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Are Toning Shoes As Effective As They Say?

18th December, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Toning shoes must seem like a dream come true for many women. It’s hardly surprising. After all, they promise to give the wearer with a butt reducing, leg toning, cellulite removing, posture improving lower body workout with each and every step that they take. No need to make time to visit the gym and no need to get all hot, sweaty and out of breath. Just pull on a different pair of shoes in the morning before you leave the house and you’ll be toned and shapely in no time. You can see how that would appeal to any busy modern mother or working professional woman.

Toning shoes may be a fairly new innovation – but they are one of the most rapidly growing segments of the footwear market. A number of different designs and brands are available, the majority of these rely on a specially designed sole in order to work. The sole is designed to encourage the muscle in the lower body to work a little bit harder whilst walking. That’s how the toning and trimming effect is achieved.

Skechers Shape Ups and Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) Shoes utilise a thick, curved sole which is intended to reproduce the mechanics of walking on soft sand. FitFlops incorporate a sole which makes use of something called “microwobbleboard” technology. This generates minor imbalances during the course of walking which the muscles in the lower body try to compensate for. Reebok Easy Tones have special air pods built into their soles. These also introduce an element of instability and the leg and butt muscles do extra work as they attempt to restore the body’s natural balance.

The majority of toning shoes look like exercise shoes – FitFlops are the exception to the rule. They have always looked nothing like fitness footwear and include bright sandals and clogs in their range. However, other manufacturers such as Skechers are now introducing shoes and boots which don’t look like training shoes and are really very fashionable and chic.

There is a certain amount of controversy surrounding toning shoes. Various “independent” trials have been commissioned by the different manufacturers and, in general, these seem to back up the claims made regarding enhanced muscle activity. There’s no shortage of glowing testimonials from happy customers. Nevertheless, there are many who consider the claims to be unrealistic and doubt whether the studies performed can be considered truly independent given that they were funded by the manufacturers themselves.

No doubt there are two sides to the story. Even so, according to health advisers, walking is one of the best ways to take exercise. If all that toning shoes do is to encourage their wearers to walk a little further than they would usually do then that’s a very positive benefit in itself.