Toning Shoes - Sketchers, Reebok, FitFlops

Toning shoes are designed with a base that’s different from traditional shoes. Rather than being flat and stable, they’re rounded at the bottom, which forces you — and your muscles — to work harder to maintain balance. Toning shoes are also said to improve your posture, help you to burn more calories, and build and tone muscle. You can expect to pay around RM400 for a pair of toning sandals and up to $450 for toning sneakers. Do Toning Shoes Work? Before you plunk down your plastic for some shoes that claim to work your muscles without your having to break a sweat, you need to know whether they actually work. "The marketing for toning shoes is a bit over the top," says William Sukala, a clinical exercise physiologist and consumer health advocated with Pinnacle Medical Exercise in Auckland, New Zealand. Of particular concern, says Sukala, is the fact that there isn't a lot of independent research to back up the claims of the shoe companies. Toning shoe companies say that they work by supposedly activating more muscle fibers than standard running shoes, says Sukala. That means they should be more effective at toning your thighs and hips. The American Council on Exercise conducted a study to see whether the claims of these toning shoes live up to the hype. In the study, two groups of women went toe-to-toe on exercise with one group wearing standard athletic shoes while the other sported toning shoes. Researchers measured and compared the activity of the muscles during exercise for the women in both groups. The results? Turns out, toning shoes really are too good to be true. The women who worked out in the toning shoes didn't appear to get any more benefit or work their muscles any harder than those who wore standard athletic shoes. Based on the study results, "I'm inclined to believe the shoes will only slim your wallet," And if you have balance problems, it's possible that you could be more likely to trip and fall because of the unstable base of the shoe.