Toning Shoes - The Good, The Bad, The Truth
Hi all. I wanted to first thank you for all your kind comments yesterday... you guys are the best! I had a fun time with my Spain friend & if the pics come out decent, I will post at a later date. So, on to my post for today.
Well, I know a couple of sites have posted about this ACE study BUT I had already had it set & ready to go for today so I am keeping it!
I know we all don't get to every site out there so for those that this is a repeat, you can move on, comment & move on OR whatever your heart desires! I wanted to share it again since so many of you are interested in OR have bought some of these toning shoes.The above graphic is one of a few from a study done by ACE, American Council on Exercise, done on toning shoes from Skechers Shape-Ups, MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) and Reebok EasyTone. "The shoes, each of which uses uniquely shaped rounded soles and extra cushioning to alter the wearer’s normal walking gait, are currently all the rage in footwear."
I wanted to share this study because so many people are wearing these shoes. I see them everywhere when I go out. Below are a few excerpts from this article/study & I encourage anyone that wears these OR is thinking of buying a pair to read this article. Excerpts below:
"It makes sense,” says John Porcari, Ph.D. “People say, ‘I can feel them working my muscles more because I’m unstable.' To make the shoes even more enticing to consumers, Skechers, MBT and Reebok each cite their own studies “proving” the results one can expect from wearing their shoes. What they fail to mention, however, is that these studies are not peer-reviewed, and most are of questionable design. For this reason, ACE’s Chief Science Officer Cedric Bryant Ph.D., urges consumers to beware of studies sponsored by manufacturers. “Depending on how they conduct the study, they can prove anything they want to prove.”
"To test the effectiveness of the shoes and evaluate their claims, a team led by Porcari, John Greany, Ph.D., Stephanie Tepper, M.S., Brian Edmonson, B.S., and Carl Foster, Ph.D., designed a pair of studies, one evaluating exercise responses to walking in traditional athletic shoes (a New Balance running shoe) versus the popular toning shoes. The second study evaluated muscle activation when walking in regular athletic shoes compared to toning shoes."
The Results: "Across the board, none of the toning shoes showed statistically significant increases in either exercise response or muscle activation during any of the treadmill trials. There is simply no evidence to support the claims that these shoes will help wearers exercise more intensely, burn more calories or improve muscle strength and tone (Table 1)."
All tables cited can be viewed in the original article at the link above.
“We tested RPE, which is basically how hard one is working, and oxygen consumption, how much oxygen you take in versus being at rest, and caloric expenditure and we found no significant difference between any of the shoes,” says researcher Stephanie Tepper, M.S. “So the toning shoes definitely don’t do more than the regular running shoe.”
As for the muscle-activity testing, the results were strikingly similar. There was no significant difference in EMG levels in any of the muscles tested between the four types of shoes (Figures 1–6). “Looking at the EMG data, we saw nothing there as well,” says Porcari. “There were some subtle differences—sometimes they favored the regular running shoe and other times they favored the toning shoes—but it was nothing statistically significant.”
Do you feel different when you’re wearing these shoes? Of course you do because you’re walking on probably an inch worth of cushioning,” explains Porcari. “They feel different, and that’s why when people first wear them they’re probably going to be sore because you’re using different muscles. But if you wear any sort of abnormal shoes that you’re not used to wearing, your muscles are going to get sore. Is that going to translate into toning your butt, hamstrings and calves? Nope. Your body is just going to get used to it.”
Bryant isn’t surprised by the findings: “When you think about it, it’s kind of the same old song and dance,” he says. “People will still fall prey in their search for the quick-and-easy fitness solution. These shoes are just another attempt to find that magic bullet.”
Bryant says he’s also concerned that extended wear of these toning shoes may alter the walking gait mechanics of wearers and, in some cases, potentially cause problems for those who may already be at risk for lower-extremity issues. But to evaluate that will require another longer-term study. And although the toning shoes don’t deliver on their advertised claims, Porcari mentions there may be potential that these shoes could improve wearer’s balance over time, but that too will require a long-term training study.
In the meantime, Bryant is reaching for the silver lining.
“These shoes may be encouraging a fair number of people who probably wouldn’t put on a normal pair of walking shoes and go out and walk, to do so because they think they’re getting some super toning effect,” says Bryant. “So if you want to look at a positive, it’s probably serving as a bit of a motivator to get a group of inactive individuals to at least get up and get moving.”
And, no matter how you spin it, that’s a good thing.
From Jody: It is a mixed bag of results so please give it a read. At least it gives you more to think about & evaluate before you spend $100 - $200 plus on a pair of these shoes.
Me, I do my hardcore workouts & rely on that. If I had extra money, I MIGHT invest in a pair just for my casual walking days BUT NOT BECAUSE I thought they would be a replacement for my current workouts. It might just be a curiosity thing. I am glad people are walking more with these but it does not replace good & healthy eating, weight resistance training & some higher intensity cardio session that really torch the fat. Do what you feel best for you but arm yourself with facts.
Do you have a pair of these toning shoes? What do you think? Have they made a difference? Inquiring minds want to know!
Also, I read over at The Great Fitness Experiment a post on toning shoes & Charlotte has tried one of the shoes above. Check it out.
Categories: Fitness, Workouts, Weight Loss, Reviews
Tags: ACE walking fitness toning shoes Weight Loss workouts American Council on Exercise
I don't want to use the word laughable, but I get so incensed when gimmicky things like this catch on.
The winners? The companies marketing and profiting from these shoes. The losers? The people spending their hard earned money on an "easy" solution.
Perhaps there is a hair of benefit to these, but even as such, it just unfolds as an opportunity for out-of-shape people to placate themselves with an easy way out.
It takes work to change -- not shoes. Work at the dinner table, work in the gym.
Sorry if my tone is bothersome Jody, but I just can't get on board with gimmicks.
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I hear ya Roy. So many people looking for the quick fix! They think they can put on a pair of shoes & the shoes will magically transform their body.. NOT! Takes HARD work & eating the right way.
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Interesting article. Confirms the doubts I have about them. I hadn't realized they were such a "hot" item till I was shopping for some new running shoes here in the states; they are everywhere...glad I steered clear.
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They are big here Raechelle! I never thought they were going to transform anything without other effort & I did not have the $ anyway... it would have been more out of curiosity for me if I had bought them just to see what they felt like.
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ok I have three pairs of these (all sent to me for review) and totally agree...AND NOT.
the shoes do nada. nothing. zero. zilch. but the placebo effect and for me the reminder (subconsciously) to keep my core tight was kinda helpful.
that said--a post-it note/or a thread tied around my wrist would have done the same and saved me money (uh, had I purchased the shoes
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Miz, interesting point how they made you think about your core, a good thing, but like you said, if you had bought them on your own........
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I have thought about trying them... not for the supposed toning, but because I thought they might feel good on my feet with my arch and neuroma issues. But they cost so much I hate to buy a pair and find out they are not comfortable. And they are darn unattractive!
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My wife has a pair of these shoes, not sure whuch brand. SHe has not used them enough yet to know if they have made a difference, but I have made a mental note to ask her what her opinion is of them the next time we go for a walk.
Thanks for your frequent comments on my blog and yesterdays support for challenging myself, very glad to have you alongside me on this mission.
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I don't think I'd shell out the cash for them, but I do see some value if it gets a person motivated to walk or they feel that the shoes make walking more pleasant.
BTW, Jody, have you ever seen the shoes with the little springs in the back near the heel? There was a nurse at my doctor's office wearing them one day and she said they are amazing when she's on her feet for 8 hours straight.
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I seriously considered these when I bought my shoes a few weeks back..BUT I felt I would be building my muscles more because I would be picking myself up off the ground each time I fell...LOL...
I went with Nike walking shoes...they were the most comfortable. I also have a pair of Skecher sport lites...
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I have more of these shoes than I care to say! Do they work? who knows...I think you would have to wear them for a very LONG time to find out. They do however, make me stand up straighter...not sure why?
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Of course I don't! I hear that Reebok is now making toning pants for the butt and thighs!!! Can't wait to get me some of those--NOT!!
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When I did my post on shaper/toner shoes, most people who had tried them and liked them cited the improvements to their posture as the most significant benefit. My hair stylist wears them all day, every day, and swears her back hurts a lot less since she started wearing them. (Her mood is a lot better, I know that!*g*) It was certainly cheaper than the visits to the chiro and the acupuncturist! I hadn't thought of posture as a real benefit of these shoes, which I had seen as gimmicky only.
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