Toning Shoes: Do They Actually Tone?

Toning shoes are all the rage in the fitness products industry. They promise extra toning benefits by having unstable soles, forcing your body to constantly work for a balance point.  But do they really deliver?  The answer is no, according to a new study just released by the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

When wearing these sneakers, people report tired and sore muscles; feelings they don't experience with other shoes.

Reebock, Skechers and MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology), citing their own studies, advertise the following benefits:

• Increased muscle activity
• More calories burned
• Toned butts, hamstrings and calves
• Eased joint pain

Questioning the validity of these claims and the studies backing them, ACE put the allegations to the test.  ACE hired a team of exercise scientists from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse (UW), to examine Skechers Shape-Ups, MBT and Reebok EasyTone shoes.

During the UW trials, the team compared the toning shoes to a New Balance running shoe on treadmill tests.

The researchers did not find any statistically significant increases in:

•  Exercise response -- researches monitored oxygen consumption, heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion and calories burned
•  Muscle activation --electromyography was used to record muscle activity in the calf, quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks, back and abs

 So what about those people who have sore muscles from wearing the shoes?

As the  researchers pointed out, you may feel sore when first wearing them because you're muscles are working differently.  But this doesn't mean you are toning those muscles.  As your muscles adapt to walking with the shoes, the challenge will disappear.

What about the long term effect on walking gait and balance?  Both will have to be studied in longer-term clinical trials, the researches explained.


Source:  Will Training Shoes Really Give You a Better Body? by John Porcari, Ph.D, John Greany, Ph.D., Stephanie Tepper, M.S., Brian Edmonson, B.S. and Carl Foster, Ph.D., with Mark Andrews, www.acefitness.org

Keep in mind:  This is the first independent clinical study looking at the effectiveness of toning shoes.  For findings to qualify as "scientific facts," they need to be tested in additional clinical studies with matching results.  This is a quality study that provides helpful information. -- Jeanie