THECLAIMS-FitnessCertificationsACE.pdfVIP

r maybe too good to be true? All of the above are publicized claims marketing the latest toning shoes from Skechers Shape-Ups, MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) and Reebok EasyTone.The shoes, each of which uses uniquely shaped rounded soles and extra cushioning to alter the wearer’s normal walking gait, are currently all the rage in footwear. A quick Web search reveals many blogs touting the shoes and NFL great Joe Montana has even been hired as a pitchman for one of the brands. With all this buzz about toning shoes, it was time to put their claims to the test. So we enlisted a team of exercise scientists from the Exercise and Health Program at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, to study each of the shoes. The basic theory behind how they are supposed to work makes sense to consumers,so it’s easy to see why many are quick to embrace—and purchase—the shoes, which range in price from $100 to $245.The common denominator is that they all have an unstable sole design, which forces the wearer’s body to constantly struggle to find an equilibrium or balance point. The MBT and Skechers have rounded sole designs, while the Reebok shoes have 1 cm-diameter pods built into the forefoot and heel. “It makes sense,” says John Porcari, Ph.D. “People say, ‘I can feel them working my muscles more because I’m unstable.’” To make the shoes even more enticing to consumers, Skechers, MBT and Reebok each cite their own studies “proving” the results one can expect from wearing their shoes. What they fail to mention, however, is that these studies are not peer-reviewed, and most are of questionable design. For this reason,ACE’s Chief Science Officer Cedric Bryant Ph.D., urges consumers to beware THE CLAIMS MBT: Masai Barefoot Technology $245 () “Helping solve knee and back problems, relieve tension in the neck, ease joint pains—and more or less in passing help to tone and shape firm buttocks and thighs.And burning more calories when standing and slow running compared to ordinary shoes.” S