By Evan Osar
Founder: Fitness Education Seminars
So…what gift did you possibly receive this past holiday season, or perhaps you purchased them on your own recently, that I am telling you to get rid of?
What I would like to talk to you about this week is one of the hottest, and potentially most-dangerous fitness trends of the past few years.
What am I speaking about?
Toning shoes (see left).
You know those shoes from the commercials that feature long-legged females strutting and showing off their tanned legs and fit bodies. Recently one popular company even introduced a version for men with football great Joe Montana featured as their spokesperson.
Several of these shoes (currently there are no less than 12 different versions on the market) are actually knock-offs of the popular MBT anti-shoes® that came out several years ago. These rocker-type shoes are designed to mimic walking barefoot on uneven ground. On their website, MBT claims that walking in these shoes improves balance and posture while taking pressure off the joints and back. In fact their web site claims, “when walking in MBTs, the ground no longer feels flat and stable, so the body has to compensate and create stability.” Sites selling these shoes even claim that wearing these shoes can help the individual burn more calories, tone legs, tighten buttocks, strengthen the stomach, and even reduce cellulite.
Talk to many wearers of these shoes and they will tell you how much they love them and how they feel so many more muscles ‘working’ when they are wearing them. However, despite all these claims, hype, and rhetoric, these shoes are potentially more dangerous than they are useful for many and I have seen many patients in my office with injuries related to wearing these shoes.
What makes these toning shoes so dangerous? There are 3 main reasons these shoes can lead to an increase in injuries of the knees, ankle, and feet.
Our foot has a natural rocker built into it. Placing it into a rocker-type shoe disrupts the function of its’ inherent natural rockers creating alterations in walking and movement that can increase stress muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments of the legs, knees, and feet.
The soft, unstable heel of these rocker shoes makes walking unstable – this is a true statement. Have you walked on an unstable surface – such as an uneven slope or slippery surface? Sure you have – we all have. However, have you ever paid attention to your natural reaction while walking on these types of surfaces? Do you walk with long stride lengths, regular pace, and great posture or do you walk more guarded, slower, and with more caution. Unless you’re an extreme athlete or have incredible stability, you choose the latter strategy.
When someone uses these shoes, especially someone that lacks stability (like many of us do), the body has one response…PROTECTION! Your body will limit normal mechanics and range of motion to help protect overstretching of the vulnerable ligaments, tendons, and joints of your feet, ankles, knees, and hips.
Just watch someone walking in these shoes and you will see a very un-natural walking pattern. And I have rarely seen anyone have an improved gait pattern with these shoes despite the designers claims.
Because of the rocker bottom design of the shoe as well as the softness of the heel, the heel of the wearers foot will be positioned lower than the rest of the foot as the individual stands or walks. This creates hyperextension of the knees while standing and walking as well as increased tendency toward a knock-kneed (inside of knees coming together) position as the person walks.
This is a leading cause of knee pain in individuals that wear normal shoes and this stress on the knees is only exacerbated by wearing rocker bottom shoes.
So are there any benefits to wearing these shoes?
Yes, IF you have a stiff big toe or pain under the toes that alters how you stand or walk. However, the best shoes for a stiff big toe or pain under the toes are The Easy Spirit® ‘Get Going’ Anti-Gravity walking shoe (see image left).
These shoes are different than the aforementioned shoes as the heel of the shoe is more solid like a regular walking shoe allowing the foot to go through its natural movements without placing increased stress on the ligaments and tendons of the feet, ankle, and knees.
Several of our patients with big toe pain, bunions, or pain under the small toes have used these shoes with great results. You can get them at many stores that sell running and walking shoes.
However, be sure to check with a qualified professional before deciding whether or not these shoes are right for you.
Conclusion
Rocker-bottom shoes are popular and a growing trend with fitness enthusiasts. As this article has highlighted, there are several fundamental issues with these shoes in individuals with poor stability, balance, and strength. Even in individuals with good stability, they can alter normal, optimal mechanics and set the wearer up for potential foot, ankle, and knee injuries.
If you got a pair of these shoes from a well-meaning friend or family member this holiday season, return them for a refund or simply throw them away – the health of your feet, ankles, and knees aren’t worth the risk of injury. If things sound to good to be true, they probably are. Use caution, common sense, and look to well-qualified professionals to obtain your information rather than relying on mass media marketing hype.
Evan Osar
