Sock Glue for Irish Dancing
Keep Poodle Socks Up from Start to Final Bow
Your child has trained for months. The costume is pressed, the shoes are polished, and nerves are running high. The last thing you want is for their poodle socks to start creeping down mid-performance — pulling their focus just when they need it most.
Hold Up Body Adhesive is used by Irish dancers across Australia to keep socks exactly where they should be — from the first step of rehearsal to the final bow of the show.
Why Poodle Socks Need Extra Help
Irish dancing is intense. Stomping, jumping, and rapid footwork create exactly the conditions that cause socks to slip — especially ankle-length and championship-length poodle socks, which have little fabric to grip onto. Standard elastic waistbands simply weren’t designed for that level of activity.
Sock glue solves the problem by creating a gentle bond between the sock and your child’s skin, so the sock moves with them rather than sliding down.
Which Hold Up Formula Is Right for Irish Dancing?
We offer two roll-on formulas — and for Irish dancing, we recommend the Premium.
Hold Up Body Glue – Premium Formula (Recommended)
Approximately 30% stronger than the Original and formulated to resist moisture, the Premium is built for performance. Irish dancing is energetic work, and sweat is a real factor — especially under stage lighting.
Because the adhesive is water-soluble, perspiration can gradually weaken a standard formula. The Premium holds firm even as activity intensifies, giving your dancer the confidence to perform without distraction.
Hold Up Body Glue – Original Formula
The Original provides a strong, reliable hold and is well-suited for rehearsals or lower-intensity performances where sweating is less of a factor. A great option if you’re trying sock glue for the first time.
How long does the body glue last during the day?
This may differ slightly based on the type of activity you are doing and the environmental conditions that you are in, but under normal circumstances the body adhesive will provide a strong hold for approximately 8-10 hours (but often much longer).
If for instance you are going hiking in the afternoon and applied the glue in the morning, you may need to apply another quick layer just prior to ensure the maximum grip and comfort.
Does body adhesive work on sensitive skin?
Yes. The Hold Up Body Adhesive is designed as a hypoallergenic product that is suited to adults and children with sensitive skin. While we always recommend that you test the glue on a small patch of skin initially, we have many happy customer reviews from people with sensitive skin who regularly use the product without any skin irritation. If for any reason you do experience a reaction please stop using the product and contact us.
Does the glue damage or stain clothing?
No. The body glue contains no colours and is water soluble, meaning it will dissolve from your clothing the next time you wash it.
Will the glue hold if I am active during the day?
Yes! Hold Up Body Glue is used by many dancers and gymnasts during their often vigorous performances to keep their clothing and costumes in place. If you are doing activity where you are heavily sweating in the area the glue is applied, you may find some loss of adhesion as the glue is water soluble and may require another quick application of the glue to maintain a strong hold.
Does the glue work in water?
As the glue is water soluble and dissolves in water, unfortunately it will not work while you doing activities like swimming. Once you are finished swimming though, just dry the skin where you need your clothing to stick and apply more body adhesive.
Does the bottle or roller ball leak?
We recommend that the bottle is stored upright when not in use, however the Hold Up Body Adhesive bottle was chosen to minimise any leaking when lying down or while being transported in a bag. As the glue is a liquid, we do recommend just to be safe that you place the bottle in plastic or zip-lock bag for peace of mind. If you are having a lot of leaking issues with your bottle please contact us.
How long will the glue last once I have started using it?
Once you start using a bottle of the glue it has a rough shelf-life of 2 years, however it will last much longer if it is stored without initial use.
Will the glue adhere even better & longer if I apply more of it?
Yes, due to the natural rate of evaporation when exposed to air, larger quantities of glue will take longer to dilute. As always we recommend testing the desired quantity you wish to use on a small portion of skin prior to applying on a large area to confirm your comfort level.
Does the glue work as well on thicker clothing fabrics?
Yes, the glue will adhere to and keep thicker clothing like jumper necks and scarfs etc in place, however naturally the heavier the clothing item the more the glue will have to work to keep its hold.
Does the glue hold glitter and skin crystals/sequins?
Yes! Hold Up Body Glue is a great product to keep all types of body ornaments such as skin crystals etc in place.
We are confident you will love our body adhesive but if you have any additional questions please use the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
