Skecher Shape-Ups: do the claims hold up?

Over the past year or so, the Fitness Examiner has waited for someone not connected to the shoe companies to test shoes like the Skechers Shape-Ups and the Reebok EasyTone because the claims are pretty unbelievable and the premise doesn’t seem sound. Finally, the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse took up the issue at the behest of the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

First, let’s look at the claims. Skechers claims that simply walking in the Shape-Ups is workout. Their ads claim that the Shape-Ups make you burn more calories, they trim and tone your calves and thighs, strengthens your joints, improves circulation, strengthens your back and abs and even improves your postures. Skechers has hired NFL great Joe Montana and exercise guru Denise Austin as spokesmen to pitch the shoes. Pretty wonderful, right?

Ok, reality check: Walking in any shoes will improve your circulation and most likely improve the muscle tone of your calves and thighs. Exercise in general also strengthens your joints. So really, those claims don’t mean all that much. What about the other part of the claims?

The researchers had test subjects walk at 3 and 3.5 mph on a level treadmill and 3.5 mph on a 5% incline. During the testing, they monitored oxygen consumption, heart rate and muscle usage of the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and abdominal muscles. The result? Dr. John Porcari, the director of the University’s clinical exercise physiology program said “Based on our research, we saw absolutely nothing. There was not even a hint of something going on.”

That’s right, no difference between heart rate, calories burned, oxygen consumption or muscle activity between subjects wearing Shape-Ups and subjects wearing regular running shoes. It should be pointed out that Reebok has never made the claim that their shoes increase calorie burning, but they do claim the EasyTone’s increase muscle activity.

Another issue is stability. Skechers and the Reebok EasyTone tell you that the shoe isn’t stable. They claim that the fact that the shoe is not stable leads to the alleged increased benefits. Unfortunately for Skechers, it also leads to lawsuits. A class action suit has been brought against them in California claiming that a “false and misleading advertising campaign has allowed it to reap millions of dollars of profit at the expense of the consumers it misled.” Skechers stands by their claims and believes they will prevail in the lawsuit.

Further, Dr. Orly Avitzur at Consumer Reports magazine expressed a concern that seniors wearing Shape-Ups would be at an increased risk of falling, which could result in hip fractures or other injuries. Dr. Eric Heit, head of podiatry section at Seattle’s Virginia Mason Medical Center told MSNBC that the shoes “redistribute the forces of walking” which can cause low back or knee pain. Heit also told of a patient who walks on a concrete floor all day at her job. Her knees and lower back started to hurt as soon as she started wearing the Shape-ups shoes.

There is no quick fix, no magic bullet. A certain kind of shoe, no matter who makes it, will not turn your walk into a total body workout. It is important to note that these kind of shoes should not be used for aerobics or weightlifting. Stability is important in shoes for those kinds of activities. A stable workout shoe decreases the chance of injury. Are the Skechers Shape-Ups worth the money? The Fitness Examiner is going to side with the experts at the University of Wisconsin and say no.

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