Reebok Easy Tones: Real Deal or Really Good Marketing Ploy?

Last year I convinced my Mom, or as I like to say CONvinced my Mom to buy me the Reebok Easy Tones and to buy herself the Sketchers Tone Ups. With the cold Minnesota winters I used the shoes for a month before packing them away until now. Since these shoes were purchased I have chatted about them with several people all with varying viewpoints, were these shoes legtimately going to help me shape up or did I just let my Mom getting conned twice over?

How does one measure whether or not the shoes are working well? For me it's not about whether the shoe actually works but whether it motivates you to get off your butt and go for a walk. When I first got these last year it felt like I was walking through sand and my body was sore afterwards. This past weekend I went for two long walks and was walking at a brisk pace. My body ached in my shins, hamstrings and gluteous maximus. Could it have been the hills, speed walking, and the fact that I hadn't worked out for at least three weeks due to vacations and being sick? Sure. Did the shoes feel good when I walked around in them? Yes. Did I like walking outdoors in them versus my indoor running shoes? Definitely. Thus far, even if the shoes do nothing different for me than a regular shoe the fact that they are cushiony for my bum knee really helps. It makes me that much more likely to lace them up and grab the dog for a walk. That alone means the shoes are working. That alone means they were worth it.

My Uncle told me that scientifically the shoes are designed to ease tension and strain on your lower back as they extend the hamstring muscle which works the body differently. A friend and I discussed the shoes and she thought that they were a genius marketing ploy, although she strongly urged that they were the worst idea in the world for running (the new Reebok run-tone had just come out.) Convincing people to get off their butts and walk is great, especially with America being so overweight right now. If that's all the shoes do then more power to them. However, with running, I am hesitant to recommend the Reebok Runtone.

Walk into any running shoe store (as you really should be going to a specialty store, they work with your stride) and you'll see different types of shoes. Some are for overpronation, others underpronation. There are different things that each shoe addresses. Each company has many shoes that will have different purposes. If you are an overpronator who is running long distance outdoors who needs extra stability you'll be different than the underpronator who runs a 5k on their treadmill. However, most of these shoes offer stability. The concept of the Runtone is the opposite of that, it states, "Balance ball-inspired pods with Moving Air Technology transfer air in response to your stride and create micro-instability with every step." Whether micro-instability is enough to make you roll your ankle, I wouldn't even give it a chance. Most serious runners will wear Mizuno, Asics, etc. Even go for the Reebok Zigtag, a great crosstrainer. Grab the Easy Tones for your walking shoes. But for running, hit up a Running Room or Runner's Roost store near you and have them customize what you should be wearing.