Short answer. Choose platform heels you can stand and walk in, with enough ankle support for your first classes. Boots are usually steadier than sandals. No Brussels studio checked for this guide requires a brand.
Flow Factory tells heels students to bring their own shoes. It does not publish a compulsory height, brand or model. The notes below are general. They are not a fitting service and not a shopping list.
What the shoe is
Pole heels are platform shoes: a thick sole under the toe and a high heel, so the foot is angled but not only balanced on a thin stiletto. Street stilettos without a platform are a poor substitute. The platform is what makes a long class possible.
Heights are sold in a range. A lower or middle platform is the usual place to start, because you can still feel the floor and control the knee. The tallest size looks closer to a performance photograph and is harder to walk in. If you already live in platforms, you may not need the shortest pair. If you do not, do not start at the top of the range to look experienced.
Try the shoes on a hard floor before you book a month of classes in them. Walk, turn, and stand on one leg near a wall. Pain in the first five minutes does not become style later.
Boots or sandals
Boots cover the ankle. That cover is support, and it hides a little insecurity while you learn. Sandals, sometimes called open-toe heels in class, show the foot and ask the ankle to do more. They are a reasonable second pair. They are a harsh first pair if your ankles fold as soon as you are tired.
A closed toe also protects you when you kneel and turn. An open toe asks for more care on the floor.
The ankle strap, if there is one, should hold without cutting. A shoe that you have to grip with your toes the entire class will make the pole work worse.
Fit
- The foot should not slide forward when you point.
- You should be able to flex the ankle a little. A completely rigid boot hides bad balance and then hurts.
- Size can differ from your street shoe. Platforms are often sized differently from one maker to the next. Use the maker’s chart rather than loyalty to a number.
- Break them in at home for short periods. Do not take a still-stiff pair into a long workshop and expect the skin at the heel to cooperate.
What this page will not do
There are no shop links here. A sandal that suits one student is unstable for another. If a studio later publishes a required shoe for a specific workshop, follow that note for that day only. It is not a general rule for Brussels.
For where classes exist, see pole heels in Brussels.