There are "innovators", "early adopters", "early majority, "late majority" and "laggards" when it comes to trying or buying new things. It's called the "innovation curve". I'm on the "innovator" to "early adopter" side of the curve. One of those guys that buys new stuff just to try it out; curiosity more than anything (besides, who wants to be known as a "laggard"?
So, a few years ago, I bought a pair of MBT sandals, Chung Shi shoes, and Spira shoes. Oh, and I bought a pair of Kangoos too.
To be fair to the folks I bought them from, no one told me I would become fitter by wearing these shoes (I think they were just happy to see me drop in every couple of weeks).
That's not what Reebok would like you to think though.
They have come out with a shoe that they claim makes you fitter as you walk.
The EasyTone.
Really?
No. Sorry. The science behind this says otherwise. The shoe alone has no additional benefit other than perhaps convincing you to walk more than you would otherwise because you think that doing so will give you legs and a butt to die for.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin studied three shoes: MBT, EasyTone, and Sketchers' ShapeUps (you know, the ones Joe Montana wears in the ads). They looked at muscle activation among these shoes and regular running shoes and concluded:
"All three toning shoes tested showed no statistically significant increases in either exercise response or muscle activation during the treadmill trials, when compared to the normal athletic shoes tested. There was simply no evidence to indicate that the toning shoes offer any enhanced fitness benefits over traditional sneakers, despite studies cited by manufacturers seemingly “proving” the toning shoes’ effectiveness."
Ok, so if the shoes don't make you any fitter, why buy them?
Like I said, I buy a lot of stuff just to try it out; see what works, how I can use it, etc. Here's why I bought some of these shoes:
- I have multiple joint (ankle, knee, spine) degenerative joint disease; couple of Schmorl's Nodes in my thoracic spine. So, reducing impact load for things like jogging makes sense. Thus, the Spiras and Kangoos.
- The MBT sandals are just about the most comfortable sandal type shoe I've worn. And again, the reduction in impact is nice on the joints so if I know I'm going to be standing around for quite a while, I'm apt to wear them.
- The Chung Shi shoes force you to walk into the "fall line". They have a ridge across the bottom of the shoe which tends to rock you forward. This will naturally make you walk faster. And, they're also comfortable.
- Spira shoes also reduce impact load. Their claim to fame was getting banned by the United States Association of Track and Field because the USATF thought the shoe would provide an unfair advantage due to the springs in the shoe.
- The Kangoos reduce the impact of running by about 50%. So, for me, especially after a meniscus tear that hasn't completely healed, reducing impact load makes a of of sense. Yes, they tend to attract a lot of attention. One guy walked up to me and hollered, "Do those things really work?" I wondered what he meant. Work for what? I just said "Yeah" and kept running.
Bottom line, you get fit by stressing your body and for some people buying one or more of these shoes will do that simply because they'll be more active in the shoe than otherwise. But, the shoes alone aren't as magical as their marketing.