Those expensive shoes that lift your tush....

[Moxie]

do they really work :001_unsure: ?? My backside seems to be...um...lowering itself. I don't wear tennis shoes in public so these would just be to wear in the house. Any brand better then another? Wal-Mart has some ugly black Dr. Scholls with the rocker bottom that are only $30 but I don't want to waste $30 if this is just clever marketing.

 

Gravity stinks.

[Moxie]

Where have you heard this? I'm trying to find reviews and the only negatives I've found are people falling.

[Barb_]

I love my Fitflops and reach for them first thing in the morning. We have travertine and it is very hard on my knees and back. I started wearing them when I was pregnant with my youngest about 18 months ago because they were so cushy. I figured they were hokey and didn't expect them to do much for my physique, but I saw a thread about them on this board and people were talking about wearing them for a bad back. I think it was Alphabet Pam who convinced me to go for it. I wear them all day just about every day and I can tell the difference when I wear regular shoes out shopping. My back really bothers me after a couple of hours. They were a little bit hard to get used to and you should back down a half size to a size. I wear a 7.5 and I I one pair of 7's and one pair of 6's. I can wear them both. Anyway a nice side effect is that my butt looks better than it did 10 years ago, according to my husband. So I suppose you can read that as an endorsement. I don't know anything about the knock off brands.

 

Barb

[MyLittleWonders]

My chiropractor recommends them for backs, knees, and overall joint health, at least the expensive ones (MBT and Chung Shi). I have a pair of MBTs and also bought a pair of Sketcher's "Mary Janes" for trips to the store. I'm not sure I've noticed any difference yet in my bum, but I know they have helped rehab my knee (torn meniscus and chondromalacia). It's not 100%, but it is much better than it was before I started wearing the shoes (even as sporadically as I seem to wear them right now).

 

I much prefer going barefoot, but I might buy a pair of FitFlops for in-house wear only (we don't wear outside shoes inside) to help with my knees and back (and any added bonus I can get out of them in terms of toning the bum ;) ). I never thought of that idea. :)

[Catwoman]

I have the Skechers Shape-Ups, and they feel strange the first few minutes you wear them, but then you get used to them. The first time you go up and down the stairs is pretty comical, too, as you'll wonder if you're going to trip and fall.

 

I don't think they do a thing for your lower body, although some people swear they notice a difference. I like them for walking because they are super-padded and comfortable. I bought a pair for my dh (hey, Joe Montana wears them, right? ;)) and he wore them for a while, but then started developing foot and leg pain, and the podiatrist said the shoes were probably part of the problem. She said that she thought the claims for the Shape-Ups were a joke.

 

I know the several brands make similar shoes, so you should try on quite a few before you buy any. Don't bother with the Tone-Ups flip-flops; I have them and they don't do anything for your legs -- and mine are so sharp along the edges that they actually made the tops of my feet bleed! :ack2:

 

Cat

[Britomart]

I don't know much about the shoes, but for what it's worth, I've had good luck in, um, countering the effects of being a middle-aged mom by doing strength exercises. The ones that target your glutes and hamstrings (which is what you want for reshaping your backside) are pretty easy to do, and don't take too much time.

 

As a side-benefit, if you're doing exercises that target glutes and hamstrings, you're going to get a pretty good calorie burn simply because those muscles are some of the largest in the body (not your body, not my body, just the body) and our larger muscles are where we burn most of our calories.

 

I'm thinking things like deadlifts and squats (there are a million different kinds of squats) and bridge extensions. If you want to get fancier and jumping is okay, things like squat jumps are amazing. Oh, and lunges. Lunges are great.

 

It doesn't take very long, and it'll get more done in a shorter amount of time than special shoes. Deadlifts and squats are terribly efficient. And cheap. I'm all about efficient and cheap. :)

[Pretty in Pink]

The fitness mags I've read say that they don't really work.

[Catwoman]

The fitness mags I've read say that they don't really work.

 

They do make you taller, though, if that matters to you... ;)

 

Cat

[mcconnellboys]

Now if they could only come up with some that help put your booKs back on their shelves.....

[Britomart]

Now if they could only come up with some that help put your booKs back on their shelves.....

 

:iagree: Oh man, so true. Sometimes I think I exercise just to make up for the things about my body that that all the exercise in the world can never fix . . .

[lvbnhome]

I can only speak from my experience of using MBT's. I don't think I would purchase the cheaper brands, because they don't feel right to me. I bought a pair of MBT sandals, before our trip to Europe last year. We did TONS of walking...everybody in our group complained but my feet DID NOT hurt at all, even though one day my dd calculated we had walked 15 miles in France, in one day.

 

When I haven't worn them for a while, and then wear them, even if just around the house,

I can feel it in my calves, and they appear higher and look toned,

just like if I haven't lifted weights for a while and lift one day. The results of course, are more evident if doing it daily,.....like anything else of course.

 

I also have a torn meniscus and can tell you that I was sooo afraid of all the walking, exercises, but these shoes have really helped me.. YEs, this is antidotal but hey...it's just my own experience.

 

Also, I have a friend, a single mom, who is a nurse, and she uses those shoes to walk on her treadmill 4 miles everyday. She has great looking legs...Anyone who walks 4 miles a day, might already have great looking legs, but she felt there was a significant change after wearing the shoes. :)

Hope that helps

[QueenCat]

The orthopedist that I see for my arthritis (knees) told me to please not where them as they would make my knees worse, along with increasing the chances of my ankles turning wrong. He's seen many patients come in after turning their ankle in these shoes, and falling hard.

[Joker]

I have read a few things online and it seems if you have any problems with back, knees or feet currently you probably shouldn't try these without talking to a doctor. What I've read has said a lot of the injuries are from tripping or anything else that might cause you to need to step sideways. These shoes allow for forward and backward movement but are not good for sudden sideways movements. I've also read for women who wear heels a lot that these shoes could damage the achilles because it will strectch where you are not used to being stretched. If you're in good health I have read they can help with with posture but that the claims for actual fitness benefits are exaggerated.

[Britomart]

fwiw, I came across this in my feedreader today, and googled the American Council on Exercise to see what the study actually said. Best link was this one from the Wall Street Journal. Just thought I'd post it on this thread for those still interested in the topic. Hope it helps!

[smrtmama]

The Sketchers Shape-Ups (and Tone-Ups) really do help. They also have done wonders for my mother's bad knees and sciatica.

[Barb_]

fwiw, I came across this in my feedreader today, and googled the American Council on Exercise to see what the study actually said. Best link was this one from the Wall Street Journal. Just thought I'd post it on this thread for those still interested in the topic. Hope it helps!

 

Thanks for the article. There was an interesting point:

 

The differently shaped sole and cushioning will definitely use different muscles than your regular shoes, but that doesn’t mean you’re working any harder, overall, or that you’re going to get toned. “Some people do find these shoes very comfortable,†Porcari says. “If that encourages people to get out and walk more or exercise more — fantastic.â€

 

I swear my backside looks better and the quote above probably explains why. I do get off my rear more when I wear comfortable shoes. If I go barefoot around the house, I make excuses not to do things involving walking and ask the children to run upstairs to get me stuff :tongue_smilie: When I wear my fitflops, I don't fatigue as easily on the travertine (even our stairs are stone...horrors) so I'm more apt to move more. Regardless of the reason, I think get more exercise when I wear them.

 

Barb

[dansamy]

I'm a nurse and am on my feet a lot. I wear the Skechers ones at work. They are the most comfortable work shoes I have. (I've worn Nikes, NBs, Crocs and Danskos.) Another girl bought the cheaper ones from Payless or Walmart. She tells me they are comfortable as well, but our feet are different sizes so I can't compare the two to tell you if they are different in fit/comfort. I can foresee them being a problem for people who over-pronate. Those people should see their orthopedist for shoe recommendations anyway.

 

They do work different muscles than flat-soled shoes do, but the effect is minimal. It's no different than your muscles becoming accustomed to going shoeless and them wearing shoes again. The first few times, your muscles will work to accomodate the difference, but then they become accustomed to it.

 

If you really want to lift your tush.... Firm Fanny Lifter. I HATE Jen Carmen. She still kicks my butt!

 

(ETA: That's not my eBay ad. I'm using it to show a pic of the product since The FIRM doesn't sell it anymore. The High Step from Cathe Friedrich does the same thing. Tall box climbs = lifted butt!)

Edited August 10, 2010 by dansamy

[Denisemomof4]

 

I really think that the best thing most of us can do is to get rid of the shoes and let our feet be feet, but that exposes my bias.

 

 

Siiiiiiiiiiiiigh. You are SO LUCKY because obviously you can do that. How I wish I could! Even half an hour without shoes will kill me with pain for the rest of the day. I *hate* having to wake up and put sandals on my feet in hot weather, socks and shoes with orthodics in cold. I just wish I could walk around with nothing on my feet.

 

I also can't have tile flooring. My wood floors are hard enough. A week visiting my parents, wearing sandals, walking all over that travertine nearly killed me. It took several days of being off my feet to recover.

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