Is it really here? An easy way to shape up your legs and all you have to do is put a pair of specialized sneakers on and go about your day as usual? According to ads around town it is.

Before you lace up, read on.

“Get in shape without setting foot in a gym” (a pretty bold statement) says one company that created the newly popular shoe. They promise to “tone” muscles, to strengthen the back and to help one lose weight with little effort. Do they work? Has anyone seen real results, besides the testimonials from the shoe company’s website? Are there before and after pictures out there and extremely happy users? How long before users see results? Well, on the company’s website they share case studies. Always need proof right? One of the case studies says “... have an unstable center of balance compared to normal sport shoes. The body will instinctively try to find the center of balance by wearing these unstable..." The key word here is unstable. Any unstable activity isn’t always safe for every member of the general public. One reason is because the back and the feet are common areas where people have problems and feel pain daily.

Furthermore, since the shoes are unstable the problem will get worse because the wearer will be forced to put extra pressure on certain joints to find balance especially since this movement is new to them.

Also, while these shoes are a newer concept to the general public, the concept is not new to the athletic training world. It is the world where coaches guide and know when a person is ready for a particular level of activity or a particular piece of equipment.

Can this really replace the gym? Consider this; the average person doesn’t walk for 30 minutes at a time. So for the person who sits at his/her desk all day and the only walking they do is to the subway station and back - will it work?

It is actual physical activity that leads to beneficial physiological adaptations to the body - or a nice body.

Will the shoes make a person function better? Meaning will one be able to sit up in the morning without pain in the back, bend over to pick something up that has fallen with ease, carry their child longer with ease or run up and down the subway stairs to catch a train without getting out of breath?

Also consider that in order to function better or to perform better training has to mimic the movement you want perfected. For example the squat mimics sitting and standing, and reaching, and getting low to pick something up from the floor.

Before buying a concept that is new to you ask questions beyond the ads to find out if it is for you. Especially if you have certain joint issues, and the products make the problem worse, I’d stop using them.

Natasha Linton
Top Rising Star in Personal Training
-National Fitness Hall of Fame and Museum