Toning shoes, which promise their wearers a free lower body workout just by walking around as normal, are the latest innovation in fitness footwear - and they are proving to be a big hit with women everywhere. Sales have sky-rocketed over the course of the last couple of years and the sales volume for 2010 is confidently predicted to be somewhere between $ 1 and $ 1.5 billion when the full results become available.
The design of toning shoes varies from one manufacturer to another - but the key principle is the fact that they utilise a specially designed and shaped sole to introduce an element of instability whilst walking. This results in the lower body muscles performing a little additional work due to the fact that they try to re-establish the natural balance of the body. That's how the toning and trimming effect is achieved.
The major toning shoe companies - Reebok, Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) Shoes and FitFlops - have all conducted studies to verify the effectiveness of their products. Nevertheless, the fact that most of the trials were funded by the footwear manufacturers is enough for many to query just how independent they can be considered to be.
Feedback from users seems to be overwhelmingly positive. There are certainly plenty of glowing tributes from satisfied customers. It's interesting to note that a lot of happy customers make reference to benefits that aren't even mentioned by the manufacturers. Alleviation of joint or foot pain is a frequently reported benefit.
Possibly that shouldn't be surprising. After all, Swiss engineer Karl Muller originally developed MBT shoes in order to reduce lower back pain after he found that barefoot walking across a Korean rice field helped to minimise his own perennial bach ache.
After some further research, he learned that the Masai tribesmen of Africa have a much lower incidence of back pain than westerners and that they are also noted for their excellent posture. He went on to develop MBT shoes which, thanks to their specially designed sole, replicate the mechanics of walking barefoot across soft ground.
Wearers of FitFlops are also more likely to tell you about how comfortable they are rather than to wax lyrical about the toning benefits. It's almost as if the toning effects are a nice bonus rather than the main reason for buying these shoes.
The fact that the most recent Fit Flops release is a clog targeted primarily at hospital workers, doctors, nurses and other shift workers who spend lengthy periods of time on their feet throughout the course of their working day/night tells a story. The comfortable fit comes about due to the fact that the toning sole design, as well as delivering the much discussed and debated toning effects, spreads the body's weight over the sole of the foot in a more uniform manner.
FitFlop founder Marcia Kilgore has, according to the company website, been petitioned by hospital workers and other shift workers in planes, elevators and grocery stores to launch a shoe for people who spend a long time on their feet during the course of their working day. Which would explain the appearance (in the UK only, for the time being at least) of the new FitFlop Gogh Pro - a clog which is very similar to the existing ones in the FitFlop range but which incorporates a new pivoting heel strap for a secure fit and features a no-slip, no-marking sole.
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Find out more about FitFlops toning shoes. There's a wide selection of sandals, sneakers, slippers, clogs and winter boots which will provide you with a workout whilst you walk. It's a very good way to maximise the effectiveness of your walking workout regime
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