Are Shape-Up Shoes Bad for You?

Are shape up shoes bad for you?
Studies show there are no proven benefits of shape-up shoes and using this footwear can increase your risk of fall accidents and injuries during exercise.

Many studies have reported that there is no proven benefit of shape-up shoes. On the contrary, these can cause ankle instability due to their extremely rounded rocker bottom sole.

Furthermore, university experts, medical specialists, Consumer Reports and the American Council on Exercise (ACE) have all said that the design of Shape-Ups might increase the danger of fall accidents and injury during workouts.

Shape-up shoes were designed to tone your lower limbs while exercising. According to research published by the ACE, toning shoes such as Skechers Shape-Ups, MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology), and Reebok EasyTone will not help you with the following as they claimed:

  • Vigorous exercise
  • Burning more calories
  • Enhancing muscular strength and tone

What are shape-up shoes and do they really work?

In the world of fitness, shape-up shoes are a new craze. They are intended to test your balance while walking, therefore, building muscular tone in your calf, hamstring, core, and gluteus muscles. Shape-up shoes feature a built-up sole that shifts your center of gravity forward.

Shape-up shoes claim that if you walk with these shoes, your hamstring, gluteus, core, and calf muscles can be benefited and be toned. Shape-up shoes are another tool for challenging your muscles in a new way with weight-bearing training. This will not replace your regular workout regimen if you work out at the gym or run. This is something you may incorporate into your routine to test your balance while working out.

They claim that the benefits of the rocker's bottom vary depending on where it is situated. 

  • When the rocker's bottom is situated behind the ball of the foot, less pressure is applied to the ball of the foot and big toe. As a result, these shoes assist in alleviating foot pain while walking.
  • When the rocker point near the rear of the shoe is thicker, it restricts ankle and mid-foot motion. This helps reduce pressure on the heel of the foot.

According to a chief scientific officer, because the human body has natural, adaptive skills while walking and balancing, shape-up shoes do not work.

If you have balance issues, persistent back pain, or a history of ankle pain, you should avoid wearing shape-up shoes. Consult your doctor or physical therapist if you are unclear about whether you are a candidate for these shoes.

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Are Skechers Shape-Ups dangerous?

Skechers is a footwear brand that makes and sells shape-up sneakers. Skechers has promoted a product known as Skechers Shape-Ups, which claims that by wearing this footwear, you will lose weight, tone your muscles, and encourage excellent posture. Many people are drawn to this product because they wish to reduce weight.

Skechers Shape-Ups are said to have a rocking sole that throws the wearer's body off-balance. As a result, it will push the user to expend more energy with each stride which results in weight loss. However, various disputes have taken place over Skechers' assertions.

Consumer Reports have urged anyone with balance concerns to avoid the unsteady Shape-Ups and have gone ahead to suggest that healthy people interested in increasing their fitness should invest in solid walking shoes rather than the Shape-Ups.

Shoes that do not give a stable walking experience may result in catastrophic fall accident injuries such as:

  • Broken bones
  • Lacerations
  • Head injury
  • Neck and back injuries 
  • Joint dislocations 
  • Strained ligaments
  • Fractures
  • Chronic pain

Skechers Shape-Ups lack arch support, so they are not intended for long-term use because they may cause injury in the long run. Lack of arch support and a firm sole can lead to alterations in:

  • Gait
  • Posture
  • Weight distribution

Many people have purchased Skechers Shape-Ups to reduce weight quickly, but they have not found it to be beneficial and have suffered numerous injuries.

References
Image Source: iStock Image

Shape Up or Poor Form? http://inbound.business.wayne.edu/blog/shape-up-or-poor-form

Do Shape Up Shoes Work? https://doesitreallywork.org/shape-up-shoes-review/

Why Skechers Shape-ups Toning Shoes are Dangerous: https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/why-skechers-shape-ups-toning-shoes-are-dangerous-28424#:~:text=With%20an%20overly%20rounded%20rocker,of%20fall%20accidents%20and%20injury