
Toning shoes are shoe that make the muscles in the foot and leg work harder and change the gait and the posture. They do that by having a rocker under the sole. They are controversial due to legal action taken against the companies by the FDA over the lack of science to support the health gains for the shoes. If you are going to make health claims for a product, then you probably need some evidence to back it up. The difference between the evidence and the hype over the claims is what leads to the skepticism. The most well known shoes in this category are the MBT’s, the Skechers Shape Up and the Reebok Easy Tones.
Will they help those with fibromyalgia?
In all honesty I really have no idea. They will change the posture and the alignment and problems with these are common in fibromaylgia. As to if the postural change induced by using these toning shoes is positive or negative for any individual is hard to say. For some it will be a positive change and for others it will be a negative change. We have no guidelines or tools to help us predict in advance who they might help.
More research is certainly needed and I see them being very helpful to some people with fibromyalgia. It is just the lack of research on it is what the problem is (and what got the companies in trouble with the authorities!). My best advice is, they are probably worth a try.
- Abril M.D., Andy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 272 Pages - 09/24/2019 (Publication Date) - Mayo Clinic Press (Publisher)
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