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 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 come in a wide variety of styles and colors – a lot of them don’t look like exercise shoes at all and are extremely fashionable.

The general approach seems to be to mimic the feeling of walking barefoot on soft ground – like sand or lush grass for example. The majority of these new high technology exercise shoes achieve this by the use of specially designed soles. 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. As a matter of fact, they aren’t really fitness shoes. They were developed by Karl Muller, a Swiss engineer. 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.

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. 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 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. Just weatring them and walking around as normal will tone your lower body.

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. 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. 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. Again the aim is to replicate the effect of walking barefoot across 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 produce “natural instability” when you walk in them and this makes your muscles work a little harder as they try to compensate and regain balance.

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.

When you think about it, it’s not too hard to imagine how shoes that are able to produce the mechanical characteristics of walking on a soft yielding surface like sand could encourage your muscles to carry out 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 might be worth a 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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