Could High Tech Shoes Really Give You A Free Workout?
How would you like to be able to tone your legs and trim your butt without ever setting foot in the gym? It may be too good to be true – but there are now a whole range of shoes, from a number of different manufacturers, which claim to be able to help you do precisely 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. The majority of these new high technology exercise shoes achieve this by the use of specially designed soles. 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. Strictly speaking, they aren’t fitness shoes at all. 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.
After performing some research he learned that the Masai tribesmen of Africa are well known for their excellent posture and have an extremely 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. Users certainly seem happy with he 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 feature a curved sole to mimic walking on soft ground in bare feet and incorporate something called “microwobbleboard” technology. Testing at Salford University and the London South Bank University (LSBU) in the UK has shown that the muscles in the lower body are active for longer whilst walking wearing Fitflops, as compared to walking in normal shoes. Fitflops are, according to the company website, the sandal with the gym built in. They tone your lower body as you walk around during the course of your daily routine.
Of the various specially designed fitness footwear on the market, Fitflops are probably the least like exercise shoes. Their range includes sandals in a wide selection of colors and styles and slippers, clogs and boots have now been introduced. In addition to the independent testing, Fit flops users have anecdotally reported a variety of different benefits available from wearing these shoes. Improved posture, reduced cellulite and reduced heel spur pain are amongst the various benefits cited. Conventional flip flop type sandals can actually be a source of significant foot problems. Fitflops however, 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. Once again, the theory is based upon reproducing the sensation of walking in bare feet on soft, yielding 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. 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, there have been a number of independent tests which seem to concur with the claims that walking in this type of shoe encourages the lower body muscles to work a little harder. 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. In any event, it’s certainly a tempting prospect – a free lower body workout just by walking around. It can’t hurt to try. There are now so many of these high tech wonder shoes available – and at prices pretty similar to standard fitness shoes – that you would probably be able to find a pair that you liked the next time you need new shoes anyway.
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