Can “Toning Shoes” Really Tone Your Legs??
August 25th, 2010
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by Becky · Filed Under: Weight loss motivation
“Toning shoes”. I see them on lots of “boomers” feet and I see the ads in some of my health and fitness related magazines. These shoes are marketed as a great way to tone your lower body while you walk. Perhaps this is the holy grail of getting shapely legs without doing anything more than walking the dog???

Most of you know, I’m kind of a skeptic about some things (and I’d put toning shoes in as one of those “things”). I’ve had my doubts about these toning shoes (plus I don’t think they’re all that attractive), but I’ve seen no real proof to back up my doubts. Lo and behold, now there’s proof!
A recent study done at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse put the shoes to the test. The research team designed the study to evaluate the exercise responses and muscle activation that takes place while walking with toning shoes versus traditional athletic shoes. The test subjects were women aged 19-24 (I know, I know, they’re not boomer women—but I suspect they’d see similar results with boomer women!). The toning shoes tested were Skechers Shape-Ups, Masai Barefoot Technology, and Reebok’s Easy Tone. The “regular” athletic shoes tested were New Balance running shoes.
All three toning shoes tested showed no statistically significant increase in either exercise response or muscle activation during treadmill walking trials. There was no evidence to indicate the the toning shoes offered any enhanced benefits over traditional sneakers.
Some consumers who have worn these shoes claim that they feel the shoes are working their muscles due to localized muscle soreness after wearing them the first few times. Study researchers suggest that this feeling is due to the shoe’s unstable sole design, which causes wearers to use slightly different muscles to maintain balance than they would while wearing traditional shoes (I’m not sure that’s a good thing long term).
So, if you’re a boomer gal who owns a pair of toning shoes, should you throw them out? I’d say—” it depends”. If the shoes motivate you to get out and walk, they’re probably okay. If you’re one of my exercisers in my boot camp for women in Willow Glen, I’d ask you to leave them at home. Not because they don’t do what they advertise, but because they’re so darn clunky. We move in all directions in our workouts, and I’d be afraid you’d trip over your feet!
So, as always, buyer beware. Just because the ads TELL you a product does something for you doesn’t mean it really does.
We baby boomer women absolutely need to exercise in order to stay fit and maintain our weight, but we don’t need toning shoes to tone our legs. A good pair of traditional athletic shoes (I like the Brooks Ariel) and some great lower body exercises are what we really need!

Are you a “toning shoe” wearer? What’s your experience with them? Not a toning shoe wearer? What shoe works best for your workouts? Leave a comment and let’s talk shoes!
Committed to your success,
Becky






