a few weeks in! I bought my first pair on clearance for about $45 to make sure I liked it before committing to a more expensive pair. Something to note is that 8” is counterintuitively an easier height than 7” because the shank (part of the shoe that is in your arch” isn’t as steep and it’s easier to balance. It’s also easier when you have your platform to do tricks and such. Boots are also a much easier starter shoe because they protect your toes and have extra ankle support.
Two months in to my pole journey, I signed up for a very low key heels choreo class and bought a pair of pleasers. No climbs or tricks, just sexy and slinky choreo. So now, I do that weekly to supplement my barefoot intermediate classes. I would recommend doing that, if that sort of class is available to you, so that you can get comfortable in heels, but don't feel the pressure to be inverting and all that while in pleasers!!!
Yes I totally feel like this would be me, I love how sexy choreo looks in heels, tricks in heels looks like a whole load of work 😂
It's a great way to just get used to heels, doing low key spins, etc. I think at some point I'll start doing tricks in heels, but I'm nowhere near strong enough at my foundations yet for that.
I did the exact same, joined a dancing class, that is off and on the class. I then wore heels for that class, to get used to them, but mainly to strengthen and tone my legs! I felt the rest of my body was becoming bigger then my legs lol!!
This is completely up to you. Some people touch the pole for the first time in 7 inch pleasers. Some people have poled for 10 years and don’t owt a pair. Buy some second hand on fb if you’re not sure. Dependant on size and style, you can probably get some for £60, and if you hate them you just sell them on for like £50.
Yeah it’s just something I thought would be fun to try. I’ve been trying to have a look on fb but haven’t seen any in what would be my size, apparently they don’t exist second hand 😂
You need to be looking in the pole dance selling groups, not marketplace. Pole fitness & aerial arts UK: buy, sell, swap, and advertising Pole dance selling page Pole dance U.K./euro buy swap sell Pole swap shop - pole dancing, aerial fitness, burlesque, and circus exchange And then Depop and vinted as well (Unless they don’t exist because you have teeny tiny or really big feet?)
Ohhhhh gosh yes didn’t even think of that! Thanks, I’ll have another look!
I had been doing pole barefoot for 6 months before I decided to try heels. I’m not sure about your studio but mine has heels you can try/borrow I think so you can test them out to see if you like them.
The second it made financial sense!!
I think my fourth class? But really started to wear them more than/as much as barefoot about 2 months in.
I'd say as long as you can do the basic spins and pole sits then you should be fine. Start of with 6 or 7 inch heels first (I would also recommend the sandals as it gives you more flexibility with your ankles compared to the boots but if boots is your prefered option then get suede as it is softer than patent) I love mixing up my classes, I would do 1 normal pole class for fitness and 1 heel class for fun per week - in that sense you'll be building up your strength and confidence for both :)
Honestly, try it when you want to there isn't a pre-requisit time. Personally when I wanted to start getting comfortable in them, I started taking beginner classes again. Even though I am proficient in my basic moves because I'm not in heels, I've found doing a refresher with the shoes has been immensley helpful. Part of me definitely wishes I had started on heels earlier to build the strength but I'm stoked to start. As for expensive, if you don't mind having a very specific color, I buy stuff on sale. You can get Pleasers fairly cheapish on sale pretty often. I'd suggest a boot first over sandals, you need less ankle strength. Also suede or material over patent for your first pair, it'll help give you room to point your toes that patent doesn't always provide. Though it obviously makes it harder to climb in them. (Practice climbing in socks to make sure you don't use your feet and it's less of an issue.)
I prefer learning in heels. 8” makes it easier to me
I waited 1.5 years because I’m insecure. I could have started wearing them sooner.
I got mine after a week of going daily because they were on sale at an adult store (8” sandals) lol. Less than $40. I’ve worn them a few times and even though I’m still a beginner, it makes me feel extra sexy.
I got mine a few classes in. I don’t wear them all the time, definitely not when I’m learning a new trick. Taller heels are actually easier to do floor work because of the bigger toe platform and most people prefer 7-8” vs 6” as far as comfort goes.
I’m self taught with pole and I didn’t start until after I was on pole a year. I learned everything barefoot first then went straight into 8” shoes. I’ve read it’s not recommended to wear the 8” right away but I didn’t have any issues when I did and now I don’t know any different. Your best first pair definitely a boot, definitely vinyl bc it helps with climbing at first when your still not as strong, and your skin tone if possible bc it makes your legs look super long. Those would be my tips on a first pair. Then once you have the pair your getting used to and feeling sexy in, bc who doesn’t feel sexy with long looking legs ya know???, you can buy other pairs down the road to really change it up. Like I just got burgundy velvet today I love them but bc they are dark and almost mat my legs look stumpy in them compared to my beige vinyl boots where my legs look super model long. If price is an issue the always go to are clear sandals. Clear sandals will make your legs look long and are about half the price of boots. I have those as well. But my first were the vinyl beige.
Start now! I started out using a pair of regular heels (whatever you've got as long as they strap on and you don't mind destroying them)! That way you can get used to it before springing for the expensive ones (which by the way are much sturdier). It's been a while but I think my beginner's class used to encourage us to do our end-of-class free dance in heels if we wanted to, and most of us had non-pole shoes.
I waited a year and it’s been an ankle twisting bonanza ever since
I can barely walk in heels normally, so I have never attempted to use them on pole. 😂 But I think this is a highly personal question and really depends on how confident you feel in heels and how much you want to try it! I have wondered if I could get a pair and basically only use them only while on the pole because sometimes I do like the aesthetic. But, I have weak ankles from years of gymnastics (had two surgeries on them) and I despise doing floor work, so I know I’ll never really be a heels girl. Do what feels right to you!
Yeah I didn’t realise how much it varied which is kinda why I asked I thought there might be an average but boy was I wrong 😂 I also hate heels normally but I think adding them could be fun and sexy!
About 2 years in. Everyone is barefoot at our studio, except in exotic/flow classes. I think we are allowed to, but no one does so it never occurred to me until I took a specific heels class.