The Guide to Dual-Sided Pilates Grip Socks

Grip on the sole fixes half the problem. Dual-sided fixes both halves.

Dual-sided grip — sometimes called dual grip, double grip or dual-direction grip — means silicone on both the sole of the sock and the inside, not just one or the other. Here's why that distinction actually matters.

A single-sided grip sock solves one slide: your foot on the mat. Silicone on the sole stops that. What it doesn't stop is the slide nobody designs for — your sock creeping on your own foot, mid-footwork, mid-plank, mid-everything.

Dual-sided grip adds the half that's missing: traction inside the sock as well as on the sole. The result isn't just "less slipping." It's a sock that stops moving at all — so you can stop thinking about your feet and get back to the work.

What Is HiddenGrip™?

HiddenGrip™ is Nara Studio's own name for dual-sided grip technology — silicone on the sole of the sock, and again on the inside against your foot, built into the sock itself rather than added on top. It's the specific construction that makes dual-sided grip possible in a sock that still feels soft and wearable outside the studio, not just a label over an existing material.

HiddenGrip™ EXTRA is the denser version — a more noticeable inside grip for anyone who wants to feel the hold rather than just trust it's there. Both are designed and made in Melbourne as a core part of the Nara Studio range.

One of the few Australian brands built around it

Most Pilates grip socks — Australian-made or otherwise — are still single-sided: grip on the sole, nothing inside. Dual-sided grip exists, but it's the exception, usually sold as a single premium line rather than built into a brand's everyday range.

Nara Studio is different. HiddenGrip™ and HiddenGrip™ EXTRA — our dual-sided styles — aren't a side project. They're designed in Melbourne as a core part of the range, for exactly the reason above: once you've felt a sock that doesn't move at all, going back to one that half-solves it is hard.

Why this matters more in Pilates than almost anywhere else

Walking, running, even most strength training — your foot stays in one or two positions the whole time. Pilates doesn't play by those rules. Pointed, flexed, turned out, pressed against a strap, stacked foot-to-foot, braced against the carriage — your foot moves through more positions in one reformer class than most shoes see in a week.

That's where the extra stability actually shows up: in a footbar push that doesn't slip, a plank that holds its line, a lunge you trust without glancing down. HiddenGrip™ was built around that reality, not around a lab test.

Not every Nara Studio sock is dual-sided — here's how to tell

We're not going to pretend otherwise. Nara Studio makes four grip types. Standard Grip (our everyday PVC sole, used on styles like Essential Crew) and Studio Grip (silicone, but sole-only) both play it classic: grip on the outside, nothing on the inside. HiddenGrip™ and HiddenGrip™ EXTRA are the ones doing double duty — silicone inside the sock and on the sole. No HiddenGrip™ on the label, no dual-sided grip. Simple as that.

Finding your size, and keeping the grip

Not sure which grip you need? If you're mat-based and mostly staying put, Standard or Studio Grip will do the job without ceremony. If you're on a reformer, or you've ever felt a sock creep mid-class, HiddenGrip™ is the one that stops arguing with your foot. HiddenGrip™ EXTRA turns that up another notch for anyone who wants to feel the hold.

Sizing is refreshingly simple: one size, fitting EU 36–40 / AU & UK 3–7 / US 5.5–9.5. If you're between sizes or just unsure, hello@narastudio.com.au will sort you out before you order.

Air drying keeps the grip at its best for longest — if a pair accidentally ends up in the dryer once, it's not the end of the world, but we wouldn't make a habit of it. Cold wash either way, and skip the bleach and fabric softener; both break down the exact fibres and grip you bought these for.

Ready to feel the difference? Shop the full HiddenGrip™ dual grip range below.