Toning shoes are the latest development in exercise footwear – and they are becoming very popular. Which is not that surprising – after all, who wouldn’t like to tone their legs and trim their butt simply by pulling on a different pair of shoes? There is a variety of different brands available on the market. Most of them work on the principle of introducing a small element of instability when walking in them.
It doesn’t sound like a very clever idea – but the theory is that the wearer’s muscles will naturally respond to the instability by attempting to regain balance, and thereby doing extra work. The additional work carried out by the muscles in the lower body has the effect of trimming your butt and toning your legs more efficiently than normal walking. You get a lower body workout with no need to make a trip to the gym – and with no expensive monthly membership fees.
MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) shoes were the first to appear. They were not originally designed as toning shoes. They were targeted at people who wanted to relieve lower back pain, reduce stress on joints and improve posture. They have a specially designed sole which produces a gentle rolling motion when your foot lands on the ground. This is intended to replicate the sensation of walking on soft sand in your bare feet. The sole is quite thick and chunky and not everyone will find it visually appealing. They aren’t cheap – but if they helped your back pain, toned up your lower body, or both, you might well consider them to be value for money.
Skechers Shape Ups shoes also make use of a thick, curved sole – which incorporates a special kinetic foam insert – to simulate the sensation of walking barefoot on soft ground. These are also quite chunky and look a lot more like conventional exercise shoes than the Masai Barefoot Technology range.
Fit flops sandals, clogs and shoes were originally developed in the UK and are now available worldwide. Although they look nothing like an exercise shoe they deliver the same benefits as other toning shoes – again by using a special sole which is thicker than a normal flip flop and which introduces instability whilst walking. They cost less than most of the other toning shoes available on the market and – just as importantly – there’s a massive selection of styles and colors to choose from. They originally started life as a range of sandals – but slippers, clogs and boots were added to the range based upon customer feedback.
Reebok has recently launched its own toning shoe – the Reebok Easy Tone range. This is slightly different from the other toning shoes insofar as it uses air pods built into the sole of the shoe to create instability rather than a specially shaped sole.
All of the manufacturers mentioned above have independent clinical test results which support their assertions that their shoes help to tone up your lower body just by walking around. There are also numerous testimonials from delighted users. Obviously there are those who treat the claims with some scepticism.
It does seem like a dream come true – pull on a different pair of shoes in the morning and get a free lower body workout just by walking around. Maybe it’s too good to be true? Maybe it isn’t actually that important. Most of these shoes are priced about the same as normal exercise shoes – some of them are even cheaper. Why not just try a pair the next time you need a new pair of shoes anyway. If the chief improvement derived from toning shoes is to encourage the wearer to walk further, then that’s a worthwhile benefit in itself.
Find out more about toning shoes like Fit flops and Skechers Shape Ups and see if you can get a workout while you walk.