Toning shoes are the latest and greatest development in fitness footwear. These shoes promise to improve posture, reduce shock whilst walking and to tone and trim your lower body if you walk around as normal whilst wearing them. Slogans such as “Get in shape without setting foot in the gym” (Skechers) and “A workout while you walk” (Fitflops) abound. It’s no surprise that toning shoes are on of the fastest growing market segments in the fitness footwear sector. After all, getting in shape just by walking around as normal is bound to appeal to a great many people? But do they really do what they say?

The precise mechanism differs according to the brand – but the common theme appears to be a specially engineered sole. This produces an element of instability whilst walking which triggers muscles which might otherwise be unused in an effort to regain balance. The consequence of this is that the wearers of toning shoes use more energy whilst walking than they would do if they were wearing traditional exercise footwear. According to the various manufacturers, this increased level of muscle activity has a number of different benefits including better posture, muscle toning, using more calories and assisting with weight loss.

A wide variety of different manufacturers now produce toning shoes. Fitflops sandals, Skechers Shape Ups Shoes, Reebok Easy Tones and Masai Barefoot Technology are probably the best known and most popular.

Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) shoes could justifiably claim to have been first on the market. They are based on reproducing the barefoot walking style of Africa’s Masai tribesmen (hence the name) who are famous for their good posture and who have a lower than normal incidence of back pain. They achieve this barefoot walking sensation by using a chunky, curved sole which creates an uneven walking platform. MBT say that the curved sole encourages a gentle rolling motion when your foot comes into contact with the ground, which lowers impact shocks whilst walking. It also encourages wearers to use their leg muscles for longer than when walking in conventional fitness footwear.

Skechers Shape Ups are based upon similar technology to MBT shoes. They use a chunky, thick, curved sole which incorporates a special kinetic foam wedge, to mimic the sensation of walking barefoot over soft sand. Skechers claim to have introduced the first “stylish” toning shoes. Whether that’s true or not is probably very much a matter of personal taste - but there’s no denying that Skechers offer a huge selection of different styles of toning shoes.

Fit Flops sandals were developed in the UK by Marcia Kilgore – an ex-personal fitness trainer who didn’t have time to get to the gym due to her busy lifestyle. Fitflops launched as a range of brightly coloured sandals but - due to customer demand - clogs, slippers and boots were subsequently introduced. Fitflops feature a specially designed thick sole – albeit not quite as thick and chunky as MBTs and Skechers – which uses material of different densities in different areas of the sole. The end result is what Fitflops term the “microwobbleboard” effect. Slight imbalance leads to extra work and a toning workout for the lower body.

The newest addition to the toning shoes market is Reebok Easy Tones. These differ a little from the shoes previously discussed insofar as they use special air pods in the sole of the shoe as opposed to a curved sole. Once again, the imbalance introduced  results in extra work as the muscles try to regain balance. Wearers will, according to Reebok, perform 11% extra work with their calves hamstrings and 28% more work with their buttock muscles than they would do whilst walking in normal fitness shoes.

So, do toning shoes actually work - or is it just a clever piece of marketing? Needless to say, all of the manufacturers listed above have commissioned independent clinical trials – and these seem to back up their claims. Some sceptics do query the validity of many of these trials, citing small sample sizes as a potential source of inaccuracy. The fact that the trials, although carried out by independent bodies, were funded by the shoe manufacturers has also given rise to some doubts.

However, it’s clear that toning shoes have some benefits. The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) have, for example, granted their seal of approval to the Fitflops range of shoes. This shouldn’t be taken to be an endorsement of Fitflops claims regarding trimming and toning – but as confirmation that such shoes can lower impact jarring and reduce the stress on joints whilst walking. It’s interesting to note that, of the many positive user testimonials available online, many of them make reference to better posture and reduced joint pain.

One benefit which toning shoes certainly deliver is to encourage their wearers to walk more than they normally would. Even if that’s all they did, that would be a very positive step in the right direction.

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