These Shoes Are Made For Dancing

It was meant to be when I purchased my birthday-gift-to-self a few weeks ago. My very first Pleaser heels.

I first heard of Pleaser from my pole teachers when I asked where they got their really pretty pole heels. They replied, they ordered online from Pleaser. I'm glad that now that the Polecats Manila studio has a pretty shelf that carries Pleaser shoes for sale. The shoes really look so pretty but alas, since I wear big sizes (around 9 or 10, depending on the style for heels), I couldn't own one yet. So for a time, I was feeling like Cinderella's stepsister as she tried on the glass slipper, except that instead of  transparent glass pumps of considerable height, they were patent heels and boots that were at least 5-6 inches in height.

Don't get me wrong though, Pleaser shoes are really made for dancing and despite their height, they are very stable and comfortable unlike other stilettos that can break after the third wear. This one can withstand climbs, inverts, spins, and a few pole transitions and handsprings and if taken good care of, can last us quite a long time in our pole career.

I admit that dancing in heels is a challenge. Yet since I'm a pole dancer, pain for me is nothing foreign. Besides, heels add a bit of oomph to your walk and repertoire and once you get the hang of it, it can give you the illusion of mile-long legs and upgrade your lines to yowza! Just look at the very sexy and flexy pole dance star, Felix Cane who is almost always seen wearing her sky-high heels in her performances.

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She does all her inverts and spins in those heels effortlessly like she was born to wear and perform in them.

When I make a big purchase, I almost always have this thing that if it's meant for me, it's just going to call to me. When size 9's finally became available in the studio, I found a pair of patent leather 6" heels calling to me. A few months later it went on sale at 30% off. I told myself that if it's still there on a very special occasion that called for me to buy something for myself, It's meant for me. My birthday came and it was there. For the summer program, attending pole dance in heels classes last summer, getting stronger, and performing in stellar, it was a post-stellar birthday treat to self that I know I'm going to use not only in my performances but in events. Oh, and this investment is another drive for me to prolong my life in pole too. If I get to master training in heels, I probably might be using heels in my next competition.

So you may ask, how are those shoes? For a girl who's always in flats, flip flops, flat boots, and her trusty lilac sneaks (the only sneakers I ever own) and only wear heels only 2 hours in a special occasion, I have to agree with my teachers that they are indeed very comfortable. They add this nice shape to the calves a swing to my walk, and it gives me more height than usual. Always remember to point toes even in heels.

If anyone asks me, I'm 6'1".

If you love heels and want height, stability, and comfort, get the sky-high heels made for dancing. Also, Pleaser shoes come in many different styles. Feel free to browse through the Pleaser USA site, check out their Facebook page (browse and see that you don't need to be a pole champion to own your Pleasers. Helen Mirren owns a pair too!), or visit the Polecats Manila studio to check out a perfect pair for you.


Polecats Manila Studio is located at Strata 100 Bldg, F. Ortigas Jr., Ortigas Center, Pasig

Footwear for the Non-Trad Bride

Golds, silvers, ecrus, and teals move away.... this bride's footwear is bold red. I chose my bridal footwear months before D-Day so I could break them in months before so I won't trip or fall. I always wanted to wear red shoes when I got married because it's my favorite color and mandated it to be the motif and well, I didn't want to be like all brides were, because what's the fun in it right?

The search for the perfect shoe was harder than I expected. Although I have only one color in mind, I have to take note of the material. Most of the red evening shoes I saw were in satin or didn't speak rebel enough. The one that I wanted didn't go on sale at Zara and no way would I plunk Php4000+++ on a high-heeled shoe when I live on flats most of the time. When I visited People R People store last October though, I checked out their heels on sale and spotted a pair of peeptoe four-inch shoes in red. I checked out the price and knowing that it was down to Php799 from around Php1200, I bought it right away since it also had my size, which was a 9. I was sold immediately.

They weren't just red peeptoe stilettos. They were red SNAKESKIN peeptoe stilettos. They weren't dainty and snakeskin just spells rarrr. Of course, that's not a real snake that sacrificed its hide for the sake of fierce fasyon-ness but the print is just to purdy!!!!!

With heels as purdy as these, who could tell that I've got big feet? My feet are big and I'm glad the style of the shoes didn't make me look like Bigfoot's long-lost un-hairy niece.

Of course, high heels mean pain in a few hours, so I needed to somewhat alleviate the pain I'd be feeling. I know I'll be kicking them off for flats come reception time but from preps to picture taking to ceremony, I needed to still keep smiling somewhat while wearing them. Here's what I did to break in the bridal shoe:

1. Broke them in by walking around the house an hour or two a day in them wearing gym socks to give them a bit more room to try to get used to it.

2. Breaking them in could identify some trouble spots to know what measure to take while wearing them.

3. Following #2, I found that to finally be relatively more comfy in them are to buy cushions. I bought a pair of cushions for the sole and also on the heel to snug them well.

4. Try them out in certain occasions, like photoshoots or events. The gym socks does its job at home but the gym socks have got to go during D-day right?

5. Have fun and rock them when the day comes!

Expect to see these shoes in more events and shoots, at least until I slip into a pair of flats after. I love that they're still funky enough not to spell "wedding!" So I could still rock them in events or on occasions where there's a need to dress up. :)