Few will have escaped the fact that there are leg toning, buttock crunching shoes on the market, which promise to take exercise out of the gym, and turn everyday walking into more of a workout, but many people are sceptical about the claims for a better body without the effort. So do toning shoes really work?
Reebok Easytone Shoes
Whilst toning shoes are not new phenomena – Dr. Scholl having been producing toning sandals since 1959 – the marketing might of the major toning shoes manufacturers such as Skechers, Reebok and FitFlop have ensured that the public is well aware of the benefits which can be achieved just by changing footwear.
The major toning shoe manufacturers claim up to 30% more activity in the lower body by wearing the shoes, and all brands have conducted their own research, clearly demonstrating that their claims are accurate. However, should you believe the same company which produces the shoes to conduct unbiased tests? Many think not, and some experts have run their own trials to put the shoes to the test.
The American Council of Exercise was one of the most high profile organizations which claim that their tests show no statistical difference between standard trainers and toning shoes when it comes to muscle activation and a boost to aerobic activity. As recently reported on the CNN and Wall Street Journal websites, it would appear that the results from ACE clearly demonstrate that toning shoes do not work.
The ACE test was conducted with two groups of 12 girls aged 19-27, with two tests conducted to determine increased muscle activation and exercise value, however even this unbiased trial is not all it appears. Whilst the research was funded entirely by ACE, they seem to have had an interest in acheiving a negative result, after all, backing up the claims of the toning shoe manufacturers is hardly newsworthy material.
The ACE report claims that the studies conducted by the toning shoes manufacturers were neither stringent nor peer-reviewed, calling into question their findings. However some could argue the same case is true of the ACE study. If their study was peer reviewed, it is surprising that no scientist questioned the sample size and demographics.
The study countered MBT Shoes claim of boosting oxygen consumption when standing and walking slowly, with a test at standard walking speed. It was found that at normal walking speed, MBT shoes do not increase Oxygen consumption significantly. Not something which MBT claims anyway.
According to one of the research team, John Porcari Ph.D. “<toning shoes>feel different, and that’s why when people first wear them they’re probably going to be sore because you’re using different muscles”. However their study demonstrated no extra muscle activity, indicating that the soreness is perceived but not significant, or that the study did not measured muscles accurately enough. By conducting the trial with a small group of fit young girls, or those who are least likely to gain much benefit from toning shoes, they have ensured that they have maximised the chances of a negative result. Only 12 girls were tested in each test, an incredibly small sample size, and the age range was not representative of the target market of 18-40 year olds.
Tests conducted by the toning shoes manufacturers used a much broader age group, and were far more comprehensive. The ACE study tested for only 5 minutes when the muscles are just warming up, making it impossible to achieve an accurate result. Tests run for 25-30 minutes, as indicated by the manufacturers as a good starting point for a workout, would have carried much more weight. This would only have required 5 hours of testing per sample. The ACE study used just one hour of test data to try to disprove an industry which generated $245 million in the first quarter of 2010.
The ACE study also measures the muscle activity in the rectus femoris (Quads) and erector spinae (back), two muscle groups which no toning shoe claims to activate, adding a weight of spurious data to boost the shock value of a negative result. They tested the rectus abdominis (abs), again, which both Reebok Easytone trainers and MBT shoes do not claim to boost, and even Skechers are hazy on. Presenting this data along with the real data is misleading.
The study was limited in its scale, with only 24 in the trial, the exercise tests were short at 5 minutes, when the toning shoe manufacturers all claim that you need extended sessions to really see the benefits, and the sample did not include non-active individuals nor the 30-40 year old category, which make up a significant proportion of the target market for toning shoes.
However, the ACE test data does suggest that there is little difference in muscle activation in the buttocks, hamstrings and calves, the common denominators in all toning shoe muscle activation stats. The report suggests that the countless reports from customers claiming to really feel the burn and to develop a noticeable difference in body tone is due to the shoes activating different muscle groups in the legs, those which are not normally activated when walking normally.
It is interesting that this point is made in the report, as it call into question the validity of the study. Most women claim to feel the burn when wearing the shoes, yet the research failed to find any evidence of this suggesting that this the study failed to measure the correct slow twitch muscle groups in the legs, and that the range of measurements was not broad enough.
No mention is made of the medical benefits such as improved posture, which is offered by all brands except Reebok, or of the pain relief provided to sufferers of joint pain, the boost to blood circulation, and greater activation of a wide range of muscles, all additional benefits provided by toning shoes.
The report itself, despite being written by a creditable writer, points out that the best way to really increase body tone, is to walk around with handweights, and to pump your arms when walking. However for a study which measured the effectiveness of toning the lower body, it is difficult to see how this is relevent, unless you strap the weights to your legs that is.
What is clear is that neither the studies conducted by the toning shoe manufacturers nor the ACE study are conclusive, and both have potential for bias. One group wishes to promote toning shoes, the other to discredit them.
However the millions of women who are already exercising in the shoes believe that they work, and that the comfort offered by the shoes and the pain relief provided cannot be dispelled by 5 minutes of walking by 24 young active girls.
It is clear from all tests, including Skechers Shapeups case studies, that you will feel the difference switching over to toning shoes, and whilst this may not correspond to the muscles measured by the ACE study, there is clearly some extra muscle activation going on somewhere, and that this, according to consumers does add up to a noticeable difference.
The health benefits such as corrected posture, improved blood circulation,activation of a wider range of muscle groups, more flexibility brought back into the feet, are all great benefits. The cushioning provided is of unmeasurable benefit to anyone who suffers from painful joints, and for those seeking a low impact workout.
The extra cushioning is undoubtedly good for your joints, your posture could probably do with a fair amount of correction, and if you are an fit and active 19-27 year old woman, you probably don’t need any extra toning and weight loss help anyway. Just buy a pair for the style, comfort, and posture correction and if they turn out to do exactly what the manufacturers claim, so much the better.
In the words of ACE’s Chief Science Officer Cedric Bryant Ph.D, “Depending on how they conduct the study, they can prove anything they want to prove.”. The ACE study demonstrates that if you set out to disprove whether toning shoes really work with an unrepresentative sample, you can attain the negative result you are looking for just as easily as attaining a positive one.
One thing everyone does agree on is that toning shoes and toning sandals do give a feel good factor and appear to be encouraging more men and women to take more exercise, which is undoubtedly a good thing. As to how many extra toning percentage points your butt will get is still open to speculation, but until a comprehensive study is conducted, you may as well go for it.
