Toning Shoes: Do They Really Work?

Toning shoes claim to firm up and shape your legs and butt better than regular sneakers.

Toning shoe companies say that they work by supposedly activating more muscle fibers than standard running shoes.That means they should be more effective at toning your thighs and hips.

The American Council on Exercise conducted a study to see whether the claims of these toning shoes live up to the hype. In the study, two groups of women went toe-to-toe on exercise with one group wearing standard athletic shoes while the other sported toning shoes. Researchers measured and compared the activity of the muscles during exercise for the women in both groups.

The results? Turns out, toning shoes really are too good to be true. The women who worked out in the toning shoes didn't appear to get any more benefit or work their muscles any harder than those who wore standard athletic shoes.


Like most women, being able to tone and burn calories just by doing what you normally would do — run errands, go shopping, pick up kids — was very inviting, especially since ‘being too busy’ is one reason many women skip the gym or working out.

While toning shoes can't take the place of hitting the gym and sticking to a healthy diet helps.

Even if toning shoes can't give you the killer legs you crave just by walking around, that doesn't mean that they're a total wash. If lacing up those sneakers gets you off the couch and moving around, then it's money well spent.


source: everydayhealth