EXERCISE FOOTWEAR
improves. The trendy, sporty-looking trainers feature a unique soft kinetic wedge insert and dynamic rolling bottom to simulate walking on soft ground. Tone-Ups are designed for women who want
to make every step count. The sandals feature a gradual density midsole that promise (with repeated wearing) to stimulate underused calf, thigh and bottom muscles. Other benefits include improved posture, strengthened calf and thigh muscles, firmer buttocks and weight loss. Our verdict: Very comfortable. After walking in the Shape-Ups for just a few days, our tester reported firmer thighs and improved posture. The Tone-Ups provided another tester with relief from plantar foot pain.
TheraShoe - Trade price: £11- £24
www.TheraShoe.com
FT International, the European distributors of Kangol Footwear, have secured the European distribution rights for the TheraShoe brand, the latest entry to the "rocker" sole footwear market segment. TheraShoe's technology incorporates the MBT-style rocker sole, combined with unique cushioned inserts in
THERASHOE
the insole. It has been a run-away success in the US market with nearly 2,000,000 pairs sold since the launch of the brand in January 2009. TheraShoes claim to tone muscles whilst also protecting your feet. Also, to help to reduce heel impact, pressure and shock to the spine and lower back, metatarsal injuries, whilst improving lower extremity comfort. Our verdict: After walking in these shoes for two hours every day for two weeks, our tester reported her thighs and bottom felt more toned.. The shoes also offered some relief from lower back pain.
Alegria SRP £80
www.silentnightfootwear.co.uk
Alegria footwear from Silentnight has a mild-rocker outsole which still produces a normal walking motion, but helps to tone muscles and gives energy when on your feet all day. An anatomically correct patented removable foot-bed with arch support, loaded with latex
and memory foam provides a customised fit. The Paloma style with adjustable buckle (available in a range of colours)
features butter-soft leather uppers, natural leather linings and in-sock. Being able to remove the foot-bed allows the use of your own orthotic if required Our verdict: Our tester loved these shoes. She reported that whilst wearing this footwear her feet felt light and comfortable all day long.
Physiological footwear is booming
Americans call them toning shoes, and while they have been around for a long time, they have become the buzz of the moment in the U.S. market. The forceful entry of Skechers and Reebok into this category has created a level of demand reminiscent of the popularity of aerobic shoes like those of Reebok and L.A. Gear in the 1980s and, in different ways, the EVA clogs of Crocs and other new and old brands in the more recent past. A lot of people are wondering whether toning is going to be just another fad or a lasting category. MBT, which launched the category 14 years ago, feel that
toning has finally been accepted as a component of the broader wellness market – different from the fashion, casual, athletic and outdoor markets – and that it is now here to stay. Toning shoes feature a negative heel and purport to improve body posture and blood circulation and to burn calories and to solidify legs and buttocks by
stimulating a larger number of muscles. The toning category is also viewed as performance enhancing in running, triathlon and other athletic sports by suppliers whose shoe construction is inspired in different ways by the old proven method of barefoot running. The size of the toning footwear market increased significantly last year, especially in the U.S., and is expected to make another big jump in 2010. Research
conducted by the NPD Group shows that sales of walking footwear grew by 57% in the fourth quarter of 2009 in the U.S., driven by toning footwear. Meanwhile, casual athletic styles rose by 2.3% and hiking shoes by 9.2%, while basketball and running shoes recorded sales declines. While physiological footwear is exploding in the U.S., the trend has been gathering momentum in Europe over the last years. FitFlop started to make its mark on the British market, where John Lewis is now the brand’s biggest customer. It also sells in Selfridges and it recently opened its first dedicated shop-in-shop on the fifth floor of Harrods department store in London. Two comfort shoe brands, Mephisto and Waldläufer, have introduced their own lines of toning shoes, called Sano and Dynamic, respectively. Waldläufer’s 3-
year-old line has come to represent about 15% of its total annual sales of about ¤50 million. Even a fashion brand like Buffalo has decided to come out with a physiological outsole.
www.shoeintelligence.com
MAY 2010 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
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SKETCHERS
ALEGRIA
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