Walking for exercise used to be so simple--strap on a pair of walking shoes and head for the trails. However, technology developed since the mid-1990s has given birth to a new generation of walking shoes--shoes that claim to not only increase calorie burn and improve muscle tone, but to improve posture as well.
MBT
MBT, or Masai Barefoot Technology, bills itself as the anti-shoe, since it simulates walking barefoot. Developed in 1996, these were the first in what became a trend of manufacturing shoes that claim to tone muscles and increase calorie burn simply by walking. These shoes were invented by Swiss engineer Karl Müller in the early 1990s, when he noticed on a visit to Korea that walking barefoot over some soft paddy fields alleviated his knee, back and Achilles' tendon pains. He also found that Kenyan Masai tribesmen are not only famous for having perfect posture, but they also do not suffer from back pain. Muller put those two facts together, and concluded that this was because they walk across ground that yields underneath their feet. His answer was a shoe with a curved sole that imitates the movement of walking on grass or soft sand. MBT shoes are available at a wide variety of retail and online stores.
Reebok EasyTone
Reebok EasyTone shoes use balance pods with moving air built into the shoe, providing natural instability with every step, according to the Reebok website. This instability, which causes you to be off-balance while walking, forces your muscles to adapt and work harder. According to Reebok's lab testing, EasyTone shoes cause hamstrings and calves to work 11 percent harder, and gluteus maximus muscles 28 percent harder, than traditional walking shoes. However, because of this instability, these shoes are intended for walking only, and not for sports that require any sort of balance, such as tennis or basketball. These shoes are available at major shoe and department stores and sell for about $100, as of 2010.
Sketchers Shape Ups
Sketchers Shape Ups work much the same way as Reebok shoes, and make the same claims of improved posture, muscle tone and calorie burn. Like Reebok, they are available in many different styles and shapes, and range from $80 to $110 in major shoe and department stores.
Fit Flops
Fit Flops, first launched in May, 2007, are biomechanically engineered shoes designed to tone your legs as you walk. The Fit Flop website claims that wearing these shoes while walking will not only improve posture, but also increase calf, leg and gluteal muscle activity, toning these muscles. These sandals are intended for everyday walking activities, but not for hiking or hill walking. They are made with absorbent foam and rubber, and contain no leather or animal products. Fit Flops are sold in major shoe stores and department stores and sell for about $50 to $80.
Member Comments