Running into trouble with shape-up shoes

Well, at least that's the claims made by toning shoes such as Skechers Shape-ups.

Toning shoes are the ones with a rounded heel. The shoe's rocker sole creates an instability which forces you to utilize muscles -- specifically in your feet, legs, butt and abs -- that could, in some instances, lead to weight loss.

More than that, the shoes can also alter your posture and your gait, taking pressure off of all of your achy, overused joints.

After all, you wouldn't mind looking like Skecher Shape-ups' spokesperson Kim "Get in shape without setting foot in a gym" Kardashian, now would you?

But are these miracle toning shoes -- produced by Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT), Reebok and other companies in addition to Skecher -- a kick or a miss?

A lawsuit has been filed by Holly Ward, an Ohio waitress who claims wearing the Shape-Ups caused serious injuries to her hips, leading to physical rehab and moving around with a walker.

In addition, toning shoes -- at first, marketed solely to women -- are now being made for men as well as young girls.

Animated commercials, alerting pre-teen girls to the merits of toning their bottoms and legs, have been shown on such kid-friendly networks such as Nickolodeon and the Cartoon Network.

Yet, according to Scheels Sport Shops shoe sales associate Rachel Jacobson, the curvy heeled shoe is still mostly an item favored by middle-aged women.

"People who love 'em, love 'em a lot," she said while modeling a pair. "And the people who don't, wouldn't be caught dead in 'em."

Jacobson, herself, falls into the latter category.

"When you wear 'em, it feels like you're walking in sand," she explained.

This is exactly the sensation wearers want from their toning shoes, said Sioux City podiatrist Paul Coffin.

"It's that imbalance," he said, "akin to walking on a wobble board or on a sandy beach, which requires a person to readjust by using a different set of muscles."

But Coffin quickly points out that manufacturer's claims of a quick and easy fitness fix are "wildly overstated."

Citing studies done on the effectiveness of toning shoes, he said they "do not help you exercise more intensely, burn more calories or improve your overall muscle strength and tone."

In fact, rocker bottoms shoes may result in such painful problems as plantar fasciitis (the connective tissue at the bottom of of your heel bone; peroneal tendonitis (which may impact your ankle); or Achilles tendonitis (which affects your calf muscles).

"This isn't a new phenomenon," Coffin noted. "I remember when soft Earth shoes were the rage. A good 30 percent of its wearers ended up with Achilles tendonitis due to the shoe."

While acknowledging the shoes do force the wearer to work different muscles, he said the benefits aren't permanent because the muscle quickly adapt to the changes.

In the end, Coffin said one-third of people will end up liking toning shoes, one-third will end up injuring themselves and one-third will choose never to wear them.

Which is also the opinion of Jacobson.

"These shoes are definitely not for everybody," she said while removing the Skechers from her feet. "Personally, I prefer running shoes and hiking boots."