Being the compulsive researcher that I am, I set out to discover what the actual benefits of shape shoes are. I was pretty surprised to find that these shoes do a lot of good things for the body (the main reason I started this site). Here are some of my findings:

  • Shape shoes force you to keep good posture because you must balance yourself at all times. This improves your circulation, takes stress off of your joints and decreases the pressure on your spine because you are standing up straighter. In fact, the MBT website says that many doctors prescribe rocker shoes because of these benefits. If you have health insurance and suffer from pain, this might be something to look into.
  • The rocker bottoms relieve the balls and heels of your feet from the trauma that occurs when you repeatedly contact hard surfaces like concrete. Instead, your foot curves along the path of the shoe. The thick bottoms are often composed of various patented layers (depending on the manufacturer), that supports your heels and arches. For those of you that suffer from foot pain, that’s a big deal!
  • Now my favorite: you burn more calories with toning shoes. Some even force you to work harder than others (see Types of Rocker Bottom Shoes). The core muscles have to work harder to keep your balance; therefore, your calves, thighs and buttocks naturally get a workout. Reebok specifically states that their lab studies showed “… 28% more gluteus maximus muscle activation, 11% more hamstring activation, and 11% more calf activation.” That’s pretty good. I’ve heard from other people that they have dropped pant sizes walking with these shoes consistently, so it appears there’s truth to this.

The only thing people should be aware of is that this shoe is not for everyone. If you suffer from vertigo or dizziness, many of these shoe companies warn against the rocker soles.



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