Not long ago a reader emailed me asking if I had heard about the comments that are coming out now regarding the ‘side effects’ of the clunky, inverted sole shoes that are gaining in popularity.
Shoes like these are marketed as fitness tools, with the presumption (supposedly backed by research) that they will tone the backside, thighs, back, and abdomen.
The theory is that by causing ‘natural instability’ the wearer must work harder to stay balanced, and the process to do this naturally tones leg, buttock, and abdominal muscles.
I am a little perplexed by the phrase ‘natural instability.’ What is so natural about an expensive pair of shoes causing you to be off-balance?
The jury seems to be out regarding the actual effectiveness. Certified fitness trainers testing the shoes will tell you their studies show that they have no measurable advantage over standard running shoes whatsoever. But these folks have a vested interest in them not working: who needs a trainer if a pair of shoes and an everyday activity will tone you up.
The shoemakers themselves have funded research studies that supposedly prove the shoes make a real difference and deliver as promised, but again, vested interest there.
So I looked more into these shoes and the potential problems surrounding them (aside from the price tag) and found a great many comments from podiatrists, osteopaths, wearers, chiropractors, and others to suggest that they really aren’t worth the money, considering the problems that crop up.
One problem that everyone can agree upon is that because of the shoe’s unstable nature, it is absolutely not recommended for people who experience vertigo or dizziness, or have balance problems. It can worsen the problems and make walking unsafe.
The shoemakers themselves tout the shoe’s instability as the reason the show ‘works’ to get a wearer in better shape. It follows that adding instability to the wardrobe of a vertigo sufferer is ill-advised.
Another problem is that the shoes aggravate plantar fasciitis. This painful foot condition generally requires the sufferer to carefully consider what they put on their feet. Because many of the recommended shoes and orthotics can be very expensive anyway, most experts say to stay away from them.
The overriding concept everyone agreed upon is simply that no muscle is an island. What you do to the feet will have consequences in the head. What you do to the legs will have consequences in the back.
Remember that old song that went something like, “the leg bone’s connected to the knee bone?” Well, all of our body’s machination components are connected. Interrupting the efficient working of one area of the musculoskeletal system will more often than not cause problems elsewhere.
What I found interesting, though, is people who loved the shoes found that wearing them helped to alleviate back pain, especially if they were in a job that required long hours standing or walking on hard, man-made surfaces such as concrete or linoleum.
It makes sense considering that back pain sufferers find relief from therapy that gently works to strengthen the lower back and also the fact that all that extra shoe sole absorbs a ton of shock that would find its way into the lower back of someone wearing a standard running or walking shoe.
So what is the verdict…do we like them or hate them? I suppose it depends upon what your goal is. If it’s fitness, I would offer that any walking routine will help get you there, especially if you combine it with balance exercises, stretching, proper diet, and proper amounts of un-tinkered-with water.
You shouldn’t need a fancy-schmancy shoe to do that, especially if wearing it could cause injury or other problems.
If you have them and like what it does for your back than have at it. I would rather see you investing in footwear than in the drug companies’ answers to pain and inviting liver and kidney damage.
I would like to hear your comments about this issue. If you have them, do you like them?
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I have been wearing those rocking shoes and love them for the fact that my knees don’t hurt anymore. I stand all day at work on a hard floor, and since I have been wearing those shoes my knees don’t hurt anymore and I find I’m less tired at the end of my work day because of it. I would just like to say to people wearing them to be careful going up and down stairs..especially down them. 🙂
I’m sending you a letter telling you about my experience with Masai Barefoot Technology shoes. Too long for this small space.
Out of curiousity, I purchased a pair of rocker shoes last summer, and didn’t pay any more for them than for any other pair of walking shoes or cross-trainers. They took some getting used to, but are quite comfortable and getting well worn by now. I believe they finally helped alleviate my long-standing case of plantar fasciitis because when I would otherwise be standing still, their shape allows me to frequently stretch my feet with my heels down and my toes up. I have not noticed any other benefits.
I read your blog and found it very interesting. I have Meniere’s and have actually considered those kind of shoes. But for some reason have never purchased them. Probably because of the price. But I really appreciate the information in your blog and will certainly steer clear of them. I don’t need any help being dizzy!
I LOVE them.
I think the Sketcher brand is different from the MBT ones I wear. The MBT story (you get a dvd with your shoes) is that the inventor noticed that walking barefoot through rice paddies alleviated back pain. Then, he looked at the Masai who walk barefoot, or with light sandals, through the sand for hours each day. He tried to make a shoe that mimicked the action of walking barefoot through sand. A shoe that would use the same muscles we use for that activity.
Having suffered from sciatica and vertigo for years I can tell you that – coincidentally – my vertigo vanished during the time I was wearing the shoes most days and my back pain was lessened appreciably.
I never found the shoes unstable. They make me feel like jogging. The push through the toe is deeper than in normal shoes which, by the way, are currently suspect with runners. Some of whom are electing to run barefoot. As for the price to which you refer, MBT is the most expensive at over $300 per pair but I own fashion boots at that price point that I wear rarely because they are hard on the body and start falling apart within a couple of years. My first pair of MBT shoes lasted almost 4 years, until I gave them to a friend – and I wore them to walk to and from work, at work, walking the dog, and shopping. This would be a minimum of 5 miles most days.
Worth every penny.
I bought these shooes when they first came out and took the shoe owners advice to wear them 15 minutes a day for about a month and then go for it. I love them and did not have balance problems or any other kind. But if you are using different muscles it makes sense to break them in gradually. Yes my butt was more toned but I liked the effect on my lower back. My gradfather always said never wear the same shoes two days in a row
I was given a pair last year and I love them. It helps with my back and also when I take long walks.
I have a pair of these shoes and find them excellent. I have had major back surgery and have very sore knees, both of these have been relieved by wearing these shoes. I do not walk any more than I used to I just walk pain free.
I must say with all honesty, that since I have been wearing these shoes my feet dont feel tired by the end of the day as they used to. I had shoes with orhotics and variety of good quality running shoes as well as nursing shoes before, and went home feeling tired in my legs. I work as a nurse , on my feet most of the day.
I know a bit about spines and injuries so I was careful when buying rockers…. they are fantastic. I have never been so comfortable on long walks. I hardly felt tired after wearing them for hours and hours. I felt the extra workout but did not suffer for it…. I would recommend them.
I have been wearing the sketchers now for a year and a half. Love them. Have about 5 pair in different colors. I dont have any more problems with my knees and I have to walk a lot in the daytime and I dont feel so tired at the end of the day. They make me walk faster as they force me to walk properly, heal to toe and sholders back. Would recommend them highly..
Jan. 21, 2011;
Mary
I have had bab spells of Vertigo; over the years,
I have rockers for over a year I find them very comfortable and relaxing to my feet and feel they do tone your but and legs,
BUT I do fell dizzy and unbalanced when wearing them . after my walk I feel unbalanced and a sick feeling in my stomach.
I did not want to believe it was from these great expensive shoes. now iam covinced after reading your e mail on Rockers I guess they are not for me to wear every time I walk.Thank you
I bought my shape up shoes October 6th and started getting dizzy October 14th. At first I didn’t know what the problem was. I went to my doctor, who prescribed antibiotics. That didn’t help. I went to an ear, nose and throat doctor who put me on a steroid. That didn’t help either. My husband heard something on the radio about the effects of inverted shoes. He told me that maybe my shape-up shoes were making me dizzy. I would never have guessed these shoes to be the culprit, because they were so comfortable. I immediately went on-line and found others with similar experiences. I took off the shoes a month ago, and the dizziness starting to dissipate. It seems not everyone has had this problem, however, if you are dizzy and you’re are wearing the shoes, it might be worth it to put them away.
I bought a pair last year. For about a year I was experiencing balance
problems. After wearing these shoes for about two weeks, I saw an improvement in my balance. I would recommend them for anyone having this problem. I love them, and plan to wear them for a long time.
As a stroke victim, I tend to roll my ankle regularly. My feeling is that rocker shoes would aggravate such a tendency, not just in me, but for anyone else who has weak ankles. I would expect that there will eventually be a whole new category of injuries entitled “rocker shoe injuries”, as more and more, unfit, and older people try them in the endeavour to “tone and trim”
Just a little something to consider. Using a pretty generic key phrase, I came up with 47 weblogs getting the title of “Can Rocker Shoes Worsen Vertigo?”. Near the top of the list was http://blueheronhealthnews.com/site/2011/01/10/can-rocker-shoes-worsen-vertigo. That isn’t bad. There are some websites listed, such as for example http://shoesaplenty.com/olukai, that don’t actually appear to be associated with that search term. I assume that i is a geek for observing such things.