Hands down one of my favorite shoe purchases of the summer has been my brand new New Balance TrueBalance sneakers. Sure, they’re low-profile toning shoes, but they’re also a lot more. And coming from a brand like New Balance, you know these are high-quality sneakers.

When my box of New Balance WW1100 Toning‘s arrived, I opened it to find a nice surprise – these are seriously cool looking sneakers. The lime green is a chic contrast to the super soft grey upper. They’re light and breathable, with neat patterns in the side. They’re definitely sneakers, but I like that they look more akin to kicks versus a pair of running shoes (you’re not supposed to run in TrueBalance toning shoes).  The lining is also super soft. I put them on and laced them up to find that these New Balance TrueBalance’s have great support and are really comfortable. The great feel got me excited to take them for a spin, perhaps even burn some extra calories.

As I set out, I was skeptical at first. Do toning shoes really work? Especially a pair that looks so utterly unlike those rocker bottom ones. In fact, this is one that looks just like a regular shoe. TrueBalance shoes use a unique balance board technology that features a soft flexible sole unit with a spring-system design and a rounded bottom. Each step makes your body work to maintain it’s natural balance which in turn activates your muscles.

I can’t say my expectations for my pair were all too high, but I was willing to give them a shot. They didn’t feel any different at first. They’re a very stable pair of shoes and great for walking all around the city running errands. But after having them on a bit, I definitely started feeling some muscles I don’t usually during a given walk. I was shocked! And appreciative. I was getting an improved workout from shoes I think look great. As they say, two birds, one stone.

TrueBalance shoes tone your muscles from your legs to your glutes to your core and help to burn calories. Although results vary, New Balance has conducted tests that have shown up to a 29% increase in muscle activation and up to a 10% increase in calorie burning versus conventional walking shoes. I can definitely get used to these added benefits!

You can find both sleek New Balance TrueBalance shoes, the New Balance True Balance WW850 Toning and the New Balance WW1100 Toning, on PlanetShoes.com!

We continue our fabulous fitness footwear series with a great, high quality, well known brand that we’re very proud to carry here at Planet Shoes – and that’s MBT Footwear!

MBT Footwear has a loyal following and a growing business because their technology works. Their “anti-shoe” mentality is all about helping people to use technology in shoes to get back to a more natural walking experience.

“Natural instability” which comes from walking barefoot on sand or soft ground is some of the best and most healthful activity in which you can engage. The reason this technology and design works is that your whole body is engaged in movement, balance and momentum.

MBT Footwear uses a rocker outsole, which is thick and rounded to encourage a rolling gait. This rolling movement reduces the shock and strain on joints, tendons and muscles and also encourages better posture, a longer and more natural gait and because it’s engaging more muscles, MBT Footwear help you train just by being on your feet.

The shoe is constructed with three major sections. There is a TPU and glass fiber shank that provides the firmness needed to maintain the rocker sole construction and distributes weight and pressure evenly throughout the whole sole of the shoe.

The balancing section of the shoe is integrated into the midsole beneath the metatarsus to encourage the natural destabilization which activates more muscles throughout the body.

Finally, there is an elliptical section underneath the heel of the shoe which creates a comfortable cushion that also emulates the sensation of walking on sand or soft ground, therefore activating additional muscles.

MBT Footwear is popular for every kind of walking activity, including pacing in your office, and they are offered in all styles, shapes and colors so you can use them for your activity of choice. They are also recommended for athletes because they improve post workout recovery and build core muscles and balance at all times.

So how do MBT shoes measure up against the other players in this space?

What often holds people back from getting in on the MBT Footwear craze is the fact that they look a little different and they are not inexpensive. Running at about $250 retail with the occasional promotional pricing, they can be beyond the reach of many folks.

Of course, their innovative design is the key to their success and these shoes aren’t inexpensive because they are made with very high quality materials and they are designed to support you and keep you going in a way very few shoes are.

Essentially, if you are ready to truly invest in a shoe that will withstand time, elements and a lot of walking, MBT footwear might very well be the right choice for you. With their style versatility, they do make a better choice for a transitional shoe from office to home or out and about on the weekend.

Reebok is well known for their wide array of performance fitness shoes and apparel. They’ve been around for years, they have a great reputation and it’s entirely deserved. It’s no surprise that they’ve entered into this calorie burning and toning without “working out” marketplace by introducing the Reebok EasyTone.

The Reebok Easy Tone is probably the most athletic and traditional of the Calorie Burning or Toning category, emulating their traditional athletic styling. The Easy Tone, rather than sporting a modified curved outsole you see in some brands, actually incorporates technology at the heel and the forefoot of the shoe. This technology is based on the well known “Balance Balls” which are used in workouts and in many offices and homes as chairs that help improve your posture and build core strength.

Reebok calls the technology they have incorporated “Balance Pods”, and they destabilize your feet enough to engage your balancing muscles. Basically, the idea of the EasyTone is to make you feel like you’re walking on a sandy beach, and to engage your muscles in the same healthful way. By keeping you slightly off balance, no matter the terrain, more balance muscles are engaged, more toning occurs and therefore, more calorie burning happens!

Reebok launched this line with some pretty impressive stats. The compared the Reebok Easy Tone to one of their other foam based walking shoes, the Reebok Hex Express and it posted additional toning power in the gluts (28% more tone within the time), the hamstring area at the back of the thigh (11% more tone within the time) and the calf area (11% more tone within the time).

So the idea here is that you could wear these when you’re walking – or just every day and because of the natural instability and the engagement of your muscles because of the balance pods, you’ll burn more calories and tone more muscle faster than you would with a simple sneaker.

Another benefit of the Reebok EasyTone is the price point. At about $100.00, this is most definitely not at the high end of the pricing on the passive fitness shoe.

So how does this stand up among the brands? Well, this shoe looks like a sneaker, so if you’re looking for a passive fitness calorie burning shoe that doesn’t have the sneaker look, then the Reebok EasyTone isn’t for you. Likewise, this show may work better for those who have trouble with angled footbeds or the thicker and curved outsoles of the competition. Still, if you want to experiment with a new walking shoe, the balance ball technology is proven and these shoes could take your standard walking regimen quickly to the next level.