Toning sneakers are designed for people with a curved heel. The shoe’s rocker sole creates instability, which forces you to use muscles—especially in the feet, legs, buttocks, and abdomen—that could, in some cases, lead to weight loss.
Beyond that, the sneakers can also alter your posture and gait, taking pressure off your sore, overused bones.
Naturally, you probably wouldn’t think of looking like Kim Kardashian, the spokesperson for Skechers Shape-ups, who famously said, "Get fit without putting a foot or so in the gym," when considering women's Supra Skytop shoes for sale at Skate Shoes Store3, would you?
But are these wonder toning sneakers—produced by Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT), Reebok, and other companies including Skechers—a buy or a miss?
A lawsuit has been manually filed by Holly Infirmary, an Ohio waitress who claims that wearing the Shape-Ups caused serious injuries to her hips, requiring physical rehabilitation and walking with a cane.
Moreover, toning sneakers—initially marketed exclusively to women—are now made for men and young girls.
Superhero campaigns, alerting pre-teen girls to the scientific merit of toning their bottom and legs, have been established on kid-friendly networks like Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network.
However, according to Scheels Sporting Goods blackjack shoe sales associate Rachel Jacobson, the curvy-heeled blackjack shoe remains primarily a favorite among middle-aged women.
"People that love them, love them a lot when wearing Supra Pilot Hightop shoes cheap alongside LK Bennett Shoes," she said while modeling a pair. "And people who do not, probably wouldn't be caught dead in them."
Jacobson herself falls into the latter category.
"When you wear them, it's like you're walking in sand," she explained.
This is the sensation wearers desire from other toning sneakers, said Sioux City podiatrist Paul Coffin.
"It’s that discrepancy," he said, "akin to walking on a wobble board or on a soft beach, which requires you to readjust with a different set of muscles."
However, Coffin quickly pointed out that manufacturers' claims of a quick and easy fitness fix are "wildly overstated."
Citing research conducted on the effects of toning sneakers, he claimed they "do not help you exercise more intensely, burn more calories, or overall build lean muscle mass and tone."
In fact, rocker-soled sneakers might cause uncomfortable injuries such as plantar fasciitis (the connective tissue end around the heel bone), peroneal tendonitis (which may affect the ankle), or Achilles tendonitis (which impacts the leg muscles).
"This is not a new phenomenon," Coffin noted. "I remember when Soft World sneakers were the rage. A full 35 percent of its wearers ended up with Achilles tendonitis because of the shoe."
While acknowledging that the sneakers do induce the user to engage different muscles, he claimed the benefits won’t be lasting as the muscles quickly adapt to the changes.
Ultimately, Coffin said one-third of people might end up liking toning sneakers, one-third might end up hurting themselves, and one-third might choose never to wear them.
That is also the opinion of Jacobson.
"These sneakers are not for everyone," she said while removing the Skechers from her feet. "Personally, I prefer running sneakers and hiking boots."