Monday Retail Madness

Today's Retail Madness is based on a reader comment. The question is whether the shoes that claim to help you tone your legs and lose fat are worth the money and if there are any other, less expensive options.

What a great question. There are a bunch of different shoe manufacturers who make shoes intended to help you "workout" while walking. Examples include: Sketchers Shape Ups (available at sketchers.com), Reebok Easy Tone (available at reebok.com), and MBT (available at us.mbt.com). The science behind these shoes is the negative heel (it is that funny looking rounded heel that makes you look like you are wearing sneakers time traveling from the 70s). The negative heel creates an imbalance when you take a step meaning that your muscles have to work harder to counteract the imbalance. However, just with any type of exercise, there is a risk of health complications. For example, if you have back problems, a weak core or tight Achilles tendons you can risk aggravating these issues. Although core exercises and stretches for you back and legs can help overcome potential problems.

Another major drawback to these shoes is the cost. The shoes start at about $100 with MBTs reaching up to $240. A cheaper option could be to invest in the flip flop sandals, which are made by the same manufacturers with the same technology but are sandals instead of sneakers are are a little cheaper. However, if you are really serious about losing weight and toning up your backside and core there are plenty of things you can do without shelling out big bucks. Simply deciding to walk more instead of taking transportation or walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator can give you the same results. Also, in addition to your normal workout routine, add in some lunges (both walking and stationary pulses), squats, and ab workouts like crunches and pilates moves. The bottom line is that being dedicated to your workouts will be far more effective than any type of quick fix.

Finally, if you have to get the sneakers-check eBay or Zappos or Amazon to see if you can get a deal.