More Concerns Over the use of Toning Shoes

Toning Shoe Ads may give false impressions

NY Podiatrists Express Concerns About Toning Shoes

Advertisements say that they are a game-changer in athletic footwear: sneakers that are supposed to tone muscles, promote healthy weight loss, and improve the posture of those who walk, work, or shop in them. There are elements of truth to the ads, according to doctors who have questioned the effectiveness and safety of toning shoes. But many of the doctors want more independent studies on the shoes, rather than industry-financed research.

Dr. Davidson

David Davidson, national president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, says the shoes basically make adults learn to walk, or run, all over again by changing their gait. That’s a “scary” prospect for someone with a “borderline problem” they might not know about. Davidson says that he’s suspicious of any shoes that come with an instructional booklet and DVD. “Nothing about these shoes has any redeeming value to me,” he says. “Sorry, I don’t see it.”

Dr. Markinson

Bryan Markinson, chief of podiatric medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, says some of his patients who are “not in the greatest of shape” have inflamed their Achilles tendons while wearing toning shoes. People thinking of buying them, he says, should begin an “active stretching program” or else risk injury.

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