It is 11:45 a.m. and you’re making the daily trudge up the stairs to your third floor advisory. As you reach the second flight you start to feel the burn. Your legs feel like Jell-O and you could use a water break. Imagine if these painful walks could improve the muscle tone in your legs. According to Reebok, their EasyTone shoe can do just that.
[simage=29,max,y,center,]According to a study released by the University of Delaware, the shoes increase muscle activity in the glutes by 28 percent, the hamstrings by 11 percent and the calves by 11 percent.
The big question being asked about the EasyTone is, do they work? Reebok claims that the small balance balls on the heel and ball of the shoes creates a microinstability that tones and strengthens legs with every step. The theory seems logical according to Ms. Sandra Beesly, a writer for Moneyblog, but Beesley says the shoes can’t be relied upon as a quick fix. According to Beesly, the shoes will not make weight loss easier because the wearer must build muscle before they can burn more calories.
Many reviewers are skeptical, but sophomore Amanda Koch said she utilizes her pair of EasyTones.
‘[EasyTones] make my workout harder,’Â Koch says. ‘Especially climbing the stairs, but the shoes are really comfortable.’Â
According to Koch, one of the downfalls of the shoe is the price. EasyTones retail at $99.98 on the Reebok website.
According to junior Megan Schilling the shoes are expensive and she would not buy a pair for $100.
‘[I wouldn’t buy them] because I’m not sure if they actually work,’Â Schilling says. ‘I’ve also heard that they aren’t good for running.’Â
Reebok has released a statement on their website cautioning buyers against running or playing sports in the shoes. Reebok recommends them only for walking because of the instability caused by the balance balls.
Ms. Paige Wahrer, an exercise reviewer for About.com, says the shoes will not change your legs like claimed in the advertisements, but if you’re looking for a good walking shoe the EasyTone is comfortable.
Sophomore Natalie Winterman wears her EasyTone shoes to school four times a week.
‘I don’t really see a difference [in my lower body],’Â says Winterman. ‘But I can feel a difference. The shoes really work you out.’Â
So the bottom line, according to most sources the EasyTone shoes are comfortable and creates a more difficult workout but don’t rely on them to drastically improve muscle tone as claimed in the advertisements.
