Rocker bottom shoes began as a shoe modification that was prescribed to patients suffering from such maladies as arthritis, plantar fasciitis, morton's neuroma, and tendinitis. The principle behind the stiff rocker bottom is that force is distributed evenly throughout the foot with ambulation, thus decreasing stress concentration on the injured area. In addition, such a sole decreases range of motion requirements on the ankle, hindfoot, and forefoot, decreasing pain if these joints are arthritic. Also the shape of the sole allows for propulsion while walking and can challenge certain muscle groups more than they are normally. These shoes are marketed as a way to strengthen muscles, which could lead to weight loss. They are also advertized to cause a change in posture to take pressure off of achy, overused joints.
A new study, released by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), shows that toning shoes including Skechers Shape-Ups, MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology), and Reebok EasyTone don't help people exercise more intensely, burn more calories, or improve your muscle strength and tone. ACE chief science officer Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, said in a written release, “Toning shoes appear to promise a quick-and-easy fitness solution, which we realize people are always looking for. Unfortunately, these shoes do not deliver the fitness or muscle-toning benefits they claim."
In the new study performed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 12 active women aged 19-24 completed a dozen five-minute intervals on a treadmill while wearing Skechers Shape-Ups, Masai Barefoot Technology, Reebok’s EasyTone Reeinspire shoes, or traditional New Balance running shoes as researchers monitored how hard they worked. A second group of 12 women aged 21-27 performed a similar battery of five-minute treadmill tests in the various shoes while researchers measured muscle usage in their calves, quads, hamstrings, buttocks, back, and abs. The results showed that there was no significant difference in calories burned or muscle usage between the four types of shoes, the researchers reported.
Many people do feel that these shoes work because of soreness in different muscles, but Bryant says the shoe’s unstable sole design does cause wearers to use slightly different muscles to maintain balance, resulting in temporary soreness that will subside as the body adjusts to the shoe. However, he also said that "If these shoes are serving as a motivator for individuals to walk or get moving more often, that is a good thing, even if they don’t produce the dramatic toning and calorie-burning results people think they are getting.”
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