Manufacturers of toning shoes claim that the bowed, unstable bottoms of their sneakers help wearers tone muscle and burn calories while walking. They also claim that the shoes help prevent joint pain and improve posture.
Despite these claims, the latest research on toning shoes doesn’t support them. In fact, researchers have found that walking in either traditional athletic shoes or toning ones had similar exercise responses.
They are designed to mimic walking barefoot
The latest fad in footwear is “toning shoes,” which are designed to mimic walking barefoot and burn extra calories. They have a unique insert and a curved rocker bottom that are supposed to force you to use muscles in your legs, buttocks, and core. They are also advertised as helping you maintain better balance and taking pressure off aching joints. Despite their claims, the evidence is inconclusive.
One recent study by scientists at the Exercise and Health Programme at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse compared exercise responses and muscle activation between people wearing traditional athletic shoes and toning shoes. Subjects performed a series of five-minute treadmill trials in each shoe, and researchers monitored their oxygen consumption, ratings of perceived exertion, heart rate, and caloric expenditure. They also used electromyography (EMG) to measure the activity of six muscle groups: gastrocnemius, rectus femoris, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, and erector spinae.
The results of the study show that, despite their claims, toning shoes do not provide any added fitness benefits over regular athletic shoes. In fact, they may even increase the risk of injury to the ankles and lower extremities in people with existing conditions. For this reason, if you are considering wearing toning shoes, it is recommended that you start slowly and consult with your healthcare provider. They can advise you on how to gradually transition to this type of footwear and can recommend foot exercises to help you strengthen your feet.
They are marketed to burn calories
Toning shoes have become the latest hot trend in sneakers, with manufacturers like Sketchers (Shape-ups) and Reebok (Easy Tone) claiming that they burn calories, tone muscles and improve posture and balance. The unstable shoes have a curved bottom that allegedly mimics the effect of walking barefoot on a sandy beach or a wobble board in the gym, forcing muscles to work harder than they would when wearing regular fitness footwear.
But the claims about these shoes have been largely untested. To put them to the test, a team of researchers led by Porcari and including John Greany, Ph.D., Stephanie Tepper, M.S., and Brian Edmonson, B.S., designed a pair of studies. The first studied the effect of these shoes on exercise responses and muscle activation during treadmill tests. The second tested the effect of these shoes on gait mechanics.
The results of both studies showed no statistically significant increase in exercise response or muscle activation in those who wore the toning shoes. Moreover, the participants in both studies walked with smaller steps than normal, so it’s difficult to know whether the shoes actually caused an increase in muscle activity or if the increased steps were just the result of wearing the shoes.
The ACE Get FitTM experts advise consumers to avoid these shoes and instead spend their money on a pair of handweights that can be used while walking to boost the intensity of workouts, toning muscles and burning extra calories. However, people with foot or ankle problems should be cautious as the rocker soles of these shoes may place a strain on joints.
They are not effective
Toning shoes have become a major part of the footwear market and promise to help you tone your butt, strengthen your core and burn more calories. But, according to a new study, these shoes do not live up to their claims. The results of a study conducted by researchers at the American Council on Exercise show that toning shoes do not help you exercise more intensely, burn more calories or improve muscle strength and tone.
To test the claims made by manufacturers of toning shoes, a team led by Porcari and including John Greany, Ph.D., Stephanie Tepper, M.S., Brian Edmonson, B.S. and Carl Foster, Ph.D., designed a pair of studies. The first compared exercise responses to walking in traditional athletic shoes (a New Balance running shoe) versus the popular toning shoes. The second compared muscle activation when walking in regular athletic shoes versus the toning shoes.
Even though toning shoes create instability, they don’t really help you to use more leg muscles or burn more calories than regular sneakers. Plus, they can cause serious injury, especially if you have balance or medical problems in your feet and legs. Consumer Reports Health medical adviser Dr. Orly Avitzur says she’s heard more and more complaints of injuries caused by these shoes.
They are not safe
Doctors warn that toning shoes are not what they claim to be, and could lead to serious injuries. The unstable design of these shoes increases the risk of tripping and falling, and can strain or pull muscles. Injuries can range from minor sprains to broken bones. In addition, the rocker action of these shoes can alter your normal walking pattern and increase the likelihood of Achilles tendon injury.
Toning shoe manufacturers make exaggerated claims about their fitness benefits, and they use flimsy studies to back them up. The Federal Trade Commission has fined several shoemakers for making false claims about their products. In addition, many consumers have reported injuries from wearing these shoes. In one case, a woman was injures just minutes after putting on her first pair of toning shoes.
A recent study from the American Council on Exercise found that toning shoes do not help you exercise more intensely or burn more calories than regular sneakers. The researchers enlisted 12 physically active female volunteers to complete a series of five-minute walking trials in each type of shoe. They also compared the results of the toning shoes Skechers Shape-ups, MBT and Reebok EasyTone with traditional athletic sneakers. The results showed no significant differences in the exercise response and muscle activation between the two types of footwear.