How does the idea of toning your legs and reducing your butt without having to make a single trip to the gym appeal to you? 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 come in a range of colors and styles – some of them look nothing like exercise shoes at all and are very fashionable.

The common approach seems to be to replicate the sensation of walking barefoot on soft, yielding ground – like lush grass or sand for instance. Many of these latest high tech fitness shoes incorporate specially designed and shaped soles to achieve this. Use of the correct density of materials in the construction of the shoes also seems to be an important factor.

Masai Barefoot Technology Shoes (MBTs)

These are probably the forerunner of the current range of shoes on the market. In fact, they aren’t fitness shoes at all, strictly speaking. They were developed by a Swiss engineer called Karl Muller. Whilst walking barefoot across a Korean rice field, he realised that his back pain, a long term problem for him, was very much better 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. The MBT range of shoes was designed to avoid jarring by encouraging a rolling motion when the wearer’s foot contacts the ground. Wearers certainly seem very enthusiastic regarding the benefits.

Fitflops Sandals, Boots And Shoes

The Fitflops 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. Independent tests, carried out at London South Bank University and Salford University in the UK, has shown that the lower body muscles do more work when walking in Fitflops, in comparison with conventional shoes. According to the company website, Fit flops are 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 a wide selection of sandals available in a range of different styles and colors and have, in response to customer demand, introduced boots, slippers and clogs. Additional to the independent testing, anecdotal feedback from Fitflops wearers suggests that a wide variety of different benefits are available as a result of wearing these shoes. Reduced cellulite, better posture and less heel spur pain are amongst the various benefits attributed to these shoes. Standard flip flop type sandals can actually cause foot problems. However, Fitflops are approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).

Skechers Shape Ups

Skechers Shape Ups shoes also incorporate a curved sole which uses specially selected materials in its construction. Again the idea is to reproduce the effect of walking barefoot on soft sand. Studies in the USA and Japan have concluded that wearing Shape Ups while you walk can provide 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. Unlike the other shoes mentioned thus far, these do not incorporate a curved sole but use special balance pods filled with air which are built into the sole. These cause “natural instability” when you walk in them which makes your muscles work harder to try and regain balance.

Once again, various independent tests appear to back up the claims that lower body muscles do more work when wearing this type of shoe. There are also any number of rave reviews from actual users, both on the company website and in other locations.

Intuitively, it’s just about possible to imagine how shoes that reproduce the effect of walking in soft sand might make your muscles perform some additional 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 can’t hurt to 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.

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