Introducing SoftGrip

Slipping is a surface problem, not a strength problem.

That idea is behind SoftGrip, from Rookakon in Sydney. Today we are introducing all of it together: SoftGrip Pilates Gloves for the hands, and three grip socks for the feet, the SoftGrip Pilates Scrunch Socks, the SoftGrip Ballet Socks and the SoftGrip Stripey Socks. This post goes through what each piece is, one angle at a time, with the specifics and nothing added.

Grip: two surfaces, one you can change

On a reformer, your hands and feet are the parts of you that meet the machine. The footbar, the straps, the carriage. When those contact points feel slick, the instinct is to hold on harder.

Holding harder is a strength answer to a grippy-surface question. How well you hold depends on two surfaces meeting, and you can only change one of them: the one you bring to class. SoftGrip is that surface, for the hands and for the feet.

The dots: where the grip comes from

The gloves have silicone grip dots across the palm. The fingertips stay bare.

The socks carry the same idea on the sole:

• Scrunch Socks: full-sole silicone pattern that runs all the way to the toes
• Ballet Socks: silicone grip sole
• Stripey Socks: silicone grip sole

The dots are for the equipment. Everything else on the piece is for you.

Damp hands: it is skin, not discipline

Sweaty palms are not a discipline problem. They are not a fitness level either. They are skin, and wiping your hands on your leggings is a short-term answer to a long series of classes.

The gloves are a soft, breathable cotton and polyester blend. The grip is on the surface, in the dots, where your palm meets the bar.

Placement: where your hands and feet go

In a plank or a push-up on the carriage, four things hold you up: the heel of the hand, the base of the thumb, the pads under the fingers and the fingertips.

On the gloves, the dots cover the palm. The fingertips are left open, so you still feel the bar, the strap or the mat. It is a half-finger cut for that reason.

"Tried them today. These gloves are the missing link to securely placing palms and fingers in the correct manner."

-Bella W, name changed to remain anonymous

The feet do as much contact work as the hands: on the footbar, against the platform, on the carriage. The sock soles are the surface on that side.

Performance: what we claim and what we do not

We are not promising a transformation. SoftGrip changes one thing: the surface your palm and your sole meet. Your core, your form and your instructor stay exactly as they were.

The aim is simple. Fewer resets between holds, and more of the class spent on the class.

Hands and feet: one set

Socks handle the feet. Gloves handle the hands. They do different jobs, and at Rookakon we make both.

That is why they are introduced together. A pair of each can sit side by side in the bag, in matching colours if you like, and the idea is the same at both ends: give the surface something to hold.

Hygiene and studio rules: bring your own pair

A studio chooses its equipment and how it looks after it. You choose what you bring to it.

A reformer bar is often polished metal, because polished metal wipes clean between classes. Sometimes it's a rubbery material, or a leathery material. Whichever the type, they are all shared. Most people already treat grip socks as personal gear, for hygiene as much as grip. A reformer bar is a shared surface and a lot of hands, and yours are the only ones you can control. Gloves are the same idea at the other end. 

This is a preference, not a verdict on any studio. Keeping your own pair is easy because the gloves are machine washable: they go in with the rest of your kit.

Fit: one size, nothing to guess

• Gloves: one size, stretch knit, no velcro, no strap
• Laid flat: 10 cm by 12 cm per glove, before it stretches over a hand
• Socks: all three styles are one size

They pull on the way a sock does.

"These gloves are amazing, I got a pair for my wife and a pair for me, at first I thought my hands would be too big but they fit well."

-Allan W

Feel: open fingertips, soft underfoot

The gloves are fingerless on purpose. What you feel through the fingertips is the bar, not fabric. There is no velcro at the wrist.

The socks are soft:

• Scrunch: plush, breathable cotton, a soft, insulated feel with no bulk, designed for cooler days
• Ballet: soft, stretchy and breathable
• Stripey: a breathable, cotton-rich knit

Choosing your socks

Three styles, one idea.

SoftGrip Pilates Scrunch Socks

• Feel: plush, breathable cotton
• Grip: full-sole silicone pattern to the toes
• Size: one size
• Colours: Oat, Rosé, Mint, White, Black
• Price: $34 a pair

The Scrunch Socks come in the same five colours as the gloves. Details are on the SoftGrip Pilates Scrunch Socks page.

SoftGrip Ballet Socks

• Cut: low, graceful, sits neatly around the foot
• Grip: silicone grip sole
• Size: one size
• Colours: Black, Grey, Pink, Peach
• Price: $32 a pair

Inspired by the ballet studio, and made to sit unseen under leggings or tights. See the SoftGrip Ballet Socks.

SoftGrip Stripey Socks

• Cut: crew length, relaxed
• Grip: silicone grip sole, for the reformer, the mat and polished studio floors
• Size: one size
• Colours: Black, White, Grey, Green, Pink
• Price: $30 a pair

A timeless stripe in soft, easy colours, made to be seen above a trainer or a low legging. See the SoftGrip Stripey Socks.

Style: the colour is for you

The gloves come in five colours: Oat, Rosé, Mint, White and Black. The Scrunch Socks match them. Oat on the hands, Oat on the feet.

Underneath every colour it is the same grip. The Ballet Socks and Stripey Socks bring their own palettes, so a set can be matched or mixed. Both are made to pair with SoftGrip Pilates Gloves.

Care, value and returns

The gloves are machine washable. Prices:

• SoftGrip Pilates Gloves: $42 a pair
• Scrunch Socks: $34 a pair
• Ballet Socks: $32 a pair
• Stripey Socks: $30 a pair

Rookakon offers 30 day hassle free returns and refunds. Items must be unused and unworn, in their original packaging. Worn items cannot be returned for hygiene reasons.

Who SoftGrip is for

Women and men who do Pilates and reformer work, specifically those who have noticed their hands and feet on the equipment more than they would like. We also recommend them at the gym, for Yoga, and other ancillary strength exercises.

Common questions

What are the gloves made of?

82% cotton, 15% polyester, 2% spandex and 1% silicone, in a stretch knit, with silicone grip dots across the palm.

What size are the gloves and socks?

Gloves are one size. Laid flat, each glove measures 10 cm by 12 cm. All three sock styles are one size.

Can I wash them?

Yes. The gloves are machine washable.

Which socks should I choose?

The Scrunch Socks are plush and soft with a full-sole silicone pattern. The Ballet Socks are a low cut for wearing under leggings or tights. The Stripey Socks are crew length and made to be seen.

Do the socks come in the same colours as the gloves?

The Scrunch Socks do: Oat, Rosé, Mint, White and Black. The Ballet Socks come in Black, Grey, Pink and Peach. The Stripey Socks come in Black, White, Grey, Green and Pink.

What is the returns policy?

30 day hassle free returns and refunds. Items must be unused and unworn, in their original packaging.

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