How to Choose Accessories for Dancing in Heels: Straps, Supports, and Foot Protection

The shoes are bought, the outfit is ready, and your first class is already on the schedule. It seems that all that is left to do is dance. But after a couple of training sessions, you may get the strange feeling that your platform heels no longer hold your feet as securely as they did on the first day. Your heel moves around, your foot slides forward, and instead of focusing on technique, you start wondering whether you chose the wrong size.

Most likely, you did not make a mistake. There is plenty of advice everywhere on how to choose the right pair, while shoe supports, straps, gel inserts, and foot protection are rarely mentioned. Yet these are exactly the things that can turn a beautiful pair into shoes you can comfortably dance in for an hour at a time.

Of course, not everyone needs them, and certainly not right away. If you feel comfortable without them, great. Still, sooner or later, the question tends to come up. So below, we will look at the different types of accessories, what they actually do, and how to choose the right ones for you.

What types of accessories are available for Pole Dance?

There are not that many, and each one serves a specific purpose.

Straps

Straps work on the outside, keeping your foot and shoe together as one. The most popular option is removable silicone straps. They attach to the shoe itself or are worn over the shoe and around the heel, so they work with any platform height. Some are transparent and almost invisible in photos and videos, while others come in different colors, allowing you to adapt the same pair of platform heels to different looks. They provide good support, although silicone can become slippery against the skin in hot conditions, which is why many dancers wear them over thin socks.

There are also straps that cross over the instep. These distribute pressure across the foot and help prevent it from sliding forward when leaning, which is especially useful for narrow feet.

If the heel is the main problem, wide ankle straps can help. They secure the ankle and also visually elongate the leg.

Shoe supports

These are pads and inserts that help prevent the foot from moving inside the shoe. Unlike straps, they work from the inside.

The most common types include:

• gel heel grips to help keep the heel from slipping out;
• half insoles for the ball of the foot, which also help prevent the toes from sliding forward;
• silicone tongue pads for dancers with a high instep;
• non-slip insole inserts to keep the foot from sliding during turns.

They are inexpensive, but they can make a noticeable difference. This is especially true if your platform heels are slightly looser than they should be because the exact size you needed was unavailable.

Foot protection

Here, the goal is no longer just to secure the foot, but to make sure you can still walk comfortably after training. The most common options are:

• pads for the ball of the foot, which reduce pressure on the metatarsal area where high heels tend to cause the most discomfort;
• silicone toe protectors that help prevent blisters between the toes;
• plasters and heel pads for anyone who gets rubbing at the back of the shoe;
• thin socks and no-show socks that reduce friction and also help with hygiene;
• compression socks for those whose legs and feet tend to swell by the end of a training session.

This is the kind of thing many dancers put off buying until the first blister appears. But it is cheaper and much more pleasant to prepare in advance than to miss classes later.

There are also knee pads and grip aids. Knee pads protect your knees during floorwork, while grip products improve your grip on the pole when your hands start to slip.

Why do you need supports for dance shoes?

It is a fair question, because platform heels already hold the foot fairly well on their own. But while they keep the foot in a certain position, they do not necessarily prevent it from shifting inside the shoe.

You notice the difference during turns. Without extra support, the foot may slide by just a few millimeters, and the body automatically engages additional muscles to compensate. This can lead to fatigue after just twenty minutes and tension in the toes as you unconsciously try to grip the insole.

With the right support, your foot and shoe work as one. You start to feel the floor through the platform instead of fighting against the shoe, and your technique immediately becomes cleaner.

In fact, some common beginner mistakes come from exactly this problem. It is not necessarily about weak legs; sometimes the foot is simply moving independently inside the shoe, making proper control difficult.

How to choose the right accessories for you

There is definitely no need to buy everything at once. It is better to attend a couple of classes first and see what actually causes discomfort, because this is different for every dancer.

From there, it is quite simple:

• If your foot slides forward – use half insoles and cross-over straps across the instep.
• If your heel slips out – use gel heel grips together with a wide ankle strap.
• If the ball of your foot hurts – use metatarsal pads, in other words, foot protection for dancing.
• If the back of the shoe or the toe area causes rubbing – use silicone protectors and plasters.

A slightly oversized pair of platform heels is a separate case. In this situation, you can use a front insert, a heel grip, and an additional strap at the same time. They will not make the shoes a full size smaller, but they can stop your foot from moving around inside.

The material matters too. Silicone is versatile and works with almost everything, gel inserts are softer and more comfortable for sensitive feet, while fabric pads can work better in hot conditions because they are less likely to slide against damp skin.

How can you make platform heels more stable on your feet?

Accessories can solve a lot of problems, but there are also a few things you can do that cost nothing at all.

Start by adjusting the strap. It should fit snugly, but you should still be able to slide one finger comfortably between the strap and your ankle. Any looser and your foot may move around; any tighter and you may start to feel numbness after half an hour.

Do not dance barefoot. A thin sock can reduce slipping inside the shoe and help prevent blisters at the same time, and it costs very little.

It is also worth breaking in a new pair at home. Platform heels are often stiff at first, so walking around your home in them for half an hour before your first training session can help prevent many common problems.

And here is the most important thing that is rarely mentioned: stability depends not only on the shoes, but also on where you place your weight. If your center of gravity shifts too far forward, no straps, inserts, or supports will completely solve the problem – your foot will still tend to slide. That is where technique matters.

How to care for your accessories

After training, all these small accessories often get tossed into a bag together with the platform heels and are not thought about again until the next class. It is better not to do that.

Silicone straps and pads can simply be wiped clean or washed with warm water and soap, then left to dry. Gel inserts should also be washed from time to time, and if they come with a protective film, put it back on once they are completely dry.

Fabric straps, socks, and no-show socks should be washed after several training sessions, or immediately if the class was particularly intense. Anything that stays on your feet for an hour or more should not spend weeks sitting in a sports bag.

Plasters and disposable protective pads should not be reused. Even if they still look fine, the adhesive will not hold as well after training, and the surface will have collected moisture and bacteria.

It is also worth checking all your accessories from time to time. If the silicone has stretched, a strap has started to tear, or an adhesive insert no longer stays in place, it is time to replace it. A dance class is definitely not the best moment to find out whether an accessory can survive one more session.

Of course, all of this applies only to the accessories you actually need. There is no universal set that works for everyone. One pair of platform heels may be perfectly comfortable with its original straps, another may need inserts, while a third may require additional heel support. That is why the best guide is not a shopping list, but how your feet actually feel during training.

If your shoes fit securely, nothing rubs, and your foot does not slide forward, there is no need to add accessories “just in case.” But if a problem does appear, you now know where to look for a solution and what to try first.