Blog Archives
Poleugg: Bringing Aussie Pride and Comfort to the Pole World
I love seeing new pole businesses bloom, especially when they have a unique product. When Poleuggs first popped up in my Instagram feed, I was fascinated: How did they work? Do they really stick to the pole? Are they legit and well made, like the original Uggs (we have a lot of cheap knock-offs in the States)?
I’ve been wanting to offer more interviews and product reviews recently, as I think it’s a great way to see another side of our community and hear from voices who may not always have a chance to share. As such, I reached out to Lyndal and Kacie, the founders of Poleugg to chat about their company:
Poleitical Diaries: How did you come up with the idea for Pole Uggs?
PoleUgg: The idea for Pole Uggs came when Lyndal noticed a trend in girls wearing Ugg boots in winter to pole classes, and also at the other local dance studios etc. The concept originally was just to be exciting designs with cool fabrics that were maybe sparkly or girly. When we sat down together to brain storm ideas it became apparent that we could possibly make them to actually stick to the pole, and be able to keep peoples feet warm through the entire pole lesson instead of just wearing them to and from the studio.
PD: How long does it take to make the shoes? Can you tell us about the craftsmanship that goes into each pair?
PU: Turn around to make one pair of boots is quite quick, between 1-3 days, however usually our orders are of a bigger scale so can take up to 2 weeks depending on how busy our manufacturer is with other orders. Our Uggs have a lot more hand cut and sewn pieces than a regular pair of Uggs, so can take a bit longer to make.
PD: What do you love about being a pole entrepreneur?
PU: The most rewarding thing, and the thing that makes us proud to be entrepreneurs, is seeing our product being worn and endorsed by some of the most amazing pole dancers in the world! And also the fact that we are involved in a deeper scale in the industry, other than just owning a pole studio (which we also do together :))
PD: Have you created other shoe or clothing lines in the past?
PU: This is our first venture into clothing/shoe manufacture and design
Fontaine
PD: What do you feel your line offers to the community that sets it apart from other lines?
PU: Our company is the first of its kind to offer something this unique, a very niche product, [for] which we actually have a patent pending.
PD: How has the community reacted to your new line? Where do you hope to take it?
PU: The reaction to Poleuggs has been amazing. The support we have had from local, and international artists has been integral to our growth. In terms of the near future our aim to gain more exposure as we are still relatively new in the market. For the long term, we hope to become a household name for pole dancers everywhere eg. “It’s cold today, I’ll wear my Poleuggs!”
PD: How long did it take for you to go from initial idea to selling your line?
PU: It was approximately 12 months from the initial idea to when we first launched. We went through numerous design stages and testing to make sure the Ugg was of high quality and standard.
PD: How can dancers purchase your product and connect with you online? How long does it typically take for the shoes to arrive?
PU: All purchases can be made through www.poleugg.com. People can connect with us through the website and also on Instagram www.instagram.com/poleugg. Shipping times vary greatly depending on your location in the world. We are based in Sydney Australia, so locally we can have them arrive at your door within the week, internationally can range anywhere between 2-4 weeks.
PD: Who is a part of Pole Uggs and where are you based?
PU: We (Lyndal & Kacie) are the creators and directors of Poleugg, and when you contact our business you will deal directly with us.
PD: What inspires you in the pole community?
We are inspired by lots of things in the pole community, but if we have to narrow it down, it would most likely be the amount of creativity and individuality in the industry. These are the things that we base around our designs and feed off to create our Uggs.
PD: Who are your pole icons? (They don’t have to be famous – they can be any pole dancer you are inspired by)
PU: It is such a hard question to narrow down as there are so many amazing people in this industry but we will give it our best shot! Carlie Hunter, Anastasia, Shimmy and Maddie Schonstein, Sergia, Marlo. But also being teachers, we are inspired by all of our students and the passion that they develop for pole.
PD: Is there any advice you have for budding pole entrepreneurs and budding pole dancers?
PU: Our advice would be mostly, to follow your passion. The rest of the stuff comes easy when you are true to your passion and dreams!!!!
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I adore their upbeat spirit and entrepreneurship! Do you own a pair of Poleuggs? Let me know how you like them!! I’d love to hear from you! If you’re looking to purchase a pair, be sure to check out their website. You can also catch them in action on the Instgram videos from stars like Amy Hazel and Sergia Louise Anderson.
Happy Poling!
Aura Heels: Your New Favorite Shoes! Part 1
Have you seen these shoes?!?! No, really…HAVE YOU SEEN THESE SHOES??
OMG GIMME – Photo credit Aura Heels
I stumbled upon Aura Heels via Facebook, and like any pole dancer would, fell immediately in love. Brilliant, light up heels that smoothly change color?
Seriously.
Not only was I enamored with the product, but as a fellow pole entrepreneur, I was interested in how the company was created. Cut to a few emails later, and I have a special treat for you: a 2 part series on Aura Heels! First up is an interview with the owners of Aura Heels, and soon to come, a review of their shoes!
Melanie, the co-founder of Aura Heels, was kind enough to answer some of my questions about herself and the company:
Poleitical Diaries: Who is a part of Aura Heels and where are you based?
Aura Heels: Aura Heels is a two person team, myself and my husband, Alan. We are based in Cary, NC.
PD: How did you begin your pole dance journey?
AH: My story is the typical one. Two friends and I took a teaser class. They never took another and I kept going back for more. I took my very first class at Aradia Fitness in Cary NC. Hi Dakota!
PD: How does dancing in shoes change your pole movement?
AH: For me dancing in shoes makes me more aware of my lines. You have to learn to step and turn gracefully in 7″ stilletos.
PD: What inspires you in the pole community?
AH: Just how incredibly encouraging most people are. I have never been apart of community that is so caring of one another. We are usually the loudest cheering for a friend or even someone you don’t know. It doesn’t matter what your shape, background or anything is. You will usually be met with open arms and encouraging words.
Galaxy Platforms – Photo by Aura Heels
PD: Who are your pole icons?
AH: I have many pole icons. Alethea Austin. Her slow, purposeful movements are just beautiful to watch, hard to replicate. Karol Helms, who was one of the first pole dancers I ever saw on YouTube. She is not only an amazing dancer, she is an excellent teacher and genuinely a funny, intelligent, nice woman. Other icons are all the women I see come into the studio. They are all amazing and it makes me incredibly glad to be apart of pole.
PD: What is your signature pole dance style?
AH: Is there a particular pole movement with which you most identify? I don’t know if I have a signature style per say. I love slow, dancey movement. Floorwork is a favorite, too. I also love to just be silly and let it be just fun with no true direction, just whatever happens. I guess I’d call it eclectic sexy.
PD: What are your favorite moves and your nemesis moves?
AH: I love spins and cross ankle release. My nemesis is the extended butterfly.
PD: Is there any pole product you just can’t live without?
AH: Not one particular product. I love my Aura Heels, BadKitty fold over shorts, Vaseline Intensive skin lotion and electrical tape to cover raw spot and burns. Electrical tape will stick more to itself than your skin or a band-aide and it’s grippy. Dry Hands for hot humid NC weather.
PD: Is there any advice you have for budding pole entrepreneurs and budding pole dancers?
AH: For budding entrepreneurs; be prepared to be unprepared. There are a hundred tiny details that you just won’t think about and they pop up often. Mostly though have fun, enjoy chasing the dream. It is worth it. For budding pole dancers; Take it slow and build up. The tricks will come. It’s no fun to pull a muscle or tendon pushing to hard or to fast. Enjoy the learning all the amazing things your body can do.
PD: How did you come up with the idea for Aura Heels?
AH: It was mostly by accident. I had just bought a pair of 7in clear Pleasers to alter. I’m always looking for ways to make my pole shoes fun. My husband, Alan, saw them and was certain he could figure out a way to put lights in them. He got an old pair from me and started to dismantle them to see how they were made, and what he could fit in them. We have come a long way since then. The first pair were charged by 8 double A batteries and weighed a good 5lbs each.They were not the most successful thing ever. He did learn a lot from that first experience though.
PD: How long does it take to make the shoes? Can you tell us about the craftsmanship that goes into each pair?
AH: The time it takes to create a pair of shoes depends on whether they are sound or tilt reactive, how many modes they have and also the size of the shoe comes into play. It usually takes about a week, roughly speaking. Starting with a new pair of unmodified shoes, there are about five steps/ stages of our process. We first dismantle them, removing all the old glue. We then mark off all the dimensions for the LEDs, touch sensors and charging ports, then use power tools to grind and drill the channels for all the components. We then build the bulk of the electronics, laying the LEDs along the underside of the foot bed, wiring them together, and build the control and battery packs that will live in the shoe. Then we begin the painting process, this is can very finicky. If the paint isn’t right it shows pretty strongly, since we are shining so much light through the shoe. This can take a day or so by itself, just to let it cure and build the layers up the get the right amount of light diffusion. Last is the final fitting to make sure that lights are laying in the channels properly and all the connections work. Once that’s done, we then glue and clamp everything in to place and leave that to cure over night. After that the shoes are ready for boxing and shipping to their new home.
PD: What do you love about being a pole entrepreneur?
AH: It’s very exciting. The pole community is so full of possibility and opportunity. We love that we are bringing a unique product to such a unique community. It also fun to tell people you are a Cobbler of Light.
PD: Have you created other shoe or clothing lines in the past?
AH: Not yet. I do have several ideas bouncing around in my head.
PD: What do you feel your line offers to the community that sets it apart from other lines?
AH: Aura Heels are unlike anything else out there. There isn’t another shoe line that offers rechargeable features and the opportunity to truly customize.
PD: How has the community reacted to your new line? Where do you hope to take it?
AH: So far we have had nothing but great feed back. Everyone has been very, very positive and eager to try them out. We don’t have any huge plans for the future yet. We are still in the early stages of our company and we are just enjoying the whole process.
PD: How long did it take for you to go from initial idea to selling your line?
AH: It’s been about 3 years from that first pair , we only been selling them since May. It’s been a learning experience, an amazing, stressful, and sometimes baffling learning experience. Needless to say we are having a lot of fun bringing Aura Heels to the pole community.
PD: Do you offer international sales? Where can your shoes be purchased?
AH: We do offer international sales, as well as domestic. You can order a pair from our Etsy store. Auraheels.com Oh, one more thing. We will have a vendor table at The Great Midwest Pole Convention, August 15th-17th. Be sure and come by and see our shoes in person. Also, don’t forget to enter the raffle to win a pair of Galaxy Aura Heels!
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Thank you for taking the time to chat with me, Melanie!
I’ll have a review of Aura Heels coming up soon, in Part 2 of this series! Look for it soon! In the meantime, you can check Aura Heels out for yourself on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Etsy!
Aura Heels Logo
Poleitical Diaries 