I scoffed at the idea originally. I thought, “Are you crazy?! I’ll break my neck!”

However a good pair of heels is essential if you plan to pursue pole dancing for fitness further. For starters, they make your legs look so freaking good and a million miles long.  At Aradia Fitness, we begin wearing our shoes in Level 3 for pole dancing… however we introduce shoes into our Lap Dancing & Chair Dancing classes as well as the Chair-obics classes.

Dancing in heels is a whole new experience completely. It is a killer leg workout.  Wearing your sexy heels also elongates all your dance moves and forces you to really slow everything down… adding even more sensuality to your routine. And to top it all off, once you begin to advance in your pole dancing you will need a good pair of heels or boots that will stick to the pole (important when you begin those advanced inverted tricks).

I am a Pleaser girl myself. Their shoes look awesome and they offer a variety of different styles. 4″, 5″, 6″… even 7″ heels. You can buy open toe/strappy heels, closed toes, ankle boots, knee high or even thigh high boots. Plus you can also look for a variety of platform styles (short, tall, see through, flashing!) and heel styles (stiletto, flared, funky). The best thing I like about Pleaser shoes is that they are affordable. My knee high boots were about $45 and my 6″ heels only $35.

The only thing about Pleaser shoes is that you have to track down an online retailer who sells them. I’ve had great success with Zappos and ShoeBuy.

Other shoes brands to check out include Demonia, Ellie, Devious and Lucious. Do your research and depending on what you are looking for, I’m sure you will find it! Seriously – these shoes are so FUN and you can find just about style, look, or fantasy-theme you can imagine

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Things to keep in mind when buying your dancing shoes:

- HEIGHT:
-If you are terrified of having a super high heel, you can offset this by making sure you have a 2″ or 3″ platform on the shoe. You still get all the height without killing your ankle in the process. Otherwise, get a heel height you can actually walk in… no matter if it is only 3″ or 4″. You got to be comfortable in your own skin otherwise it will translate into your dancing! Confidence is KEY!

- HEEL:
The type of heel you get is also dependent on how comfortable you are in heels. I can handle a stiletto up until about 3″… after that I’m tripping and sliding (lol).  I always look for a thick heel or one that flares out at the bottom. However if you love a pointy heel and can’t live without, go for it girl!

- STRAPS:
I am the type of person who has to have the shoe attached to my foot or else I won’t stop worrying about it. I love a strappy sandal or a pleather/leather boot. I can do all my tricks and spins without having to worry about the shoe flying off in the middle of my routine! Some ladies prefer the slip-on shoe style and I’ve seen them do all the same things with no problem.

- DECORATIONS:
Preferably you want a pretty simple shoe free of glitter, jewels, hooks, etc. For example, some knee-high or thigh-high boots are lace up with a lot of eyehooks running up the side or front. If possible, try to find a boot or shoe free of these decorations (look for zip up boot). Why? Because they will SCRATCH your pole and pole scratches cannot be undone! Also keep in mind that a shoe free of distractions will provide you with more surface to grip the pole for your inverted tricks.

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Pole dancing for fitness is centered around feeling sexy and having fun. Finding the perfect shoe (or shoes!!) to bring into your pole fitness routine is a fantastic way to make yourself feel a little more sexy… not to mention through a little attitude into your dancing. So have FUN when you are shopping!

Happy shoe hunting ladies!!