Strip heels are an essential attribute of pole dance, strip plastique, exotic pole, and other styles. They not only add aesthetics and sensuality, but also help you control movements better, strengthen muscles and joints, and protect your feet from injuries.
The basis for choosing strip heels is platform height
The platform is the part of the sole of strip heels located under the toe area. It can vary in height, shape, and material.
Here are the main platform types by height:
Zeros — 8–13 cm heel, no platform or a minimal 1–3 cm platform
Ones — 15 cm heel, 5 cm platform
One-and-a-halves — 16 cm heel, 6 cm platform
Twos — 17 cm heel, 7 cm platform
Threes — 20 cm heel, 10 cm platform
Fours — 23 cm heel, 13 cm platform
Fives — 25 cm heel, 15 cm platform
How do you choose platform height and type depending on your goals and level?
To choose platform height and type, it is important to understand the purpose of the shoes and your level of training. Depending on this, you can choose one of the following options:
- If the most important thing for you is maximum safe movement around the studio, Zeros are the ideal option. These shoes are excellent for dancing upright, but because they have no platform bevels (or no platform), they are categorically unsuitable for strip and exotic classes.
- If you do strip dance and you are a beginner, then Ones are your option. This is the most comfortable last, providing proper load distribution on the ankle and allowing you to point and extend the feet. This is important from both an aesthetic and technical point of view.
- If you are already a more experienced dancer, you can try One-and-a-halves. They have all the advantages of Ones, while looking more beautiful and visually lengthening the legs.
- If you do exotic dance, you can choose Twos. In this style, work on the platform bevels is important, and on Twos they are already pronounced, unlike on Ones and One-and-a-halves. But be careful: this platform is quite injury-prone and requires good balance and strength.
- If you are a professional dancer, you may dare to try Threes or even Fours. This height undoubtedly looks impressive and highlights your skill level, but it also carries a high risk of injury and makes many elements harder to perform.
We hope that after this explanation, it will be easier for you to make your choice!
