The latest hot product from the athletic shoe industry is the toning shoe-- a fancy sneaker with big thick curved soles that's supposed to make your leg muscles work harder during everyday activities. The shoe companies say the toning shoes can sculpt your legs and tighten up your butt as you walk.
Toning shoes from Sketchers and Reebok sell from $100 a pair. Do they work? Two new studies say no. The American Council on Exercise says, "there is simply no evidence to support the claims that these shoes will help wearers exercise more intensely, burn more calories or improve muscle toning." Their studies found "no significant difference between the toning shoes and regular running shoes". Sketcher disagrees. They say they have more than a dozen studies that shows otherwise. I know a couple of people who have tried the shoes. They said they saw results from wearing them. Maybe it was because they walked more with them?
