We’ve tested the most popular pole dancing grip aids to let you know what will help you beat those sweaty hands and what will leave you slipping and sliding down the pole.

DMM chalk ball

I came across this wonderful white powder (really, it’s chalk!) while shopping for a new jacket. DMM chalk balls are made specifically for rock climbers, who perhaps have an even greater need for good hand grip than we do.

And the climbers have obviously got it right – this chalk offers superb grip. Whether you’re about to perform on stage in a hot venue or are working hard to nail a new move, this chalk should guarantee you sweat-free holds and give you the grip and assurance you need.

I pole danced for a good 30 minutes without feeling the need to reapply it, so you should be able to get all the way through a performance or training session without worrying about sweaty hands.

And it’s not just suitable for hands – the chalk works well on the thighs and other parts of the body too. A ball should last you a long time as a little goes a long way, though be careful not to use too much or you’ll build up a nasty residue on your pole.

It’s not all good news: the chalk can become very sticky when mixed with water, so check your pole is clean and dry before you use it. Make sure you store the ball properly too, or it will do its best to turn your pole room into an unwanted winter wonderland. (I found this out the hard way.)

This is the best grip product I’ve used, and at just £1.99 for a ball it costs less than half that of the other products we’ve tested here. The next time you’re looking for a grip aid, try one of these.

Shopping options Snow & Rock (UK) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (US)

Gorilla Gold

I’ve heard some great things about Gorilla Gold grip enhancer, and at £5.99 it’s reasonably priced too. Gorilla Gold is a small cloth impregnated with a sticky beeswax and was originally designed for tennis players with grip problems. (Apparently it works “like pine tar, but without the mess,” though we didn’t check that ourselves.)

They advise you to touch the cloth gently until you reach the desired ‘tack’ and return it to the pack for next time. Gorilla Gold suggests the cloth should last for 20-30 applications, depending on how much you use.

I really didn’t get on with Gorilla Gold. It made my hands feel extremely sticky (in a syrupy, or perhaps pine tarry, way), but it gave me very little extra grip. The first time I spun round the pole after applying it, I slipped to the ground so quickly I screamed!

The problem seems to be that the beeswax doesn’t dry at all after applying it (and I only used a tiny bit, squeezing the cloth lightly two or three times). Rather than offering additional grip, Gorilla Gold acts almost like a lubricant, helping you slide even faster down the pole. It’s probably great with the more porous grips on tennis rackets or golf clubs, but it just doesn’t work with an impregnable metal pole.

I tried again after cleaning most of it off my hands so I just had a tiny amount left on, and this time it did improve my grip a little. It feels a bit like a pole that’s been used for a while, so if you like a dirty pole then this may be a way of getting that texture quickly. (Though make sure you only use a tiny amount!)

And it does leave the pole dirty. A lot of the beeswax transferred from my hands while I was testing it, leaving a large amount of difficult-to-shift gunk on my pole that took me about five minutes to clean off.

Gorilla Gold is sticky, but not grippy. Not recommended for pole dancing.

Shopping options Amazon (UK) | Amazon (US)

Mighty Grip

Mighty Grip is probably the most popular grip product in the pole dance community, and is sufficiently popular amongst polers for the company to target it specifically at pole people. Mighty Grip has also done well to get some super names like Pantera to endorse their product.

Mighty Grip is a powdered thermoplastic that comes in a tiny 7g bottle, usually priced at £4.99. So you don’t get a lot for your money, but the manufacturer stresses that a little goes a long way – I think you should get 100 applications out of it, depending on how much you use of course. To use Mighty Grip, shake a few drops of the powder on your hands, create a fist while the powder melts and you’re good to go.

The extra grip I got was excellent, particularly after I started to work up a bit of a sweat. The powder is quick to apply and clean to use, and it’s easy to slip the compact bottle into your hand bag too!

I did find that I needed to reapply the product after about 15 minutes of vigorous poling – the grip, while it lasted, was as good as the DMM chalk, but it just didn’t stay as long.

Mighty Grip leaves a slight white ‘dust’ on your hands. It’s easy to clean off, but could look a little unsightly if you’re performing for photos or HD video. As with all grip products, it left a little residue on my pole, but less than most.

Mighty Grip is an excellent pole dancing grip aid, but it doesn’t last as long as (and costs quite a bit more than) the DMM chalk. So overall I’d choose the chalk, but I’m definitely going to keep one of these in my bag for when I go out.

Shopping options Pole Exercise (UK & world) | Mighty Grip (US & world)

Platinum Grip

Claimed to be the ultimate liquid pole dance gripping solution, Platinum Stage’s grip aid comes in a small bottle filled with clear liquid that you apply to your hands or legs and allow to dry. It’s relatively new to the market, having launched in the UK just a few weeks ago.

Platinum Grip comes in 35ml or 70ml bottles, and I estimate that a 35ml bottle will last for 50-80 applications, depending on how liberally you apply it of course. It retails at $9.99 (35ml) or $15.99 (70ml) in the US and at £9.99 (70ml) in the UK.

I was impressed the Platinum Grip. It gives a very reassuring extra dose of grip on the pole and, as it’s a clear liquid, there are no white marks on your hands after it’s dried.

However, as I started to sweat, I found that a greasy substance was deposited on the pole that was quite tough to clean off, even with acetone or alcohol. I also needed to reapply it after 15-20 minutes: roughly the same as Mighty Grip, but not as long-lasting as the DMM chalk.

Despite these minor downsides, this is by far the best liquid grip aid I’ve used. It’s a very close thing between this and Mighty Grip, the other product targeted specifically at pole dancers. Mighty Grip tends to leave less residue and would be my choice – just – but if having white hands bothers you more then this is a great alternative.

Shopping options Platinum Stages (US) | Adam Jay (UK)

Liquid Chalk

Liquid chalk has been used by pole dancers as a grip aid for years. It usually comes in fairly large (250ml) bottles for £5-7, which you just pour over your hands and leave to dry before using.

Your pole grip is improved significantly with liquid chalk at first, but when you start to sweat the product turns into a rather gooey mess on your hands. And while the grip offered is good, it’s not quite as sticky as other products we’ve covered here.

There is an art to using liquid chalk effectively. Liquid chalk is made from magnesium carbonate (chalk), rosin (solid resin) and alcohol (which dissolves the resin and evaporates when applied). When properly shaken, the gluey liquid makes your hands very dry but also very white. The white has a tendency to get onto everything, and white marks on your outfit, the pole and the floor are not usually a great look.

But if left to settle, the chalk and rosin will separate in the bottle, and you can then pour some of the clear (and largely chalk-free) liquid onto your hands. This liquid is nowhere near as dry as the mixed chalky version, but I found the grip was actually slightly better.

Separating the mixture doesn’t work with all liquid chalk, so it may be impossible to avoid the white marks. Some people swear by this product and still use it today, but other grip aids offer superior grip and much less mess.

Shopping options Amazon (UK) | Amazon (US) | Kickback Sports (UK)

Vodka

Perhaps an unorthodox way to clean your pole, but vodka actually works really well, leaving the pole clean and shiny and with all of that poling gunk stripped off. You can pour a little on your hands to clean them too.

Of course it won’t improve grip beyond your natural dry hands level, but it’s a great alternative to (cleaning!) alcohol or acetone if you find yourself caught short. The only downside I can see is the reaction of others when you pull out a large bottle of Smirnoff on stage to clean the pole. :)

Shopping options Hmm…

Mighty Grip gloves

As well as their powder, Mighty Grip sells specially-designed pole dancing gloves. Inspired by the gloves weight lifters use, these fingerless gloves have a padded front that offers useful protection to your hands during intensive pole sessions.

The Mighty Grip gloves come in two versions: tack, for spinning poles; and non-tack, for static poles.

The non-tack gloves are designed to give you a better grip while still allowing you to spin. I found them very enjoyable to use, though as I continued to train I found my hands starting to sweat and move about a little inside the gloves. It’s important to buy the right size to limit movement as much as possible. Mighty Grip also recommends using some of their powder before you put the gloves on, and doing so did make the grip a little better.

The tack gloves are something else. Their shiny patent front gave me huge amounts of grip, no matter how difficult the move was. And boy do you notice – my hands remained on the pole long after my body had left, and moves that I was finding technically challenging became much more attainable. Spins are of course out of the question, but these gloves are great for static poses or a spinning pole.

I had the same problem with the gloves moving a little when my hands started to sweat, so this time I used the DMM chalk before putting the gloves back on. The combination worked really well and I had a great – and very productive – pole practice afterwards!

Both gloves come in a variety of colours and sizes from XS to L, so you should be able to find a pair that suits both your hands and your style. :) They’re priced at £10.99, which is significantly more than the other grip aids, but then it’s a different sort of product (and hopefully one that should last for years, not months).

The non-tack gloves offer a similar level of stick to the best grip aids we’ve reviewed here. The tack gloves offer vastly more grip than any other aid we’ve looked at, though of course their extreme stickiness does limit how widely you can use them.

These gloves aren’t a replacement for other grip aids: they (obviously) only cover the hands and work best in combination with another grip aid, but they do offer padding to protect the hands and, in the case of the tack gloves, huge grip. Recommended.

Non-tack shopping options Pole Exercise (UK & world) | Mighty Grip (US & world)
Tack shopping options Pole Exercise (UK & world) | Mighty Grip (US & world)

Pole health warning: don’t use these products

I know we’ve just spent a whole post talking about how great they are, and grip products can be a life saver if you’re really struggling with a move, have an important performance or just fancy an impromptu pole jam with friends.

But I strongly recommend only using them for those special occasions and not for general pole training. It’s important to build your confidence, strength and trick repertoire the natural way, or you may end up unable to perform without them.

Over to you

Do you use these grip products? What do you think? Do you prefer something else instead? I’d love to know – tell me about it in the comments!

Not all boots are good (check the tips below for some pointers), but choose the right ones and you’ll benefit from significantly more grip while pole dancing.

Ankle boots

Ankle boots are a great way to get some extra pole purchase while still having the option of a small heel. The added support they provide around the ankle will help you with some inverts and spins. And of course they add some useful padding to protect your feet from any scrapes and bruises.

Knee high boots

If you’d like a bit of extra help with your inverts – particularly those that rely on the feet and lower legs – then a pair of knee high boots is ideal.

They’re also great for climbing the pole – they can give you a real boost when your arm strength is waning at the end of a long pole dancing session. I personally own a fabulous shiny pair!

Thigh high boots

The Pretty Woman boot, so perhaps not something to wear out on a Saturday night (or maybe only over a pair of skinny jeans)!

You should definitely consider getting a pair though, as these boots are simply amazing at gripping the pole. I’ve worn them while doing public (and sometimes very stressful) performances and the extra help they gave me was invaluable.

Thigh high boots are great for learning moves like the Knees – the padding around the knee joint makes the experience a little less painful, and their stickiness gives you some useful extra security while you practise.

Chest high boots

I’ve never seen these worn on the pole (please do send pictures if you have any!). I’m sure the grip would be phenomenal though – moves like the Superman would be almost too easy!

Be a material girl

Before you fall in love with a pair of pole dancing boots, do make sure they are made of the right material.

Soft leather boots are not good for pole dancing – they can be extremely slippery and offer you no grip at all. Plastic or shiny boots are a much better bet, but unfortunately there’s no sure-fire guarantee of stickiness, so – unless they come Pole Approved – make sure you check the refund policy before you buy!

Keeping your boots on

Boots with zips on the inside leg are usually the best option for pole dancing, though if you can find a pair of slip on boots that fit perfectly then that’s ideal. Hooks will tend to bend and may damage your pole, and laces in the wrong place will provide no grip on the pole.

For bigger boots in particular, make sure they fit you very well. If the boots are too loose then there’s a danger they will get stuck half way up the pole as you slide to the bottom – never a good look!

Give your boots the boot

Just as with pole dancing grip aids, don’t get addicted to your boots! Take your boots off once a while – you may be surprised how much harder it is to stick to the pole with your skin. As well as ensuring your pole dancing prowess remains top notch, many competitions do not allow boots because of the huge advantage they give.

Pole Approved boots

Tony L-4 (first image above) – These boots are Pole Approved for stickiness (and shininess!). I have no connection with the company other than owning a pair. A number of other pole dancers I know also rate them highly.

Tony boots are available from: Heels for You [US] · How Cool [US] · Nitelife [UK] · Snaz 75 [US] and other good shops.

Pleaser also have a fine range of fine boots, but I don’t know anyone who owns a pair and so can’t comment on their stickiness. For places that sell Pleaser, please take a look at the previous post on pole dancing shoes.

Update:

• Pleaser Expose 2000 – Starr has a pair of these knee high boots, which she says are sticky – and really comfy – too.
• Pleaser Sultry 3000 – Nurse Bettie rates these thigh high boots.
• Funtasma Exotica 2000 by Pleaser – Sarah says these are not only grippy, but the most comfortable boots she has.

Do you have a pair of sticky boots? Please post details below! We’d love to build up a list of pole approved boots to help others find a good pair.

Think for a moment about the contact area between your feet and the pole. Tiny, isn’t it? Yet that small area is vital for getting you up the pole, keeping you on the pole and sometimes even suspending your entire body weight from it.

The right footwear will also make your pole work much more comfortable, protecting your skin from bruising, scrapes and carpet burns.

Pole shoes

When I’m teaching, I recommend that my students buy a pair of pole shoes (sometimes called stripper shoes or porn shoes). But why should you want to invest in a pair of plastic shoes with 5 or 6 inch heels? After all, you can’t exactly wear them to the office the next morning. Well, let me tell you…

• These shoes really stick to the pole. Pole shoes are a lot more grippy than bare feet, so you should find climbing or inverts such as Fang become a lot easier.
• The shoes are designed for dancers and are extremely comfortable. They have padding on the insoles and a curved end to help you pivot gracefully around the pole.
• Because they’re relatively heavy, pole shoes can help you get a deeper stretch across your legs when you invert. You should also be able to get a little extra momentum on spins when you kick out.
• Pole shoes will improve your posture and general ‘grounding’ as you walk around the pole. They also force your calf muscles to work harder – in essence you are on tip-toes the whole time.
• They make you look goooood. A pair of these shoes will do more for your legs and bum than 3 months at the gym!

More on pole shoes

Pole shoes come in a wide range of heights from 3 to 10 inches (and beyond!). If you’re not used to walking in heels, start off with a lower platform. (Also if you’re a tall girl like me you’ll probably want to stick with shorter heels. I tend to go for 4" platforms to stop me towering over everyone else in the room.)

Avoid shoes with big buckles or metal studs on them as they may damage the pole or your feet.

If you choose a pair without an ankle strap, take two pieces of ribbon and thread them under the shoe arches, then up and around your ankle and tie securely (similar to doing up a ballet ribbon). This will make the sure the shoes don’t get kicked off in an aggressive spin – not good for you or any bystanders!

Respect your shoes

You may find inverts become difficult again the first time you wear pole shoes because of the extra weight on your feet. In fact it’s a good idea to take off your shoes when you’re learning a new invert or strength move – not only will it make the move easier, but if you land a little harder than you expect you won’t run the risk of spraining your ankles.

And make sure you don’t take a chunk out of your leg with your new 6" heels when you do the seated spinner or similar moves. You now have some potent pieces of footwear attached to your legs – respect them accordingly!

The emperor’s new shoes

Though pole shoes are great, many people find they are most comfortable pole dancing in bare feet. Particularly if you’re just starting out, getting the hang of moving round the pole is often enough without worrying about balancing on high platforms at the same time. And having bare feet is a good option:

• Though not as good as pole shoes, skin sticks incredibly well to the metal pole. It’s a much better choice than fabric or many plastics.
• You’ll get a lot more feedback through your body, helping you learn how much pressure you need to exert on the pole for each move.
• You will get to know the ‘feel’ of the pole much more quickly, helping to build confidence in your ability to perform new and existing moves.
• And, of course, there’s no danger of you scratching your pole.

Trainers

If you going to be pole dancing for extended periods of time I’d recommend wearing plastic-coated or leather trainers. Libby and I wore these when we were filming the Pole Exercise DVD, and we often taught in them at the end of four hours of back-to-back classes when our feet were aching!

As well as being very comfortable, plastic-coated trainers do stick a little to the pole and will protect your feet from bruising. They won’t give you as much grip as bare feet or pole shoes though, so you may want to ditch the trainers if you’re learning something new. I’ve found that Adidas and Puma do a great range, though make sure they are fully plastic or leather and have no fabric on them (some like these or these these or these Geox Snakes).

Dance shoes

Professional dance shoes such as jazz shoes or blocks will give you almost no grip on the pole. They provide a great challenge for intermediate and advanced pole users, but would be very difficult – and probably quite disheartening – for you if you’re just starting out.

Shoe emporia

Some online footwear outlets to get you started.

• BananaShoes [UK] (aff.) Site with a huge range of shoes, boots and other gear too (recommended by Shelly)
• Pleaser USA [US] Manufacturers of the pole shoes featured above and many, many more besides, all illustrated with lovely pictures (wholesale only)
• Pleaser UK [UK] Same shoes, less good website
• Heels For You [US] Another US company with a wide range of shoes (and lots of yummy pictures)
• Amazon.com [US] Pleaser shoes on Amazon
• High Heel Place Not a shop, but a “place where all the people in the world who like high heels can come together and share their thoughts.” Reviews, galleries and an active forum. Definitely worth a look if you’re seriously into your shoes.

What about boots? Well, we realised we had too much to say about them to fit in here, so we’ll be devoting a whole post to them soon. Stay tuned, or subscribe today to get the latest pole news, views and moves delivered straight to your inbox.

Update: Click here for the post about boots.

Shoes update: We’ve had quite a few people asking about the black starry shoes in the article and where to buy them. They are the Pleaser KISS-201LT4 and are available with blue and pink stars.

If you’re in the UK, BananaShoes has them in both blue and pink for £62. Fantasy Heels sells them for £70. Wholesale Erotica has them at a much more attractive £40, though unfortunately that’s wholesale only. Strangely, their public shop (on the same site) doesn’t seem to stock them, though they may be able to point you in the right direction. Pleaser’s own UK shop doesn’t seem to have them either, though again they may be able to help.

There are a lot more shopping options in the US. Even if you live elsewhere, ordering from the US is a possibility and probably cheaper too. Heels For You have them for $61, or just over £30, (plus postage) and say they will ship to most countries. Amazon in the US also stocks them (and currently for just $44, or £23), though I don’t know if they will ship internationally. A couple of other US stockists I found via Google are Snaz 75 and The Red Door. Stacy also found them at DesireShoes.

If you’ve bought a pair or know somewhere else that sells them (particularly in the UK), please add a comment to let us know.

The clothes you choose can make a huge difference to your pole work. Wear the right thing and you’ll have more grip, feel a lot less pain and avoid the odd, um, unwanted exposure too.

Pole dancing is all about gripping at the right times and with the right parts of your body. Skin tends to be sticky, but clothes (as a rule) are not, so it’s important to have enough skin on show to let you climb, hang off and spin round your pole.

It’s simple really

Almost all pole schools – including my own – recommend wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Simple and effective! Here are a few other points you should consider too:

• Short shorts are much better than long shorts. Your upper thighs are very important for many pole moves, and long shorts won’t give you nearly as much grip in this crucial area.
• Football shorts tend to be very slippery. You’ll probably find you stick to the pole much better with a pair of cotton-based shorts instead.
• Wear big knickers. If you’re going to be doing moves like the Eye Opener or Teddy, wear a big pair of knickers underneath to avoid any Britney incidents! Ones like these from Figleaves are perfect.
• Grip better – If you find you’re not sticking to the pole as much as you’d like and want a bit more purchase then a tight vest top is perfect. Many people are amazed at the extra grip they get from just the upper arm and armpit.
• And though they look lovely, smock tops aren’t really suitable as they tend to invert when you do!

A private showing

If you’re lucky enough to have your own pole at home you can be as creative and inventive with your wardrobe as you like. Just wearing knickers and a bra is a great way to work out: it keeps you cool and there’s a lot more skin exposed to help you stick to the pole. Some people even like to work out naked!

If you do normally wear a t-shirt, going topless will make some moves such as the Half Flag or Gemini feel quite different. With so much more skin on show you’ll have a huge amount of extra grip, but it can be quite disconcerting – not to mention painful! – when you end up stuck to the pole rather than sliding gracefully down as you usually would.

So try a couple of easy moves before leaping into the Hercules, and experiment with grip in other areas, for instance by using your hands and feet to vary your body pressure against the pole.

Accessorize!

Pole Exercise may be a great workout, but there are few things that can’t be made even more fun with a few choice accessories. If you want to spice up a routine you’ve put together or you’re planning a little show and tell then go for it!

Accessories can make all the difference in turning a good pole performance into one that looks truly spectacular. I’ve seen everything from feather boas to whips used to great effect – just let your imagination run wild!

What you wear on your feet can also make a huge difference to pole work. We’ll be looking at that soon – stay tuned!