I just got the shape ups shoes

fatmedic

Well I just bought these shoes, I partly got them to help with severe back pain after accident but they are supposedly also be to make walking more effective anyone got any comments. All reviews were good.

Iceprincessk25

I'm interested in hearing how they are. Keep me posted!

vraehn

My doctor highly recommended I get them to prevent more damage to my joints and hopefully delay an ankle replacement. I have worn them a couple of times and found that they reduce the impact when walking. I have not worn them enough to find out if they really work on using different muscles and actually firming you up.

jesshent

Can they be used for cross-training type activities? Like running, biking, a cardio video, dance workout, weight lifting? I've been very interested in these shoes and want to know if they can be worn ALL THE TIME. Did it come with info? Did it say?

jesshent

Oh and are they good for posture?

KatWood

I'm jealous. I want a pair too. I saw them at the mall yesterday but they are $150! I have been reading a lot of reviews and so far they have all been positive. From what I have been reading the shape ups (Sketchers) are more comfortable that the Easy Tones (Reebox). I want the shape ups because they have a style that will pass as a semi -casual dress shoe (ok I know that didn't really make sense, but I mean compared to it looking like a running shoe which would be against our dress code).

kamacz

They are very good for posture... When i was buying my MBTs lady in a shop said that they are good for running too, so i tried once, and didn't really like it. They don't support the ankle and because their sole is higher than normal running shoes i think its much easier to twist it..

jesshent

Good info from all of you, thanks for the post vraehn! I want a pair so bad. That and the wii fit... if only money grew on trees.

fatmedic

they do come with a CD, that tell you how to walk run and exercise in them, it also has a 15min and 30min work out. I wore them all day and I can definitly feel the difference in my legs, thighs, and lower back. It really does feel like i exercised all day. Im going to wear them to physical therepy tomo. and see how they feel and what they say. Than I have to pick my son up at the airport so I should really put them in for a true work out than lol. keep you posted.

As far as price, I found them cheaper at the shoe stores not attached to the mall. I got mine at shoe show from 99.98, but they are just the plain white. so for the fancier ones look at the scecher web site they seemed to pretty reasonable.

TaraMaria

My mom bought a pair and she swears by them. She is saving up for a second pair. She bought hers at Bergner's and said that if you wait for a sale AND a coupon, you can get them for much less. I believe she bought hers for $78, cheaper then $150 but still out of my price range. Mom says they are the most comfortable pair of shoes she's ever owned! ) Anyhow, thats my two cents!

Dragonfly11

Hi Everybody,
I got the Sketchers shape up "metabolize" and they are my absolute favorites.!! I love them and wish work would allow me to wear them everyday. I got mine from sketches.com in november for under 100.00.

Hope you get yours soon!

Janet

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: I bought mine on Saturday for $99.99 in black and I love them. I feel "bouncy" when I walk. I haven't done anything more than walk around in them and since I usually walk over 10,000 steps a day, I haven't noticed any special toning effects but I love how they feel to walk in them. Hubby says that my posture is better in them. :bigsmile:

niky1215

I have been wanting to buy a pair too. It sounds like they are worth the money.

JaimeMillerPhoto

They wont shape your legs. They are just shoes...good for posture only.

hilarij

I bought a pair of Sketchers Mary Jane type Shape Ups about a week ago. I got them due to balance issues, I tip forward, as well as having back issues and a very busy active work schedule. I LOVE THEM. Thinking of getting a pair of sneakers also. I don't think I'ld wear them to the gym unless I was only walking on the treadmill.

fatmedic

Well I just bought these shoes, I partly got them to help with severe back pain after accident but they are supposedly also be to make walking more effective anyone got any comments. All reviews were good.

Well I have had them for a few days, wore them to PT, airport, and shopping. I do feel a huge difference in the way I walk and feel over all, I do also feel the muscle toning effects in my thighs, calves, and butt. Hope they help my back issues.

PJilly

I will be on a mission tomorrow to try to find the boots in a store. I prefer to try them on than to order them online, although I suppose if I find the shoes, I can see how they fit and then order the boots. It would just be more fun to actually have them tomorrow, though!

BroiledNotFried

Well, I am very skeptical of these shoes. Skeptic, because I have experience skating on a thin blade.

Having been a figure skater for over 30 years, I traded my feet to the devil. Plantar fasciatus, huge cysts on tendons, bone spurs, archilies tears, knee pains, etc. You see, figure skates are heavy and cause the foot alot of pressures.....and tendons and bones just get damaged from the unnatural situation your feet/body is placed. Podiatrists, especially, are wonderful people. As was the orthopedic surgeon who put back together a major tendon in my ankle.

Now, I wear custom orthodics in gym shoes and custom-made skates. My orthodics came with a warning....wear them for only a few hours each day and build up your time in them. Why? Any change to the walking nature of your foot can cause problems all the way up the leg, hips, back, etc

So, in looking at these newest fad.... They look like they are going to throw alot of things out of balance and I hope their video tells you to get used to them in small spurts.. They do not appear to offer good side-to-side support.

I did an Internet search and found...
*************************************************************************************************************

Buyer Beware of Fitness Shoe Claims: TX Podiatrist

Forget dumbbells and yoga mats. the latest get-fit tool is a pair of funny-looking shoes. Reebok Easytones, MBTs, Skechers Shapeups, FitFlops, and Shape Up Shoes purportedly get you in shape as you walk. Here’s the basic premise: create instability in the sole of a shoe to force lower- body muscles to work harder. The result is killer legs and buns. Is wearing a pair of ugly athletic shoes to the grocery store enough to get you fit?


Dr. Marque Allen
There are no unbiased, published studies backing up the shoe manufacturers’ claims, says Dr. Marque Allen, a spokesman for the Texas Podiatric Medical Association and a physician for the San Antonio Spurs. “I would say buyer beware,” Allen says, especially considering the cost of the shoes, which can run as high as $390. He also recommends people who have foot or ankle problems see a doctor before buying shoes with unusual platforms.

Source: Jessica Belasco, San Antonio Express-News [12/21/09]

BroiledNotFried

CNN's take on these shoes...

................

By Madison Park
CNN

(CNN) -- The thick shoes come with a big promise: to chisel the butt and legs.


Instead of following latest fads, Dr. R. Amadeus Mason advises finding comfortable shoes, regardless of brand.

In a growing trend, "toning shoes" are being sold with claims that wearers can tighten and shape their lower-body muscles just by walking in the shoes. And ads have suggested that they make the gym obsolete.

But these oddly shaped shoes have their share of medical skeptics who say there have not been legitimate, independent studies proving the benefits of these types of shoes over traditional pairs.

Although the designs vary, the shoes generally have pods or curves in the bottom that create instability. That imbalance, shoemakers say, causes about 11 to 41 percent increased muscle activity in the legs, glutes and calves.

But some foot specialists find the shoes to be clunky, heavy and unstable. Dr. Paul Langer, a podiatrist at Minnesota Orthopaedic Specialists, has a pair of toning shoes that he wears as an experiment. Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at toning shoes »

"I can say that after a day in clinic, my legs feel tired and the shoes feel heavy (they are much heavier than conventional shoes)," he wrote. "Because the shoes are unstable, muscles must [work] harder to stabilize the foot and leg. I would never propose that these shoes would replace a conventional fitness routine."

Choosing fitness shoes
When looking for a pair of fitness shoes, the key is comfort. One expert offers these tips:

1) Regardless of the brand, seek the one that's comfortable to you.

2) Check to see that the heel is perpendicular to the sole of the shoe.

3) The shoe should have medium firmess, not too soft or hard. It should be somewhat bendable.

Source: Dr. R. Amadeus Mason, Emory Sports Medicine Center

Skechers markets its Shape Ups shoes to "get in shape without setting foot in a gym." Various companies' claims range from reducing back pain, reducing cellulite and improving posture to promoting weight loss. Reebok advertises its EasyTone sneakers with "nice booty. great sole." Most of the shoes are marketed toward women.

Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise, said claims that the shoes make a gym obsolete are "definitely far-fetched." But research has shown that the brief moments of instability in the feet cause muscles to work harder, he said.

"If you have a moment of instability, what happens is the muscles counteract by working to create stability -- in theory," he said. "Whether the shoes or soles create a mechanical advantage, that's the marketing hype."

Although there have been small studies showing increases in muscular activity with the use of curved soles, Dr. Bruce Williams, a podiatrist and a past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, said: "My point is that it's not necessarily beneficial even though there's an increase in muscular activity."

For example, a person who limps may have an increase in muscular activity.

"Their primary complaint at the end of the day after walking around the mall is that they hurt," Williams said. "So is that necessarily beneficial to them? No, not at all. ... I'm not a big fan of people relearning how to walk."

Williams cautioned: "There are lots of claims made by manufacturers of these shoes. Everyone has to take this with a grain of salt."

For years, people with foot or ankle problems have been prescribed "rocker shoes," in which the soles curve like the bottom of a rocking chair to transfer the workload away from joints and bones.

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"People use that to rehabilitate ankles and work on your position stance, not your fitness or your strength." said Dr. R. Amadeus Mason, a sports medicine specialist at the Emory Sports Medicine Center. "To think that would then make you stronger or more fit with your regular activities -- I have a hard time buying that."

Dr. Fabian Pollo, director of orthopaedic research at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, said he's also unsure whether the benefits translate to someone who doesn't have a foot problem. The mechanics of the toning shoes could lead to greater muscle activation, but that doesn't mean that tried-and-true methods should be replaced.

"It's not a magic bullet of weight loss or toning your body," Pollo said. "It can lead to some of those possible benefits, but not to the extent you can replace exercise routine or diet."

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Fitflops, which are sandals with curvy soles, are described by the maker as "the flip flop with the gym built-in" because, the company claims, the sandals diffuse pressure on the feet and increase muscle engagement. Company representatives said the flip-flops are meant for walking and daily activities, not for use in a gym.

Reebok said independent lab tests showed that EasyTone shoes generated up to 28 percent more butt muscle activation, compared with ordinary sneakers, because of the mini balance balls in the bottom of the shoe.



In an e-mailed statement, Kristen Van Cott, vice president of creative strategy at Skechers, said that users of her company's Shape Ups "should notice your muscles being more toned, an improvement in your core strength, and weight loss." Skechers said it conducted a six-week test that showed Shape Ups users lost an average of 3.25 pounds.

"Everyone's study is really self-sponsored study, so there hasn't been a lot of independent research," said McCall from the American Council on Exercise.

tres1967

I had a severe foot injury and walking was incredibly painful. In desperation I bought a pair of MBT's in New York during a visit 8 years ago. They say to wear them only a few hours a day to get used to them, I wore them 8 hours out the door with no problems. I now have 5 pairs. One component is called "negative heel" technology. Earth Shoes are also big on negative heel. I works wonders for me and I have been a licensed massage therapist for 20 years and spent all my time working on my feet. I can now wear "normal" shoes without pain but I still love me MBT's. I haven't tried Skechers yet and I don't know how they are constructed but MBT's website shows how they are made in great detail. I am going to go try the Skechers and see if there is a difference.

barbiecat

:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: I love my Shape-Ups........I don't expect miracles.....I already log an average of 14,000 steps a day in the winter and over 16,000 when the days are longer and I can walk more outside........I don't expect my shoes to take the place of a gym or real exercise.......I love how they feel on my feet......they make me feel bouncy and energetic......I love to do the rolling forward and back that I saw on the DVD......I don't wear them to my line dance class or to walk on the uneven terrain at the dog park.......I highly recommend them :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

barbara12

I have seen those on tv. Let us know what you think of them. I could use any help I can get haha:smooched:

mschelle

I love my Skecher's Shape-Ups, but not for the reasons I thought I would. Honestly, I don't feel much in the way of toning. Maybe I'm walking in them wrong.

However, I have *very* high arches and have never had a pair of comfortable shoes that actually supported my feet (even with store bought inserts). My toes tend to fall asleep during exercise, and I have frequent foot and ankle pain. I thought I'd have to shell out $400 for orthopedics!

But these shoes actually do it! It's amazing! These are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn and I wear them everywhere! If they are doing my butt some good, then bonus, but I really can't tell.