Gresham Chiropractor

How would you like to be able to tone your legs and trim your butt without ever setting foot in the gym? It sounds almost too good to be true – but consumers can now choose from a wide selection of shoes, from a variety of different manufacturers, which claim to be able to help you do just that. They are available in a huge range of colors and styles – most of them don’t look like fitness footwear and they are very chic.

The common approach seems to be to replicate the sensation of walking barefoot on soft, yielding ground – like lush grass or sand for instance. Most of these new high technology fitness shoes feature specially designed soles in order to achieve this. Selection of the right density of materials used in the construction of the shoes also seems to be important.

Masai Barefoot Technology Shoes (MBTs)

These are probably the forerunner of the current range of shoes on the market. They are not, strictly speaking, fitness shoes at all. They were developed by a Swiss engineer called Karl Muller. Walking barefoot across a rice field in Korea one day, he noticed that his back pain, an ongoing problem for him, was less troublesome than usual.

He did some research and was interested to learn that the Masai are well known for their good posture and have a very low incidence rate of lower back pain. He designed the MBT range with a curved sole to produce a rolling gait and avoid jarring. Wearers certainly seem very enthusiastic regarding the benefits.

Fitflops Sandals, Boots And Shoes

The Fit flops range of fitness footwear was developed in the UK by ex-personal fitness trainer Marcia Kilgore. These also incorporate a specially shaped sole to simulate walking barefoot on soft ground and incorporate something which rejoices in the name of “microwobbleboard” technology. Testing at London South Bank University and Salford University in the UK has shown that the lower body muscles are engaged for longer when walking in Fitflops, in comparison with standard shoes. Fitflops are, according to the company website, the sandal with the gym built in. They can tone your lower body just by walking around normally.

Of the different specially designed exercise shoes available, Fitflops are probably the least like fitness footwear. They have sandals available in a wide range of colors and styles and have introduced clogs, slippers and boots. Over and above the independent testing, wearers of Fitflops have anecdotally reported a wide variety of further benefits which are claimed to be available by wearing these shoes. Improved posture, reduced cellulite and reduced heel spur pain are amongst the various benefits cited. Traditional flip flop type sandals can actually produce foot problems. However, the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) has approved Fitflops.

Skechers Shape Ups

Skechers Shape Ups shoes also incorporate a curved sole which uses specially selected materials in its construction. The idea, once again, is the reproduction of bare foot walking on soft sand. Clinical studies in both the USA and Japan have confirmed that walking in Shape Ups delivers a number of benefits to wearers.

Reeboks Easy Tones

Reeboks contribution to the latest trend in fitness shoes is the most recent addition to the market. They are a little different from the other offerings insofar as they do not use a curved sole but incorporate air filled balance pods built into the soles. These generate “natural instability” when you wear them and this makes your muscles work harder as they try to readjust to compensate for the instability.

Once again, a number of independent tests appear to support the assertion that the lower body muscles do extra work whilst walking in this type of shoe. There are also any number of rave reviews from actual users, both on the company website and in other locations.

On an intuitive level, it’s possible to imagine how the shoes that mimic walking in soft sand might stimulate your muscles to do some extra work. It’s also reasonable to assume that, if you’re constantly trying to regain your balance, then that might make your muscles do a little extra work. It’s certainly a very nice idea – getting a free lower body workout just by walking about as you would be doing anyway. It may well be worth a try. There is now such a wide selection of these miracle shoes on the market – at prices which are comparable to standard exercise shoes – that you could probably find a style that you like the next time you need a new pair of shoes anyway.