The most recent development in exercise footwear, toning shoes which give a free lower body workout just by walking around, are proving to be a big hit with consumers everywhere. Sales figures have grown exponentially over the last two years or so, and the sales volume for 2010 is forecast to be somewhere in the range of $ 1 and $ 1.5 billion when the final results are available.

Different manufacturers have different designs – but the common principle seems to be the use of a special design of sole which generates a small amount of imbalance whilst walking. This means that the lower body muscles require to work a little harder as they attempt to maintain the natural balance of the body. That’s how the toning benefits are derived.

The major toning shoe manufacturers – Reebok, Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) Shoes and FitFlops – have all conducted trials to prove the efficacy of their products. However, some query the validity of the results given that the studies were funded by the footwear manufacturers.

User feedback seems to be almost uniformly positive. There are any number of positive testimonials from satisfied customers. It’s interesting to note that a lot of happy customers make reference to benefits that aren’t even mentioned by the manufacturers. Relief from foot pain, joint pain, or both, is a commonly reported benefit.

Possibly that shouldn’t be surprising. After all, Swiss engineer Karl Muller originally developed MBT shoes in order to reduce lower back pain after he found that barefoot walking across a Korean rice field helped to minimise his own perennial bach ache.

After some further research, he learned that the Masai tribesmen of Africa have a much lower incidence of back pain than westerners and that they are also noted for their excellent posture. He went on to develop MBT shoes which, thanks to their specially engineered sole, mimic the sensation of walking barefoot over soft ground.

Wearers of FitFlops are prone to spending more time talking about what a comfortable fit their FitFlops are than they do on the subject of any toning benefits. It seems that, for some at least, the toning effects are considered more as a nice bonus than the primary function of these shoes.

The fact that the most recent Fit Flops release is a clog targeted primarily at doctors, nurses and other shift workers who spend long periods of time on their feet throughout the course of their working day/night speaks volumes. The special design of sole delivers toning benefits – but it also distributes the weight of the body over the sole of the foot in a more uniform manner – and that’s why they are so comfortable to wear and to walk in.

The FitFlop company website reports that founder Marcia Kilgore was repeatedly lobbied – in elevators, grocery stores and planes – to release a FitFlop especially designed for shift workers who spend a long time on their feet at work. Which would explain the appearance (in the UK only, for the time being at least) of the new FitFlop Gogh Pro – a clog which is very similar to the existing ones in the FitFlop range but which incorporates a new pivoting heel strap for a secure fit and features a no-slip, no-marking sole.

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Health and Fitness