Toning Shoes at the Office – Yay or Nay?
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Reader and blogger Siouxsie Law wrote in with a suggestion for a poll about Shape-Up Shoes — as she wrote about the topic here, these things supposedly a) help you exercise muscles you wouldn't normally, giving you a great lower body, and b) they help your posture by engaging your core. But… are they professional? Are they appropriate for the office? We haven't had a poll in a while, so we thought this seemed like a perfect topic for one. (Pictured: MBT Women's Nama Casual Patent Shoe, on sale at Endless.com for $145 (were $265).)
We haven't tried any of these shoes, so we're going purely on looks. For our $.02, though, we would venture that they're fine for commuting to and from the office — particularly with pants that might otherwise drag on the ground with lower flats. That said, though, we probably would raise an eyebrow if we saw someone wearing it around an office unless that person had some kind of foot ailment that required them to wear it.
Readers, tell us your thoughts:
, it seems like the following brands make similar shoes: Reebok Easytone, Sketchers Shape Ups, Avia iTone, New Balance Rock & Tone, and Mephisto Sano Evasion. (Are we missing any biggies? Please let us know.)
These are sneakers. Yes, the soles are different, blah blah blah – but they are still sneakers. So unless you can wear sneakers to work, toning shoes aren’t appropriate.
Agree — and in the case of the ones pictured, ugly ones at that. I’m yet to get the point of them – a shoe that makes it intentionally harder to balance? Sounds like a recipe for klutzy disaster for me (an admitted klutz)
Actually, supposedly, they make walking more fun & help prevent fatigue. My mother swears by them — she says it feels like you have springs in your steps; and that, you can wear them ALL day and not feel remotely sore; more comfortable than the best sneakers, etc.
I do think they should not be worn in the office unless your office allows sneakers & even then, I wouldn’t.
My office has a race to the bottom approach to casual Fridays and I do see people wearing sneakers, so these wouldn’t raise any eyebrows then (though I wouldn’t necessarily admire them either). Otherwise, no.
Aside from the fact that they’re ugly and there has been a lot of write ups showing how ineffective these things really are for the money, they’re totally not appropriate for the office.
I agree fully with v. For casual Friday they wouldn’t raise eyebrows, but they are hideousness.
Earth shoes have several negative heal styles that are not nearly as ugly as this and are professionally styled. I have worn those to work and felt very professional.
How is whether these are appropriate even poll-worthy? These are terrible, absolutely terrible.
ha, my thoughts exactly. I wouldn’t even want to be seen commuting in these.
The pairs that don’t try to hide the fact that they are athletic look ok… but in any event, definitely not office material unless sneakers are ok for your office!
Ha! My first thought was, “Is this a real question?”
So hideous.
So not going to tone your legs.
So not work appropriate.
Actually, doctors recommend them, especially for people with back/knee problems. Not sure if they actually tone, but they are easier on joints.
Uglification is complete!
Wear them for commuting, if you must, but not in the office.
Uglification – new fave word.
These shoes are awful — it’s like something Grandma would wear! Go to the gym if you want to tone your lower body!!! Seriously…
Also, would never want to be caught on the street commuting in those things – it’s possible to run into someone you may know…how embarrassing.
Even my grandmother (who thinks large day-glo floral prints are attractive) has better taste than these…
In the office NEVER. I have a pair of Skechers Shape Ups and honestly don’t think they make much of a difference, if any at all…..
Why did this reader ask the question? Her blog indicates that she has already come to the same conclusions that we did! http://siouxsielaw.com/2010/06/21/whats-the-deal-with-shape-up-shoes/
I’m glad you posted on this. I was thinking of getting a pair of Sketchers Shape-Ups for walking, as I’ve toned down my exercise routine since becoming pregnant. They are a bit pricey, but it sounds like they are not worth it. Anyone had any positive results from them?
And the shoes posted look like the ones I had to wear after having pins placed in my ankle.
I bought my first pair of MBTs ca. 2003, and have had a couple more since then. The fitness/toning/weight loss claims are total and utter bunkum. (And I’m a litigator, so I know from bunkum.) I wore them as commuting shoes when I lived in NYC.
What they *are* great for, in my experience, is back pain. I have SI joint dysfunction and lumbar disc issues, and these make walking so much more comfortable.
What they are *not* great for is ankle instability. The thicker the highest point of the sole is, the more distance to go over if you misstep and roll an ankle. I highly discourage anyone from running in them for this reason.
And…this is speculation but the just horrible heel spurs that I recently developed coincided roughly with the first few times I wore the Skechers – dunno, but I stopped wearing them. Regrettably, the heel spurs have not stopped torturing me.
Heel pain often is a result of bad arch support. Quite possible.
These are the epitome of ugly grandma shoes.
These are an ugly iteration of the toning shoes. Maybe Kat chose them because they are dark and therefore *maybe* more work appropriate than the ones that look like tennis shoes? The tennis shoe models I’ve seen aren’t any uglier than other tennis shoes. But unless you can wear tennis shoes to the office, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pair that was office appropriate.
I have to take issue with one part of your write up: “unless that person had some kind of foot ailment that required them to wear it.”
I have a type of arthritis that periodically flares up. Some days I’m fine in the highest of heels, while other days I’m stuck using a cane and wearing those orthopedic sneakers that your grandma used to wear*. On the in-between days–when I can wear attractive flats but am still in mountains of pain–I’ve gotten dirty looks from people for taking the elevator or asking for a seat on the subway.
What I’m trying to get at is the fact that, as a coworker, it is none of your business if I have arthritis or a “foot ailment” or anything else that means my choice of footwear offends your sense of what’s fashionable. Many illnesses like this are invisible, and you can never really be sure what the person next to you is suffering through. Since you don’t know, why not give the people around you the benefit of the doubt? True, there will always be some people who are just lazy or disrespectful, but when you make assumptions, you run the risk of applying those labels to people for whom “ugly shoes” are just another form of assistive device.
That being said, those shoes are ugly enough that even I wouldn’t touch them.
* I always look traditionally professional right down to my toes when I’m actually meeting with clients, and have even gotten cortisone injections to avoid having to use my cane for important work events.
I understand that it must be aggravating for you to have people assume that you are completely healthy when you are not, but I have to say that I would have the same sort of reaction if a healthy-looking, non-elderly, non-pregnant woman asked me for my seat on the subway without offering any explanation. That would be doubly true if I had ever previously seen this person wearing “the highest of heels.”
I’m not sure I understand why you would wear them in the office at all–these shoes don’t have any impact on your lower body while sitting, which is what one does most of the day while at an office. You’d probably work out your legs (your calves at least) just as much by wearing a pair of heels that are a bit higher than you are used to, taking the stairs or getting off the subway a block earlier, etc., etc.
Admittedly, I own fitflops (both the flip-flops and the ugly ugg-ish boots). They work nicely as at-home shoes and rarely see the light of day. I don’t think they make any difference in my legs, but are far more comfortable than the typical flat soled flip-flops.
I think I might be the only person who’s so sad that this is even a question — I think the expression “race to the bottom” (used above) is so appropriate here. What next? Are Hawaiian print shirt okay for Federal Court? Does a sweatsuit count as a “suit” suit?
Even though it’s sometimes annoying, especially in extreme weather, but I actually like dressing up for work; I think it shows that you take what you do seriously. Wearing shape ups to work is sort of like wearing sweat pants on a date — sure, some people do it, but I wouldn’t want to be one of them.
I have seen litigants and witnesses (not attorneys) wearing Hawaiian shirts in federal court. And yes, it was shocking and memorable!
Not if you live in Hawaii, as I do.
I couldn’t agree more. I’m definitely not setting any fashion trends at work and as I work for the government, I can get away with business casual a lot of days, BUT, I just don’t get sneakers to any extent in any kind of professional setting–EVER! People are constantly commuting in sneakers with dresses/skirts/dress pants/suits and I think it’s hideously tacky!! And worse of all, more and more some people aren’t taking their sneakers and SOCKS off after they get to work, what is that about? And why wear pantyhose if you are going to wear white socks and sneakers? There are SO many cute, professional, decent flats available, there is no excuse!
Well said!
These shoes are terribly declasse. They reek of the latest craze exacted on lemmings without an independent thought in their brains. Very as seen on TV. If you are wearing them, I am having a hard time taking you seriously about anything. Period.
These are the equivalent of Crocs for 2010. Stay away.
Oh god I hate Crocs.
AMEN
I though these were men’s shoes when I first looked at them, I’m actually still not totally convinced they are for women.
I have a pair of MBTs and I really like them. I do think they make a difference. If I walk home (40 mins) in them, the next day my legs feel about as sore as if I’d done pilates or yoga. But they are truly beyond hideous. I only wear them with very very long pants and only when I’m commuting and have no after-work plans. Even my mother said they looked like something someone with a clubbed foot would wear, and she got me into birkenstocks and she never wears heels. I have a mary jane style, which was a failed attempt to make the shoes more feminine.
But it’s not the ugliness that makes them work-inappropriate. It’s the fact that they are sneakers. Even if they are black.
These shoes are truly hideous, at least the Skechers look sort of like regular sneakers. Where is Interrobang when you need her for just the right twist on this :D?!
I’m no Interrobang, but let me take a stab in her absence:
Oh well I suppose, dear, that these would be fabulously paired with a stiff Manhattan during Friday nights Canasta & Cocktails at the Jacksonville Senior Center.
Hahahaha!! Perhaps Shuffleboard would be a more ‘shoe appropriate’ activity, darling??!! And maybe the venue should be the Sun City Center Recreational complex….or King’s Point or Century Village, no?
Fresh JD, are you studying for the bar? I think I remember that you just changed your name to reflect graduation…if you are studying, keep up the occasional comic breaks – it’s essential to keep your perspective, y’know?
Thanks for a good laugh. Interrobang has competition!
hahahaha! Perfect!
Aww Suze, thank you for noticing. Yes, I’m studying for the bar and any comic relief is a welcome respite!
I’m not from FL so I just randomly thought of any non-Miami city that came to my head. And I know an old lady who likes Manhattans…she was my inspiration :) (as was Interrobang, shoutout to her).
I literally clicked on this thread specifically to see if Interrobang had commented.
Thanks for laughs ladies!
Lol, here’s the mary jane version. These are cracking me up.
http://tiny.cc/67cs2
Oops, sorry, just saw JD posted she had the mary jane version, did not mean to be rude.
No offense taken — they are by far the most hideous shoes I own. I wear three-plus-inch heels otherwise, but I embrace the ugly and comfy for my commute.
Whenever I see this style of shoes they remind me of the Jimmy shoes from Seinfeld. One of my favorite episodes!
If Debrahlee Lorenzana and her 6-in. python Louboutins are at one end of the appropriateness spectrum, these are on the 180 -degree polar opposite end of the spectrum.
HAHA.
Excellent. :-)
I have a pair of FitFlops. They don’t seem to do anything for toning, but that’s not really why I bought them anyway (maybe if you never work out, you’d find that the FitFlops helped with toning, but my lower body is pretty strong already). They have super arch support and cushioning, though, and I LOVE them – they are just as good as Danskos. Mine are the pretty Pietra style, which is fine to wear with a sundress or to church. However, they’re flipflops, made of rubber, and not office-appropriate no matter how much I’d like them to be.
How are these on your toes? I have problems with most thong type sandals, as they irritate the heck out of my toes. However, there are times (e.g., apres pedicure) when nothing else will do.
Reef thin standard issue flip flops (Nordstrom or on the Reef site) for about $18 = best post pedi shoes EVER. You have to go home, of course, cuz you can’t wear them anywhere near the office, but they are super comfy and don’t do that painful toe thing – check ’em out.
like all other shoes, you basically need to build up calluses (sp?) in order to make flip flops comfortable. two years after wearing only flip flops, i now have blisters all over the rest of my feet when i wear anything resembling a normal shoe – it sucks, they hurt for a while, but then it gets better.
I was advised to wear them in half-hour increments until I built up a callus, but I actually had no problem. The upper part of the shoe is real leather, and I find it very comfortable. The thong is pretty thin. They also sit far back on your foot, rather than forward like most flipflops, so they stay on well.
Do be careful about sizing. Their website has a lot of information on sizing, and your size might vary in different styles. I ended up ordering in 2 sizes and sending back.
I am a huge fan of Teva flip flops. They do not irritate my toes and have a slight arch support which I need after a nasty bout of plantar fasciitis a couple of summers ago.
At my office building, there is a very wide hallway at the front of the building where people are encouraged to walk during breaks and lunches. Over the past year, walking was further encouraged due to an incentive program through our health insurance that involved special pedometers that could download to the programs website.
Many people keep sneakers at work to wear during breaks and lunches. I have noticed several people with the toner shoes. They are only slightly more noticeable than normal tennies. I think it is great that some people are taking full advantage of their few minutes of activity. During undesirable walking weather, I have seen a few folks walkig before and after work in the building. Sometimes, I even see wrist and ankle weights.
I wanted to added a couple of pouts about the shows themselves. I own the Skechers ShapeUps. They really help with neck, back, hip, and knee issues – maybe this is due to better body alignment. They are not good on the ankles. It is very easy to twist an ankle in these. I am quite the klutz, and the shoes make matters worse. It is hard to turn your foot wearing them and I have lost my balance when leaning over, squatting, etc. I have a coworker who loves them. She has the same pair of Skechers that I have and keeps them at home. She bought a pair of Curve (womens gym chain) toners to leave at work. She swears they are the same exact shoes. The Skechers are $100 and the Curve ones are $30.
A lot of supportive shoes are designed to cut down on pronation (foot rolling inward). Unfortunately, for many people the result is rolling outward. True with my Danskos, FitFlops, Alegrias and pretty much every other shoe in the “comfort and support” category I can think of. If someone could solve this they’d make a fortune.
is that why i constantly roll my ankle in my otherwise loveable danskos?
Yep! Although the guy at my shoe store says that they’ve done something to correct that problem in the latest lines of Danskos. As soon as I have $125 to spend on shoes I plan to find out.
Yes, this is why I can’t wear any of this nonsense. While many many people overpronate, I’m a freak who suppinates (foot rolls outward). People who suppinate tend to be more prone to ankle injury anyway.
For runners, there are inserts available to help correct these problems (both over pronation and suppination). The trick is that you need to know whether you have a neutral stride, overpronate, or suppinate… and most people have no idea. A specialty running shop can evaluate your stride for anyone interested.
I run 20+ mi a week and do p90x with marginal effects on the flabbiness of my thighs and ass. But surely if I added a rounded inch to my tennis shoes, that would make ALL the difference.
@@
I crack up whenever I see a professional woman, dressed for work, walking down the street in sneakers. Any kind of sneakers. I don’t care if you have to walk 30 miles. Change your clothes or change your shoes. You look ridiculous.
I’ve pointed this out before, and will point it out again. As a New Yorker, many of us have vivid memories of running uptown on Sept. 11. So I wear my sneakers. Change your attitude if it’s such a problem.
I agree Ann–one word–FLATS!
Meant anon!
My downtown floods up to 6″ during the summer in the course of a 15-minute rainstorm. I figure people can get over it if I want to wear sneakers or some other more water-friendly shoe to walk to the office because I don’t care to lose 20 pairs of shoes a year to inclement weather.
I have a better idea. Why don’t you change your attitude? You look like a b!tch.
I’ve found one of the nice things about being an adult instead of an insecure teenager is that the idea that strangers are snickering at my footwear on the subway is no longer particularly appalling.
meh. depends on the sneaker. i don’t snicker at them, but white tennies do stand out a lot and remind me of the eighties. darker “fashion” sneaks look fine to me.
i actually think a lot of flip flops make otherwise professionally dressed women look silly. but it doesn’t stop me from wearing mine to work sometimes. (ha)
Definitely agree with anon. I see so many women during my commute to work who look like they’re about to run a marathon in their suits. There are so many cuter options out there. And don’t get me started on the huge scrunched down white socks.
I agree that these are completely hideous, and I’m not convinced at all that they’d be worth the money in terms of actual “toning”. I don’t normally break out of my Google Reader (I’m one of *those* readers), but more than once this week I saw one of our legal secretaries wearing these (or something like them, but white) with…a knee length skirt and pantyhose? I understand comfy footwear for commuting or going to/from the gym over lunch…but just for walking around the office? It doesn’t seem professional (we’re not very casual as far as wardrobe goes).
Earth Shoes are by far the best choice for the office! They don’t have the horrible chunky round sole that the MBT’s do (they have Negative Heel Technolofy which is a slight incline of 3.7 degrees in the sole and more or less invisible from the outside) and help you to tone up and burn more calories. They even help to improve your posture and get rid of your back pain. I wear a pair to work and they look just as smart as all of my regular office shoes!
I do think these are rather ugly, but they’re not designed to be stylish, so I don’t think that’s a huge problem.
In any case, for commuting / travelling substantial distances on foot, I think comfort has to trump style at least some of the time. I have a couple of lovely pairs of loafers that I can walk forever in, but then people complain about wearing flat shoes with skirts etc…my goal in life is to be functional rather than purely ornamental.
Besides, I resent the idea that the world is divided into the ‘stylish’ and the orthopedic, and that the latter is an exception reason for pity and understanding of dodgy shoe choices. I have no arch on either foot, and have had so from birth. I spend a lot of money on relatively appropriate footware so I don’t have to skip the fashion train entirely, but not everyone has that option and there are limits anyway. If I can’t wear my orthotics, I’m in screaming agony at the end of the day – if you think that means my choice of shoes says I’m incompetent, then the problem is really at your end. (And despite religiously wearing sensible shoes and my orthotics, I have another round of x-rays and treatment lined up because my dodgy feet have put my hips completely out of alignment. Frankly, I can’t understand why anyone would wear the sort of shoes which would put you at risk for that sort of pain. To me, *that* looks a lot more ridiculous.
As someone with difficult feet, I agree.
An attorney recently wore this type of shoe during a hearing in front of the federal district court judge I clerk for. Were the shoes noticeable? Yes. Were they considered inappropriate? Yes. Did it affect the outcome of the hearing? No.
As for the commute, people can and should wear whatever shoe or boot works for them. If a senior partner or client is going to take you and your work less seriously because she sees you wearing practical commuting shoes, you’re probably doomed regardless of what shoes you wear.
I LOVE my Fit-flops.
The shoes in the picture actually made me gag. The velcro reminds me of those booties hospitals give you to put over your cast/ankle brace.
I’d rather have cankles than wear these.
If an attorney is wearing sneakers to court, I would assume that she has a problem with her feet that is either temporary or permanent. There is one woman who always wears Reebocks. If I were her, I would buy something cuter like Sketchers if I had to wear sneakers to court. Why not look as cute as possible?
I also have worn sneakers into the courthouse because I had to push a cart with 10-15 boxes. Flats would not help in such a situation. As soon as my boxes were lifted and placed near counsel table, I changed my shoe. Why hurt myself?
I used to sell these back in the day. All the orthopods seemed to be recommending them. A few of my coworkers had them. They all noticed improvement in their posture but not any real toning.
I work for the government and in my department these would be fine on casual Friday but probably suspect the rest of the time…they are definitely cuter styles of MBTs that nobody would question, though. The ladies who work at our service desks that stand all day wear sneakers and nobody cares, so I probably wouldn’t bat an eye if I saw these on one of them.