!#7# The Background Of "Rocker" Or Toning Shoes

!±8± The Background Of "Rocker" Or Toning Shoes

As a chiropractor I'm often asked about gimmicks to help with posture and as an avid wearer of toning or rocker shoes patients often ask for information about them, like do they work and why do I wear them.

I always answer YES! They work and my long-suffering Piriformis syndrome is kept under control as long as I keep wearing them!

A Little Bit Of History

As far as I am aware MBT was launched in the late 1990's and various other companies have been scrambling to manufacture a shoe that can not only compare to the MBT but also beat it. This year 2010 - Reebok and Sketchers have produced a range of shoes that offers the same benefits as the well established MBT but for a fraction of the cost.

Like MBT the other manufacturers product are intended to increase strength and muscle tone. The collections, unlike MBTs is designed as an athletic or fashion type footwear.

As with the MBT the alternatives try to create an unstable walking surface but not to the same extent as the MBT shoe. The MBT shoe has always looked unique due to the thick sole but the alternatives have decreased the sole thickness, which looks visually like a normal shoe and hence is aesthetically more appealing than an MBT.

They are a lot easier to walk in, but feel like there isn't the same benefit as an MBT shoe. See the point isn't for it to be easy. The different type of sole also makes the steps shorter and quicker which isn't actually that comfortable.

Pros and Cons

That said of course they have plus points,many people don't like the MBT due to its hefty price tag and chunky look. Hence the other manufacturers offer a much cheaper and better looking shoe. That said - they don't seem to be as effective as the MBT shoe and all the research available to support the other shoes isn't quite as comprehensive as the MBT research or it hasn't been produced by an independent organisation.

My advice is stand out from the crowd, dig deep and by a set of MBT shoes!