Sport pole and exotic pole are two styles of the same discipline. Sport pole, sometimes called pole fitness or tricks, centres on strength, climbs, spins and inversions, usually barefoot. Exotic pole, which overlaps with what many studios call heels classes, adds dance in platform heels, slower movement at the base of the pole, and floorwork away from it. The pole is the same in both rooms. What you wear is not, and the difference is mostly below the knee.
This post is about the garment changes for a regular class. Competition costumes have their own rulebooks, which we covered in What competition dress codes require.
What stays the same in both classes?
The shorts. Whatever the class, if you are going to climb, sit or hold the pole with your legs, you need skin on the pole. The pole camp guide from Pole Camps describes the standard shorts as "tight-fitting shorts that expose the inner thigh and back of the knee for grip," and that is true whether you are in heels or barefoot. Exotic does not make the thigh any less important as a grip point.
What does change is the room's tolerance for covering up. Exotic class lists often make leggings optional. Pole Fitness Studio's Russian exotic class lists "heels, shorts or leggings, socks or leg warmers, knee pads." Queen Bee's lists leggings as optional for a low-flow and floorwork class. When a class spends more of its time at the base of the pole and on the floor, a dancer can choose more coverage and lose less.
Dragonfly, which makes polewear, makes a similar point about the back of a short: a fuller cut "may suit you if you prefer a classic shorts shape or want more coverage for choreography and studio sessions."
What changes below the knee?
Almost everything.
Feet. Sport classes are usually barefoot or in grippy soles, and some studios rule heels out entirely. Tantra Fitness says that in its pole fitness class, where the focus is "on strength, coordination, and endurance," it forbids high heels of any kind; once you are ready for heels in exotic dance, it suggests Pleaser Shoes. In exotic classes heels are the point. Pole Camps calls "seven-inch or eight-inch platforms" standard for exotic pole. Some studios set rules for them: Queen Bee's requires that heels "must NOT be street-worn," with a rubber sole under the platform and full ankle support. Our post on starting pole heels covers when and how to begin.
Knees. Floorwork puts the knees on the floor, which is why knee pads appear on exotic class lists and rarely on sport ones. Queen Bee's labels one beginner class "KNEEPADS REQUIRED" and describes floorwork with "rolls and transitions on the floor." Pole Camps says that even camps that are mostly sport pole "often include a floorwork or exotic session," so pads are worth packing if there is any chance of one. How to choose and fit them is in Knee pads for pole.
Shins and feet in heels. Socks and leg warmers turn up on exotic lists too. Some exotic classes are taught in socks instead of heels; Queen Bee's lists heels or socks for its floorwork class. Leg warmers sit on the same lists. The details of what each one does, including when socks become a hazard on the pole, are in Socks, leg warmers and knee-highs for pole.
How does that change what you buy?
For a sport class, the garment is the whole kit: shorts, a top, bare feet. For an exotic class, the garment is a system, and the shorts and top are only part of it. A few things follow from that:
- The shorts still have to work on the pole. If the class includes climbs or sits, a heels class is not a reason to give up thigh contact.
- The edges matter more with pads and legwear on. Knee pads, leg warmers and high socks all sit against or near the leg openings of your shorts when you kneel and roll. A short with a stable leg edge and a waistband that stays put is less likely to shift when you are moving on the floor.
- Pack by the class description. Studios differ. One studio's exotic list is not another's, and the safest kit is the one the class listing asks for.
Quick answers
Do I need different shorts for an exotic class? Usually not. You still need bare thighs to grip the pole. Some exotic classes allow leggings if you prefer coverage.
What do I wear on my feet for exotic pole? Platform heels, often seven or eight inches, or socks if the class allows it. Sport classes are usually barefoot.
Why do exotic classes ask for knee pads? Floorwork puts the knees on the floor, with kneeling, rolls and slides.
Can I wear heels to a sport pole class? Usually not. Some studios forbid heels in fitness and tricks classes.