There’s no doubt that they can be an expensive item of equipment, but exercise shoes are one of the most important pieces of fitness equipment that you will have. Regardless of what particular sport you play, or what your exercise routine is, you absolutely must have a good pair of shoes if you want to maximize both enjoyment and fitness benefits from it. If your shoes are badly designed, or if they don’t fit you properly, then you could get blisters, fail to enjoy your activity and even increase the risk of sprains and other injuries.
Certain types of sports require very specialized shoes, but most people will be happy with tennis shoes or cross trainers for general exercise – walking and jogging for example. Currently there seems to be a different type of fitness footwear appearing 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 appear to have suddenly popped up from nowhere, and they are becoming so widely used that a new name has been given to them - “toning” shoes.
The theory is that these shoes are designed in a manner which increases the amount of work carried out by the lower body muscles whilst walking normally. 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 number of brands – such as Fit flops sandals, Skechers Shape Ups and Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) incorporate a curved sole. This is intended to produce a rolling motion when the foot makes contact with the ground. This reduces any impact shock and is intended to reproduce the effect of walking barefoot on a soft, yielding surface such as sand or thick, lush grass.
The Easy Tones from Reebok are the latest offering available on the market and also use a specially designed sole. However, instead of using a curved construction, Easy Tones use air pods in the sole to introduce a small element of instability. The theory is that the muscles of the lower body will attempt to regain balance in order to compensate for this. This will require extra work and therefore 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 available 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. To be strictly accurate, the main market for MBTs may be more from people wishing to reduce back and joint pain whilst improving posture rather than getting toned.
The Skechers Shape Ups range does include some shoes which don’t look like fitness footwear. They have Mary Janes for example. Reebok Easy Tones are more focused on the mainstream exercise market and look exactly like what they are - high tech exercise shoes.
So – is it really possible to get a “workout while you walk” using these new miracle shoes? Can you really tone and trim your lower body just by pulling on a different pair of shoes in the morning? It’s a very attractive prospect. There will be a lot of people who would dearly love to take more exercise but who find it hard to make the time for this in their daily schedule.
Currently, opinions are divided. Clearly all of the manufacturers are eager to make reference to clinical testing which, they say, confirms the effectiveness of their products. There is certainly a lot of very positive feedback from satisfied users of 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. Maybe the next time you are buying a new pair of shoes anyway, it might be worth your while to try a pair and see if they work for you.
Read More About: What Are Toning Fitness Shoes And Do They Work?
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