Whilst it’s true that they can be a pricey item, exercise shoes are definitely one of the most important items of fitness equipment that you can have. It doesn’t matter what sport you play or what your fitness program is, you need a good pair of shoes in order to get the maximum enjoyment and health benefits from it. If your shoes are poorly designed, if they don’t fit well, you could wind up with blisters, perform poorly and even run the risk of injuring yourself.
Special shoes may be required for certain types of sports, but, as a rule, most people will be content with tennis shoes or cross trainers for all round types of exercise – walking and jogging for example. Currently, new advances in fitness footwear technology are resulting in the appearance of new types of exercise shoes on the market. These are targeted mainly at people who either walk for exercise or, in certain cases, possibly don’t manage to get as much exercise as they might wish. They seem to have popped up from nowhere – and they are proving to be so popular that a new term has been invented for them – “toning” shoes.
These shoes are specifically designed to increase the amount of work carried out by the muscles in the lower body whilst engaged in normal walking activity. There are now a number of different manufacturers, each with their own offerings available, and designs vary, but this is typically achieved by the use of a specially designed sole.
A lot of brands – such as Fit flops sandals, Skechers Shape Ups and Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) use a curved sole. This is intended to produce a rolling motion when the foot first contacts the ground. This replicates the effects of walking barefoot on soft sand and minimizes mechanical shocks.
The Easy Tones range from Reebok are the latest offering available on the market and also use a specially designed sole. However, rather than using a curved sole, Easy Tones make use of air pods in their soles which produce a small amount of instability. The idea is that the lower body muscle will try to compensate for this and regain balance. This requires extra effort so your lower body gets toned. Fitflops also use this principle as well as the curved sole, in the shape of something they have dubbed “microwobbleboard” technology.
Of the brands on the market Fitflops and MBTs look least like exercise shoes. Many people will find this appealing as the shoes are promoted as being able to give you a “workout while you walk” and also “the sandal with the gym built in”. Clearly the suggestion is that you can tone up your lower body just by wearing the shoes and going about your normal daily routine. MBTs are, to be fair, aimed more at people who want to alleviate back and joint pain than those who want to get into better shape.
There are some shoes which don’t look like fitness footwear included in the Skechers Shape Ups range. For example, Mary Janes are available. Reebok Easy Tones are more focused on the mainstream exercise market and look exactly like what they are – high tech exercise shoes.
So, can you really get a “workout while you walk” just by wearing these new wonder shoes? Can the simple, and easy to achieve, act of pulling on a different pair of shoes in the morning really help to trim and tone your lower body? It’s certainly a very appealing notion. There must be a great many people who would like to exercise much more frequently but who find it very difficult to find the time for this in their crammed daily routine.
Opinions are divided at the moment. Obviously all of the manufacturers are eager to cite the results of independent clinical tests which confirm the effectiveness of their products. Neither is there any shortage of positive feedback from wearers who swear by this type of shoe. On the other side of the coin, there are a number of doctors and health specialists who have expressed strong doubts concerning some of the claims made.
These shoes sell for prices which are comparable with those of normal exercise shoes. The range of styles and colors available are extensive – so there should be something that is to your taste. Possibly the next time you are in the market for a new pair of shoes anyway, you should consider buying a pair of toning shoes and finding out if they work for you or not.
Learn how Fitflops exercise shoes can help to increase the effectiveness of your walking workout routine. Try using an Omron pedometer to monitor your results and help you to stay motivated.