The Skechers Shape-Ups All Terrain toning shoes just seem like a bad idea from the start. Toning shoes are designed to be unstable, that's what forces your muscles into a greater range of motion and therefore, toning. Trails already do that with unstable surfaces and hills. Trail shoes are typically designed for extra support and extra stability. An unstable trail shoe is an oxymoron.
I received a pair of Skechers Shape-Ups All Terrain from the manufacturer as part of their publicity push towards a Skechers-Leki nordic walking program coming this fall. I think the program is a great idea -- I love nordic walking with fitness poles. But these All Terrain shoes are not what I would recommend for trail use.
My biggest beef with them is that they caused me to overpronate from the first step. That can lead to knee pain and plantar fasciitis, both things that can stop a walker cold. The rocker motion in these shoes is not as pronounced as in the original Shape-Ups walking shoes or some of the more aggressive toning shoes such as Chung Shi or MBT. But it's still there, and for me, that's a trail accident just waiting to happen.
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Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
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