Do Butt Toning / Shaping Shoes Really Work?

At first, there were just the Skecher Shape Ups, the shoes that some would deem "ugly" because of the bulky, curvy sole. Then, other shoe companies, like Reebok and New Balance started to develop their butt shaping shoes to add to their already popular lines of gym shoes. Today, both name brand companies and off-brand companies are developing shoes that claim to tone your butts and thighs. The big question that comes to mind is...after all these shoes have been manufactured, purchased, and used...do they really work? See the testimonials below to draw your own conclusions.

• "Since I started wearing those ugly butt shaper shoes to work I have lost almost 10 inches in each thigh!!!!!! EACH THIGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!My back does not hurt any more and my posture has improved 100%." - superhippiechik on myfitnesspal.com.
• "A new study, released by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), shows that toning shoes including...don't help you exercise more intensely, burn more calories, or improve your muscle strength and tone." - D. Mann on webmd.com.
• "After some searching, I haven't been able to find any studies backing up their claims and, frankly, a shoe (no matter how fabulous it is) isn't going to change your body." - P. Weihner on about.com.
• "I do find them helpful - about an hour of walking in them, I can feel a difference. like you feel like you've worked out that day." - "goddess" on boards.elsaelsa.com.

It is definitely hard to believe that walking on these types of shoes alone would lead to a healthier lifestyle or weight loss. The shoes can perhaps be a part of a program, protocol, or regime, but there are other factors that need to be included if you are looking for a healthier life. If you continue to eat fried foods and other foods packed with fat and sugar and think that walking a certain distance in these shoes would offset the unhealthy foods, you should probably expect to fail. On the flip side, if your goal is simply to tone your butt or thighs, then I suppose these may work. The bottom line could end up being....what you think about these shoes depends on what your ultimate goal is for buying and using them in the first place.

My guess is, if you use these shoes regularly, you will likely feel that your thighs and butt is toned. This would happen if you walked regularly in any shoes. Due to the curvature of these soles, I would also venture to say that you are also toning some muscles that are not toned when you walk in flat-soled shoes.

Currently, butt shapers are not only provided in the form of a sneaker but there are also flip-flop style butt toners as well. Happy walking!