Do Toning Shoes Really Work?

Do toning shoes actually have fitness value?

Podiatrist uncertain about value of Toning Shoes

   Toning shoes are designed to simulate the feeling of walking on sand and make wearers stabilize their steps, leading to stronger leg, buttock, back, and abdominal muscles, according to Skechers, maker of the Shape-ups toning shoe. Reebok says its EasyTones generate 28 percent more gluteus maximus muscle activation than a typical walking shoe, and 11 percent more in the hamstrings and calves. Both companies cite research and testing that they commissioned to back up the claims.

Claims about toning shoes questioned

   John Pagliano, a podiatrist in Long Beach, CA, says he gets asked about toning shoes several times a day and he doesn’t recommend them. While he said the instability in the shoes causes muscles to work harder, he hasn’t seen enough evidence to believe it can firm wearers’ backsides. “I say I’m not really sure, and I haven’t been convinced by the studies,” said Pagliano, who specializes in athletic injuries. 

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Barefoot Runners face long term Risk

Long term problems associated with running in bare feet

Barefoot Runners Face Long-Term Risk: CA Podiatrist

   Barefoot runners are taking a huge risk, says Dr. Lesley Wolff, director of the San Francisco Bay Area Podiatry Group, who has been running, in shoes, for 35 years. He has also coached marathon runners, has a background in biomechanics and is a foot and ankle surgeon. “The repetitive pounding on the ground without protection, I think, is ridiculous,” he says. Not only are runners at risk for injury by accidentally stepping on objects like nails and glass, but people usually run on hard, man-made terrain that necessitates cushioning provided by running shoes.

Dr. Lesley Wolff

 

Long-term, the doctor says, barefoot running is doomed with problems because the older a person gets, the fat pad on the bottom of a runner’s foot thins. Finally, Wolff says, there is no proof that barefoot runners are injured with less frequency than people who run with shoes. “What are the statistics of injury?” he asks. “No one is keeping track of that. Maybe there’s an elite few people who can be conditioned to it that can get away with it with the right training, but long-term, I think it’s doomed for problems.”