As Body & Pole’s Summer Challenge (kicking off June 15) brings our community together to celebrate strength, creativity, and progress, we’re excited to partner with Polipole, a company known for its innovative approach to pole design and athlete-centered engineering. To mark this collaboration, we sat down with Polipole founder Maria Adelaide to learn more about her journey, the vision behind the brand, and her perspective on the continued evolution of the global pole community. From product innovation to fostering performance and artistry, Maria shares the insights that have helped make Polipole a trusted name among pole dancers around the world.
What inspired you to create Polipole, and how did the brand get started?
I started pole dancing back in 2013 and immediately fell in love with it. I was having a lot of fun, but as I progressed, I quickly realized how vital a reliable grip was. I started testing several products and felt genuinely frustrated with what I found on the market—products that were either harsh on the skin or simply unreliable when you needed them most.
As a pole dancer, I wanted to train safely and see real progress, but I often ended up with irritated hands or feeling insecure on the pole because the grip didn’t perform consistently. So I began experimenting and testing in real training conditions with one clear goal: creating high-performing grip products that respect the skin and avoid harmful substances.
From day one, I’ve tried to lead by listening closely to athletes and improving the formulas based on real feedback—because the community always knows what truly works in training.
What was the biggest challenge in developing a grip product that actually performs for pole dancers and aerialists?
The hardest part was finding the right balance: selecting high-quality ingredients and combining them in a way that delivers real performance without relying on harsh, synthetic components.
Grip has to work in very different conditions—humidity, heat, long sessions—and it also needs to be easy to remove, without leaving heavy residue on poles or aerial equipment. Getting all of that right took a lot of trial, field testing, refinement… and patience.
But I’m persistent by nature, and I never wanted to stop at “good enough.” I wanted something athletes could truly trust.
What makes Polipole different from other grip products on the market?
I create natural, vegan, Made in Italy formulas that are effective, gentle on the skin, and respectful of equipment.
For me, Polipole has always been about performance without compromise.
But delivering “yet another grip” was never the goal.I’m focused on solving real problems that show up in training, sometimes in ways people don’t expect.
That’s exactly how products like Skin Prep (our gripping soap) and Skin Booster (our body gripping cream) were born: innovative solutions designed around what athletes actually experience day to day.
And beyond the products, there’s a bigger purpose behind Polipole: I want athletes to be able to channel 100% of their energy and concentration into the athletic act—without distractions, without doubt. In a way, it’s my version of “work smarter, not harder.”
What do you love most about the pole community, and how has it shaped your brand?
Pole dance can look like an individual sport, but nothing could be further from the truth. A class becomes a group—a second family—where people support each other both mentally and physically. They share real experiences, celebrate progress, and help each other grow, and that spirit has shaped Polipole deeply.
Listening to athletes and studios has influenced how I think about performance, safety, and what ‘reliable’ truly means in day-to-day training. The community keeps pushing me to improve, stay curious, and keep innovating—because in pole dance and aerial disciplines, details matter.
We’re excited to include Polipole in the Body & Pole Summer Challenge prize bags — what made you want to be part of this collaboration?
I discovered pole dance when most people were still unaware of its existence in Italy. From the very beginning, Body & Pole was the gold standard of pole dance—a place that represented inspiration, quality, and a real culture of training.
Many years later, so much has changed, but Body & Pole still represents one of those rare places that keeps raising the standard and bringing people together through passion and consistency.
That’s why I love the idea of the Body & Pole Summer Challenge: it’s a positive push to show up, train, and enjoy the process—together. I’m proud Polipole can be part of it, and I hope the products help participants feel more confident, secure, and fully present while they challenge themselves.
