Chookie

TBH, the only work out that they will do for you is for your legs (and for your calves in particular), they won't give you a full body workout....

I think they are a waste of money and all hype.

If you can't afford a gym, go and get a good workout DVD instead - it will do you more good than a fancy pair of shoes will and would most likely cost less.

I would also be leery of wearing them all day long - doing that will over develp your leg muscles - in your calves in particular. And that will cause more problems than sore feet!

As far as the back problems go, I have no real idea as I have never used these so-called "work out shoes", but I imagine it possibly has something to do with them over developing the calves and that ends up throwing your whole posture out of alignment - if you over develop your calves it will mean that you tend to lean forward more (ie you put more pressure on the balls of your feet when standing and walking). That means that your will end up with an over exaggerated anterior pelvic tilt that can lead to hyperlordosis (over exaggerated lumbar spinal curve) because muscles tend to compensate for over-tight and over developed muscles. You will end up with tight calf muscles and inhibited and weak tibialis anterior and in addition very tight hip flexors (Iliopsoas and rectus femoris), weak and inhibited hamstrings, glutes and abdominals and tight lower back muscles (Quadratus lumborum and the lumbar errectors) and that is one of the major causes of low backpain. In addition, it will probably cause secondary hyperkyphosis (over exaggerated thoracic spinal curve) and a head forward posture that can lead to neck pain, tension headaches and more...

Ie your calves, thighs and back will hurt and you will have a saggy belly and bum. Oh and you will end up walking with a "ducky" posture - sticking your butt out... not glamorous or flattering!

And believe me, it can be incredibly painful and takes a long, long time and a lot of work to correct. I know because not only do I have this condition myself (caused by a back injury) but I also did my case study on someone with it last year who wore 3" heels every day - she had the most over-developed calf muscles I have ever seen and her posture was just horrible when we started. It took over 6 months to even start to correct it.

Go and get some supportive well-fitting shoes rather than relying on trendy "work out"shoes! I am on my feet all day at work. I am a massage therapist and it is not unheard of for me to do 5 or more 60 minute massages in a day along with all the rest of the walking around I do (changing the table, greeting clients etc)- so at least 6-8 hours a day on my feet. I wear a decent quality pair of trainers for work - they are supportive, they are well padded and my feet don't hurt at the end of the day. And most importantly, it is not harming my posture or my back! They probably cost more than the Sketchers, but I am saving in having to have someone "fix" my back...

Almost Canadian

Get some Army boots. Soldiers are in them all day, and night, and are on their feet all the time, you won't over develop anything. If soldiers can tab with half their own bodyweight on their back with no issues, you will be fine making subs

mandymoochops

Just checked seeing as i'm home - mine are the tone ups not the shape ups, have no clue what the difference is.

Bumblebee2

Hi,
I got some sketchers ones. Not sure which ones they are but I walk a fair bit in them, and I used to have a lot of lower back pain due to all the standing I did in my job. I've had no problems so far, and mine were only £18 in the UK. I think they're supposed to create an imbalance which your body has to work harder to correct as you walk.

Former Lancastrian

Plus they make you feel taller