Question
Hi
I have developed a bit of arthritis in my knees, and I have always had foot problems, so I have decided to switch from running to 'power walking'. Running conditions are poor where I live (ice, snow, traffic) and a treadmill is hard on my knees, so I am going to try the indoor rubber floored track at the university.
I was thinking about getting a pair of these sketchers shape ups. They are made for walking not running and are supposed to tone your muscles and back? Sounds like hooey but according to reviews they do work for some. Since I sit behind a steering wheel for ten hours a day, at age 55, I welcome anything that will keep me supple and avoid injury in addiition to the regular stretching I do. Are they worth the investment?

Answer
Dear Bud,

I have had this question before from my patients... and the answer is "maybe".

You need to realize that Sketchers is in the business of selling shoes. Period. If they feel that they can make an attempt to revolutionize the industry, they will do so... all in the hope of selling more shoes.

Some of my patients say that they like the way that the shoe feels.  That is fine.  There are DOZENS of shoes that you, as an individual, might choose from because they feel good on your feet.

Now, the question is, do the shoes help you to increase muscle tone in your butt and legs.  Well, walking in general does that. Do the shoes make much of a difference....  I kind of think that they probably don't.  The key here is exercise.... the more you do it, the better your results. You can wear Sketchers, you can wear Nike, you can wear Puma, Adidas.... you get my point.  Find some shoes that feel good, that give you good support, that allow you to walk with a minimum of stress on your knees, ankles, hips, feet, etc.  It is my opinion that most shoes lack sufficient arch support, so you might consider a custom or semi custom orthotic within the shoe. This will do more for supporting the structure of the foot than a curved sole.

All this being said... the concept behind a curved sole is to induce a little of instability in the stance and stride so as to recruit additional muscle contraction.  In theory, you might facilitate slightly more muscle contraction with the curved or slightly unstable sole of the Shape Up shoe.

So, to wrap things up. In a nutshell, I would choose comfort over Shape Ups every day of the week.  By doing so, I help to set the stage for continued workouts over the long term by avoiding injury and promoting safe and pain free exercise. (unless, of course, you want to have a butt that looks like the butts on the girls in the ads... lol)

I hope that this helps.

Keith Biggs, DC
http://www.eastmesachiropractor.com
http://www.biggschiropractic.blogspot.com