"Toning Shoes" or Phony Shoes?

by Anne Landman — June 30, 2010 - 3:32pm

Reebok Shape-ups Those roly-poly sneakers you are seeing everywhere -- with rounded soles like a rocking chair -- are marketed by manufacturers like Skechers, Reebok, Avia and New Balance with claims that they promote healthy weight loss, improve posture, fight cellulite, reduce knee joint stress and improve the shape of wearers' thighs and buttocks. The customer base for the shoes is 90 percent women, and they sell for $100 to $250, They also represent the fastest-growing segment of the athletic footwear industry. Skechers even hired Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana to tout the shoes in an effort to entice more men to buy them. But doctors are starting to warn that the shoes destabilize how people walk, and wearing them can strain people's Achilles tendons. The shoes can also be a special threat to older people who have more difficulty keeping their balance. Their built-in instability makes a wearer work harder to maintain balance, giving more of a workout, according to companies that make them, and while there are some elements of truth to the ads, doctors question their safety and want more independent studies of the shoes instead of industry-financed research. Meanwhile, David Davidson, national president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, says "Nothing about these shoes has any redeeming value to me," and he says he's suspicious of any shoes that come with an instructional booklet and DVD.

Main Source:

USA Today, June 30, 2010

Comments

healed broken leg

Submitted by joan (not verified) on March 10, 2013 - 9:34am.

i had a broken leg in 2009 . nothing gave me relief and my calf where the muscle was ripped was in terrible shape. wore the rocker shoes for about 1 year and the calf was strengthened and fells and looks a lot better...now 4 years later i am still wearing these rocker shoes, albeit a lower version and they really do keep my calves toned. it is hard to find them now and when i do they are on clearance for $20

I have a feeling my comment

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 12, 2010 - 9:35pm.

I have a feeling my comment will fall on deaf ears, since it sounds like most of the naysayers here are determined to not hear the good points about this shoe. But my experience just might help someone, so I'll offer it.

These shoes were recommended to me by a nurse who is on her feet all day. She said the shoes seemed to take pressure off her knee and hip joints. Since that's the kind of shoe I need, I checked these out. At first, the shoes are a little hard to get used to, because of the balancing situation, but they do help take the pressure of my aching knee joints. The ones I bought (not Skechers, but MT) did not claim to help you lose weight or tone up. Yes, they are ugly. Yes, they are expensive. But they allow me to stand and walk without aching soreness (my feet are never sore when I wear them, either) for much longer periods than with other shoes. So they are worth every penny to me.

Everyone here should think twice before saying "you should just join a gym" or "you should just go for a jog." Not everyone can do these things. So the price of the shoes is a more practical and accessible solution.

Look phoney to me!

Submitted by David012894532 (not verified) on July 12, 2010 - 8:48am.

They certaintly sound like phoney shoes, especially when it comes with a DVD and instruction manual!!! However, they may be very comfortable to to wear and may appeal to someone out there.

I like these shoes

Submitted by Nancy Cope (not verified) on July 11, 2010 - 2:09pm.

I got a pair of the Sketchers last October and I love them. I wear them when I go for a walk or use the treadmill. It has helped me with my balance. Since getting these shoes I have lost just over 10 lbs. This is without changing anything else that I normally do. So I think the shoes have helped me overall.
They did take a little getting used to

Not Plausible

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 6, 2010 - 11:36am.

If you buy this story, I got a bridge in Brooklyn you may be interested in buying.

absolutely right, yes it is

Submitted by bobsjhon (not verified) on July 6, 2010 - 4:48am.

absolutely right, yes it is really good

rocker shoes

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 5, 2010 - 5:40pm.

afraid they would mess up my control of the Segway

Not Bad

Submitted by Tye (not verified) on July 5, 2010 - 11:36am.

These shoes hurt my feet I am in construction and wear work boots . They don't hurt my feet too much but when I get home I put on sneakers. I tried these for a while walking to the store at night. They fit good and they make my arches hurt? I will wear them because I paid for them but not liking them.

ugly design

Submitted by Jeremiahkn (not verified) on July 5, 2010 - 7:58am.

i must say that the shoe is not good looking at all, won't be in my shop list that's for sure lol

All the things around us is

Submitted by juliana alaja (not verified) on July 5, 2010 - 1:02am.

All the things around us is deceloping so fast even the clothes and shoes. I do think some of them are to much for us ,and the usage for certain design or creation are not nessecery. we need to think before we take an action. do we really need them or we just want to turn into a phony world?