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As an exercise physiologist, I have seen many fitness fads and gadgets come and go. Unfortunately, consumers continue to spend billions on these products only to be more confused about health and fitness than they were before. This article outlines my opinion of "toning shoes", one of the latest fads in the fitness industry.

 

It’s not every day that I get to tell a former NASA engineer that he is full of it, but thanks to Reebok I get my chance. Last year Reebok released their EasyTone shoe which they claim gives women a better looking butt, hamstrings and calves by simply wearing them while they walk. In fact, a former NASA engineer named Bill McInnis who is responsible for developing the EasyTone, in response to "research" done on EasyTone shoes said, "The results are better than anything Reebok could have expected." Is that right Mr. McInnis? You are telling us that a shoe such as the EasyTone which Reebok admits should not be worn for jogging, running, jumping or playing sports, will actually enhance a woman's figure by simply wearing them while they walk? Reebok and Mr. McInnis... you are full of it.

 

In some respects McInnis is right. EasyTone shoes have produced results better than anything Reebok could have expected; not in the butt department however. EasyTone shoes are now the most financially successful product Reebok has had in years. Unfortunately, this financial success has been driven by numerous ads containing half-dressed women, breasts talking to each other and celebrity endorsements instead of actual results, such as higher levels of fitness, increased strength, lower body fat percentages, increased endurance and better looking body parts. Yeah, the breasts talking to each other was not a typo. 

 

The idea of "toning shoes" is not a new one but I will focus on EasyTone shoes since Reebok has managed to increase the popularity of toning shoes more so than any company previously. Just for reference, a couple of other popular toning/fitness shoes include Sketchers Shape Ups, which I must say are some of the nastiest looking shoes I have seen in quite some time. There is also the FitFlop, which I hear is pretty comfortable, but more flop than fit. 

 

First and foremost, there is no peer reviewed published studies on Reebok EasyTone shoes. Reebok frequently says that the shoes were "tested" and "studied" but the only study Reebok commonly cites is a study funded by Reebok and performed at the University of Delaware. I have searched and searched for an actual copy of the study but have not been able to find one. Reebok provides vague references and frequently uses data from the study. Mr. NASA himself in numerous interviews has cited the study as proof positive evidence that EasyTone shoes are effective. Yet, I still can't find an actual copy of the study Reebok uses to support their most financially successful products in years. This type of behavior, which is pretty common in the fitness industry, should raise red flags.

 

What I have been able to gather of this impossible to find study is that researchers had five women walk 500 steps on a treadmill wearing standard foam walking shoes. This same group of women also walked 500 steps on a treadmill wearing EasyTone shoes. While walking on the treadmill researchers measured various leg and buttocks muscle activity with electromyography or EMG. Once the study was completed, leg and buttocks muscle activity was compared between walking in standard foam walking shoes and walking in EasyTone shoes. 

 

The results of the study, which Reebok constantly leverages, concluded that the gluteus maximus muscles (butt) worked 28% more and the hamstrings and calves worked 11% more while walking in EasyTone shoes vs. standard foam walking shoes. In other words, millions of pairs of shoes and millions of dollars in sales have resulted in part from evidence Reebok gathered from five women walking 500 steps. 

 

Let's take a closer look into how absurd this is. First of all, five women is an extremely small number of subjects. Results from this number of subjects could cause researchers to investigate an issue further but there should be no sweeping conclusions based upon this small number of subjects. This is especially true when it is hard to determine the characteristics of the women used in the study. Were they athletic, obese, active, sedentary, young, old, healthy, unhealthy, without foot problems or with foot problems? It's irresponsible to imply that all women will benefit from EasyTone shoes the way Reebok is implicating.

 

Second, the duration of the study, presumably just 500 steps, is far too short to make any long- term conclusions. You can perform a number of new tasks for a short period of time and you could measure a difference in muscle activity. This however, does not mean there is a long-term benefit. 

 

Third, just because there is a measurable difference in EMG or muscle activity, this does not automatically result in positive changes. If someone punches you in the thigh and gives you a big "charley horse", you are probably going to limp around for while resulting in measurable differences in muscle activity. When walking on grass vs. concrete there is a measurable difference in muscle activity. Walking barefoot, in flip flops, high heels (I don't that often), running shoes, dress shoes or house slippers will also cause a measurable difference in muscle activity. 

 

Fourth, a measurable difference in muscle activity is just half the battle. Before I get into this point too far, let me first say that I can't stand how the word "tone" is used so often. You often hear people say, "I don't want to bulk up, I just want to tone." Sound familiar :)? What does that mean exactly? There are two ways to make muscle more visible. You either need to make muscle grow larger and/or you need to decrease your body fat percentage. Ok, back to the fourth point. So great, some researcher were able to determine there were differences in muscle activity when wearing EasyMoney, I mean EasyTone shoes vs. standard foam walking shoes. How does this translate into real visible results? It doesn't! In order to prove that EasyTone shoes make a difference, research must show some muscle growth, a decrease in body fat%, circumference measure changes, increased endurance, increased strength or better balance. My guess is that if there was long-term study done on a larger group of women or men, EasyTone shoes would NOT prove to be superior to plain old walking shoes. Ah, but long-term results is not what Reebok was after. They wanted something quick and "official" that could be used to sell a product; which leads me to my next point.

 

Fifth, the portion of this that bothers me the most, is that people like Bill McInnis and other smart folks at Reebok know damn well what this type of research should and should not be used for. They are well aware of the limitations of this study yet they choose to use the information in a way that implies a woman will look better if she walks around in EasyTone shoes. While digging around I found this quote from Katrin Ley, Head of Women's at Reebok. Katrin said, “We believe every woman has the right to a nice butt, even if they are too busy to go to the gym. Reebok EasyTone footwear allows women to tone as they go about their everyday business." Unfortunately there is not a shred of evidence to support that Katrin. 

 

I am not going to go into a detailed discussion about the ins and outs of unstable exercise or activity. However, since companies continue to release fitness products that cause instability I will probably need to continue to discuss the issue. If you have read some of my previous articles on the subject, you know that I am not a big fan of goofy gadgets such as stability balls, BOSU Balls, Balance Discs, The Bender Ball, or countless other exercise/fitness devices that cause instability. 

 

Reebok claims that their EasyTone shoes contain "Balance Ball Inspired Technology." They obviously use the term "technology" quite loosely. The "balance pods" on the bottom of EasyTone shoes cause, and I quote from Reebok's web site, "The slight instability created by the pods forces your muscles to work a little harder, toning you up as you strut." Without a doubt research has shown that unstable exercise and devices that cause instability, such as stability balls and EasyTone shoes, do not enhance the benefits of exercise. In fact research clearly shows that regular exercise on unstable surfaces actually decrease the benefits associated with exercise. The bottom line when it comes to exercise or activity on unstable surfaces, while I know that nearly every health club and personal trainer are pushing devices that cause instability, is that there is no evidence to support this. It does not work! 

 

If you would like more information about unstable exercise you can check out The Core Truth and Sticking to the Basics.

 

At the end of the day, Reebok's EasyTone shoes are merely one more fitness gadget that adds to the plethora of misinformation that already plagues the fitness industry. You know, it is a real shame that companies such as Reebok are more interested in making a buck instead of actually contributing something useful. For those of you who have already purchased a pair of EasyTone, I am sorry. I do hear they are comfortable though as long as you don't roll your ankle. For those of you who have been thinking about purchasing a pair, keep the $100 or more the EasyTones cost and buy me something nice! I almost forgot. For the men reading this, Reebok will soon be aiming an EasyMoney shoe at you in the near future.