Reebok EasyTone Shoes History and Current Research

The Reebok EasyTone shoes have been around now for a few years but there is still some controversy over the idea of getting in shape just by changing your shoes. I found an Article that was published in the New York Times on December 8, 2009 that gives information about how the shoe works, who created them along with why and how, and the most recent research on the shoes.

If you already have the Reebok EasyTone shoes or you are considering getting them, here is some background information about the shoes from the article and some current research on the shoes.

If you would like to read the entire article - which isn't very long here is the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/health/08well.html


Highlights for the Article

The Creation of Reebok’s Easy Tone Shoes:

The EasyTone was created by a Mr. McInnis, a former NASA engineer, who said he was interested in the stability balls used in gym workouts and wanted to translate the technology to a shoe. In particular, he was intrigued by the Bosu ball, a small half-sphere that exercisers stand on during workouts as a way to engage leg and core muscles better.

In designing the EasyTone, Mr. McInnis and his team sought to mimic that concept by adding "balance pods" to the toe and heel of the shoe.

How The Shoes Work:
The "balance pods" are located in the toe and heel of the shoe. As the person walks, the air pushes back and forth between toe and heel, and the person sinks into the shoe. The effect is similar to that of walking on a sandy beach which requires more work, balance and muscle engagement than walking on a flat surface.

Design elements like curved soles and Reebok’s "balance pods" are said to force the wearer to engage stabilizing muscles further, resulting in additional toning for calf, hamstring and gluteal muscles.


The Test Study for the Reebok EasyTone:

In that study, done at the University of Delaware, five women walked on a treadmill for 500 steps wearing either the EasyTone or another Reebok walking shoe, and while barefoot. Using sensors that measure muscle activity, the researchers showed that wearing the EasyTone worked gluteal muscles an average of 28 percent more than regular walking shoes. Hamstring and calf muscles worked 11 percent harder.
But the claim that the shoes offer muscle toning is backed only by this single study involving just five people, and not published in a peer-reviewed academic journal.

Today’s Research and Why the Shoe May Work:But it remains to be seen whether such effects will make a difference over time. In a July 2008 study of instability boards and balls, Canadian researchers found that among experienced exercisers, moderate instability balls like the Bosu had little effect on muscle activation.

The shoes are designed only for walking, and because of the instability design, wearers are discouraged from running, jumping and engaging in other athletic activities while wearing them. So the real effect may come from simple awareness that they are wearing a muscle-activating shoe, causing them to walk more briskly and with purpose.

But the studies don’t show whether more engagement leads to meaningful changes in muscle tone or appearance over time. Nor is it clear whether the high level of engagement continues once the walker becomes accustomed to the shoe.