“Toner” Shoes Attracting Bad Press

You’ve heard about these shoes, probably from co-workers or friends, and you’ve most likely been massively bombarded (some would even consider “over-bombarded”) by advertising by the companies peddling them. These are those “shaper” or “toner” or “exerciser” shoes that were initially promising to turn you into a world-class athlete by… walking.

There was an inordinately large flood of patients coming to the office within the first few weeks of the products’ releases, a few months ago. People who previously did well in their regular exercise routines were complaining about conditions like plantar fasciitis (arch and/or heel pain), Achilles tendinitis, posterior tibialis tendinitis or dysfunction, ankle sprains, etc. Fortunately, as consumers have gotten wiser about these shoes, the flood has diminished to a small stream.

Apparently, news about some of the adverse effects of these shoes has made it into the mainstream, like in USA Today online. There now appears to be a caveat emptor attitude surrounding the purchase of these shoes, and some brands actually supply customers with an instruction book to guide them on how to properly use the shoes. This being the case, these shoes should most likely be avoided by casual walkers or joggers; instead, if you are curious about them, having a frank discussion with your podiatrist or physician about the various types of rocker-bottom and negative-angled shoegear available, over-the-counter and by prescription, would be a good way to start, along with designing an initial exercise program and diet management.