The Complete 80s Aerobics Gear Guide — Tried & Tested in Paris
As Seen in Vogue France · By Cardio Flashdance® · Paris, March 2026
Here is something nobody tells you when you sign up for your first dance cardio class: the kit matters. Not because anyone is judging your outfit (we are absolutely not judging your outfit), but because pulling on the right gear is the difference between showing up as yourself and showing up as the best version of yourself. There is a psychological shift that happens when you put on something that makes you feel like you belong on a dancefloor. We have watched it happen hundreds of times in our Paris studios.
So. We tested a lot of gear. We wore it, washed it, sweated in it, and wore it again. What follows is everything that made the cut — across every price point, in a palette that is warm and considered and nothing like a Halloween costume.
The Weights — When you want to add punch to your workout
Add Bala Bangles to your wrists - these are the single [prettiest], best upgrade to any dance cardio practice — resistance without restriction, challenge without clunk.
01 — Bala Bangles
Shark Tank alumni. Shark Tank alumni that also happen to look like jewellery. The Bala Bangles come in 1lb and 2lb and wrap around your wrist via a simple silicone strap that stays put through the most chaotic choreography we can throw at it. The blush and desert rose colourways are our studio favourites — though honestly they all look good enough to wear to brunch after class, which several of our regulars absolutely do.
Start at 1lb if you're new to weighted movement. Graduate to 2lb when you find yourself forgetting they're there — which takes less time than you'd think.
"The weight that makes you work harder while looking like you're barely trying. The dream."
From $55 per pair · Shop Bala Bangles on Amazon → · #ad
02 — Bala Bars
For the strength sections of longer sessions — or for when Bala Bangles start feeling suspiciously easy and you need something to humble you again. Two 2lb bars in the same beautifully designed silicone finish. They look good enough to leave on a shelf, which is exactly what we do with ours. The blush colourway is, predictably, the one that never makes it back into the storage basket.
"Dumbbells but make it fashion. Actually useful, genuinely beautiful. Bala gets it."
From $40 per pair · Shop Bala Bars on Amazon → · #ad
The Leggings — Non-Negotiable
We have tried a lot of leggings. A frankly embarrassing number of leggings. The ones below are the ones that survived. The rest are not worth discussing.
03 — Sweaty Betty Power Leggings
The London brand that Parisian women wear to their workouts. The Power Leggings are high-waisted, squat-proof, and genuinely extraordinary through two hours of choreography — compression that supports without restricting, fabric that moves with you rather than at you. We have had pairs survive hundreds of classes without a single pill, fade, or mysterious waistband droop. Warm Bittersweet and Midnight Navy are our current studio colours. Neither will last forever in stock so if you see your size, do not think about it.
"The legging that makes everything else in your wardrobe feel like it's not trying hard enough."
From £95 · Shop Sweaty Betty → · #ad
04 — Lululemon Align Short
The Nulu fabric situation is hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it. Weightless is the word people use and it's correct but it doesn't quite capture the specific buttery softness that makes you want to wear these everywhere, always, forever. The Align Short is what we reach for when the studio is warm and restricting is the last thing we want. The blue colourway shown has been a personal favourite, and is showing no signs of being replaced.
"The 'I'm barely wearing anything and I feel incredible' short. Worth every cent."
From $68 · Shop Lululemon on Amazon → · #ad
The 80s Accessories — Done Right
This is the section where we have to have a small but important conversation. The 80s accessories you want are not the ones that come in every colour of the rainbow in a single set. They are not the ones that look like they belong in a school play about the 1980s. Here is how we turn the 80s in to modern, chic, athleisure.
05 — Leg Warmers — Lilac
Yes, leg warmers. Unironically. In 2026. We stand by this completely. We adore the soft lilac colour in our studio for new students, and they are the ones that look intentional rather than enthusiastic. Long enough to wear folded, shorter enough to wear extended. They wash well, hold their shape, and cost approximately nothing.
"The accessory that says 'I know what I'm doing' rather than 'I found a costume box.'"
From ~$18 · Shop Leg Warmers on Amazon → · #ad
06 — Headband — Bold Pink
This is your one statement piece. Just one. The whole CF® approach to 80s styling is: pick your moment of colour and commit to it, then let everything else play a supporting role. A bold pink headband against cream leg warmers and blush Bala Bangles is the formula. It works every single time. The rest of the colourways are fine. This one is bold, the way we like it.
"One pop. That's the whole strategy. It works."
From ~$12 · Shop Headbands on Amazon → · #ad
07 — Wristbands — Blush & Beige
The detail that people notice without knowing they've noticed it. Wristbands in blush and beige tones sit so quietly within the palette that they read as instinct rather than effort. They are also genuinely useful — surprisingly effective at keeping hands dry through arm-heavy sequences, which is information we only have because we tested this thoroughly and professionally in a Paris dance studio.
"The part of the kit that makes people ask where you got your whole look from."
From ~$10 · Shop Wristbands on Amazon → · #ad
The Shoe — There is Only One Answer
08 — Reebok Club C 85
The Reebok Club C 85 was on the feet of aerobics instructors in the actual 1980s. It has not changed significantly since then. This is not a coincidence — it is evidence that some things are designed correctly the first time and should be left alone. The clean leather upper, flat sole, and understated Reebok logo ground any 80s kit without tipping it from aesthetic into fancy dress. We wear ours to class. We wear ours on the street. We have never once regretted it.
White, chalk, or the mint colourway shown — all correct. All perfect. Pick whichever one your wardrobe needs most right now.
"The shoe that proves restraint is always the right choice."
From $80 · Shop Reebok Club C 85 on Amazon → · #ad
That's the full CF® edit. You don't need all of it to walk into your first class — you need comfortable clothes and a willingness to make the arm movements even when you're not entirely sure they're correct. But if you want the kit that makes every session feel like something you earned rather than something you survived? These are the pieces we come back to. Every week. In Paris. 💃
Now get moving: Grab the free 30-Day Cardio Flashdance® Challenge →
More reading: Why Dance Cardio is the Best Workout, Full Stop →
This post contains affiliate links marked #ad. We earn a small commission on qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. Everything here is something we genuinely use in our Paris studio. We wouldn't have it any other way.