Something that I have been noticing and it is something that really ticks me off is when companies release products that are no use to any one. Examples of these products are toning shoes.

Reebok were the first big company to hit it off with toning shoes. They made a sleeker and more visually appealing shoe compared to the chunky original version released by other companies. Reebok had celebrity endorsement from the Kardashian family and they spend thousands of dollars sending company reps to sports stores around the country, selling toning shoes to staff. Soon, other companies such as new balance, avia and sketchers.

I was a sceptic from the beginning due to the nature of toning shoes. They sound perfect and the science sounded good in theory. With the celebrity endorsement and science to back it off they practically sold themselves.

They work by having an unstable sole (warning bell one) and this unstable sole is designed to make the body use muscles that aren’t usually used when wearing normal running shoes (warning bell two). The science stated that this unstable sole made the bodywork different muscles a certain precentage more.

Alas, they do not work.

Reebok has just finished paying a whopping $25 million back to customers for false advertising. The shoes do not work; they only create a myriad of injuries and health problems for the wearers.

I have had several women come in from other stores after buying these shoes and wearing them for netball, tennis and gym classes. Due to the nature of the unstable soles, there is no support for you ankles. This can create a domino type effect, with your body compensating for sore ankles, it puts extra pressure on your knees and then on your back, then muscles and eventually your whole body is sore.

Essentially, what I am saying is NEVER EVER EVER EVER buy toning shoes. They do not work and they are a waste of money. The evidence lies in the thousands of toning shoes on sale tables around the country, flogging them for less than $50.

Instead, look into buying a new pair of good running shoes at doing extra squats or lunges during your workout.

So keep running girls, just not in toning shoes.