The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s leading authority on fitness and the largest fitness certification, education and training organization in the world, released results from a widely anticipated study on the effectiveness of toning shoes. The independent research study used shoes including Skechers Shape-Ups, MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) and Reebok EasyTone.

The study, one of the first from an independent organization, using a team of researchers from the Exercise and Health Program at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, found no evidence to suggest that the shoes help wearers exercise more intensely, burn more calories or improve muscle strength and tone.

Unfortunately, these shoes do not deliver the fitness or muscle toning benefits they claim. Our findings demonstrate they simply do not offer any benefits that people cannot get through walking, running or exercising in traditional athletic shoes.

ACE’s study also addresses that fact that consumers have said that they feel the shoes are working their muscles because of muscle soreness. Study researchers explain that this feeling is due to the shoe’s unstable sole design, which cause wearers to use slightly different muscles to maintain balance than they would while wearing normal shoes, resulting in temporary soreness that will subside as the body adjusts to the shoe.

A full summary of the study’s findings can be found on ACE’s “Get Fit” website, designed to inform, inspire, educate and motivate people to become fit and lead a healthier, more active lifestyle, located at http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/