This post is a review of items from Wink Fitnesswear’s collection. Can a self-confessed naked enthusiast enjoy dancing in grippy leggings and sturdy knee pads? Read this review to find out what Carolina Hades from @bloggeronpole thinks of our products!

#Gift Disclaimer

When Sarah, Wink’s founder, approached me, I immediately knew I wanted to work with her.

I’ve been blogging for nine years and I have a six-year experience working in PR, approaching media, bloggers and influencers. Still, more often than not, I experience impersonal, careless brand outreach as a blogger. That wasn’t the case with Sarah: she is one of the few people from pole dance (and fashion) brands that got in touch with me asking how she could support me and my writing. Her email was personalised and professional, like it was addressed to me, not copied-and-pasted into a void. When a brand acts like that, I immediately respond, and I don’t only get an idea about them as people – I also get an idea about their products, if I want to promote them and if they fit my personality.

So for the purpose of this review, Wink Fitnesswear gifted me their products – but all opinions are, as always, my own.

Wink Fitnesswear Wet Look Grip leggings

Wink’s Wet Look Grip leggings immediately jumped out to me while looking at Wink’s collection. Why? Because my pole dance life here in the UK is always spent switching sides in a clothing dilemma.

As a proud advocate of team butt-naked, I always try to promote nakedness and self-acceptance both by not wearing much and by encouraging my students to shed some layers of clothing to get used to seeing and loving themselves. Yet, as a hot blooded Italian who is always cold in this God-forsaken country, my nakedness resolve sometimes falters – particularly when I’m teaching on a rainy, chill-in-your-bones Sunday morning in Hackney.

Grippy leggings have always seemed like a potential solution to this dilemma, particularly when I looked at tight, figure-hugging, naked-looking designs. I just never got round to trying them. Partnering up with Wink for this post, particularly with the coldest bits of Autumn approaching, seemed like the perfect solution.

I went for Wink Fitnesswear’s Wet Look Grip leggings, because they looked equally stylish both for the pole studio and the outside world. The main win factor was, for me, that they look fucking metal – and if you read this blog you know I grew up on a diet of heavy metal and 80s hair rock.

As you can see from the picture above, shot at my home studio Exotica Pole Dance by @vmilus, they looked as metal as I hoped. The leggings are made with compression fabric, which makes you look super toned. Their waistband is soft though, so they feel very comfy.

I chose my normal leggings size – a small – and they fit like a glove, super comfortable even for post-training drinks. Wearing these during our studio photoshoot made me feel like the 80s rock chick I wanted to be as a teen, so that’s a win for me.

But how about training in them, you ask? Well, this video should give you a bit of a hint…

I still have to get 100% used to training while wearing leggings. In shooting this ridiculously fast Iron Maiden freestyle, I did find that back of the knee and side thigh grip worked better for me than inner thigh grip, and that to stay up when doing pole sits I had to squeeze my thighs for dear life. Overall however, the leggings are very reliable, they keep you warm, and they are just high waist enough to look flattering. Plus, if I managed my nemesis brass monkey combo while wearing them, you can too. Exhibit A.

Wink Fitnesswear Knee pads

And now, knee pads. I think we can all agree that knee pads are the most boring piece of pole equipment you can think of. I am NOT a fan. Not because I hate safety, but because I haven’t managed to find knee pads that keep my knees safe, that last more than a couple of weeks, and that look flattering without squeezing my legs enough to make me pass out. For me, it’s always been a comfort and aesthetic issue.

I am so glad I gave Wink Fitnesswear’s Velvet Grip knee pads. They are literally the only knee pads that tick all the boxes.

When I picked them up, I was scared I’d hate them: they looked massive. I thought wearing them was going to be another squeezing, unflattering scenario. Yet, when you put them on, the knee pads fit naturally on your legs, without squeezing them – and they look very flattering with heels.

On top of that, they are probably the safest knee pads I’ve ever danced in. Their shock-absorbent padding has passed the British Standard impact testing, meaning that, as you can see below in my Rob Zombie freestyle, they are 100% kip proof.

The Velvet Grip knee pads are made of soft crushed velvet to help you glide on the floor during floorwork, but they also have parts of Wet Look Grip fabric behind the knees to stay up the pole. What more could you ask for? With these knee pads, I think I’ve just become a knee pad convert.

How To Wash Wink Fitnesswear’s Items

Polewear doesn’t always do well in the washing machine, so for the boring stuff, Sarah from Wink told me:

“The leggings can be machine washed on a cool wash but do NOT tumble dried, as this will effect the grip coating. For the knee pads, the shock absorbent pads can be removed before washing and they can be washed in the same way as the leggings.”

So now you know how to care for them and, if anything goes wrong, Wink do offer a free repair service.

More Info About Wink Fitnesswear

Wink Designs was founded by fashion designer Sarah, who has over 25 years of experience working in fashion, having worked with brands such as Nike and Adidas, and designed dance wear for the Royal Academy of Dance.

Sarah took up pole dancing after divorcing and becoming a single mum, a difficult time in which she became very passionate about pole. It was during that time that she decided to mix her two passions – dance and design – to design polewear.

Now well-established within the pole industry, Wink offer high quality designs ranging from set collections to made-to-order items to fit any body shape. All their items are made in the UK, using energy efficient production methods and eco-friendly fabrics.

The verdict

My first experience with Wink has been very positive! They look like a badass brand that can help me bring out my inner metalhead even during pole training, allowing me to dance and pull off crazy moves safely.