Last week Vivawoman told us about her new Skechers Tone Up slippers. Coincidentally, it was when I was drooling over the FitFlop Pietra slippers. Both are “mere slippers” with a function ostensibly to help tone your legs and bum. But can slippers or footwear do that?
Skechers and FitFlop says yes of course.
From my personal experience with FitFlops, I did not experience dramatic toning up of my legs or bum. It must be said that I do not wear my slippers everyday because I work and I can’t wear FitFlops to work (I could but I don’t 😛 ) and the only time I wear them for any length of time is when I’m out shopping or travelling.
I came across the Skechers Tone Up slippers and Shape Up shoes at the Skechers boutique over the week. The Skechers Tone Up slippers do look and feel like a dupe of the FitFlops at a smaller pricetag. The Skechers ones are RM169 each.
Unfortunately, I could not find any that fit my feet. Size 5 was too small in the footbed and Size 6 was too loose at the thong area – I have narrow feet. For reference, I take a 4 in Fitflops. So I passed.
Skechers Shape Up shoes look like regular sports shoes but perform an additional function to burn calories and tone muscles if it is to be believed. The shoes were heavy! I can’t imagine wearing them and walking for any length of time. Perhaps thats why they burn calories – you will certainly need more energy to just lift your feet!
But all that comes down to the question of whether what you wear on your feet can actually help to tone and shape your body?
I say any type of footwear can – if you wear them for any length of time and do a lot of walking all the time. Perhaps these toning and shaping footwear by FitFlop and Skechers help by maintaining your posture so you may burn up some additional calories.
But in the main, I’d say regular and constant walking is the key, not what you wear on your feet.
That said, the FitFlops and Skechers Tone Up slippers look pretty good on the feet. If they do work, why not eh? 😉
Paris B
sesame says
May 9, 2010 at 9:31 amA reader told me she wore FitFlop for about 6 hrs at least everyday for a period of 2 -3 mths and her calf muscles really did look better.No visible results on the butt it seems but her legs overall do look better toned.
Btw, after walking in Skechers Tone Up a few times now, I think the money is better spent on FitFlops. The base is okay but the straps are too loose and hence, not so comfortable on the toes if one were to walk for a longer distance.
ParisB says
May 9, 2010 at 5:36 pmI thought that of the Skechers too. The top was too loose and my feet were too thin for them. I’m wondering though if I were to walk 6 hrs everyday in any shoes whether my legs would tone up nonetheless? 😉
kymba says
June 14, 2010 at 9:46 amI think the whole loose thong strapping is the trick. If you wear them for a long period of time curling your toes to keep them on. It did(has) toned my calf a great deal. Have not notice any change in the thighs or butt.
Ah well…can’t win them all.
synical says
May 9, 2010 at 10:58 amFitFlops don’t do it aesthetically for me personally, and we don’t exactly have all the designs – I’d give them a try if the clogs are available here, but oh well.
Been thinking about getting the Skechers Shape Ups sneakers (my beef with the Tone Ups is the same as the FitFlops) and have compared prices between Malaysia and Singapore (miniscule difference – I rather buy here in KL). It’s just a matter of when 😛
ParisB says
May 9, 2010 at 5:36 pmOho the Shape Up sneakers are waaayyy heavy!
synical says
May 9, 2010 at 7:54 pmThat’s a matter of perception – shoes + box is admittedly little hefty. The shoes by themselves seem fine to me. Oh well.
ParisB says
May 9, 2010 at 9:40 pmHaha actually the shoes itself felt heavier than what I’m used to but hey! If it works for you go for it! 🙂
Jyoan says
May 9, 2010 at 1:21 pmsynical, me too!! Eying Skechers for some time now, and since I am going to M’sia, am also comparing the prices, even though I know that branded are really more or less the same between the two countries.
I read magazine reviews that all these only give score 3/5 stars. So yeah. Don’t think it really tones up. Even Nike’s one is 3/5. The true Masai tribe one might really tone up, but it’s S$400.
ParisB says
May 9, 2010 at 5:37 pmI think the Masai one was the first but its quite heavy too from what I can recall. Still, $400 is way too much to experiment! 😉
synical says
May 9, 2010 at 7:56 pmI’ve tried them on before – they’re comfier compared to the other Skechers I’ve got. I heard of the Nike ones, but I haven’t seen them myself.
Masai shoes? Wow, I’m really missing out 😛
ParisB says
May 9, 2010 at 9:42 pmThe Masai slippers were the original fitness slippers that were all the rage a few years ago but they were very pricey. Still are it seems.
yuki says
May 9, 2010 at 4:20 pmI really USED to love skechers! They used to make great sports shoes for women… Now they focus on those ‘hang kai kai’ shoes, high heeled sneakers and stuff… the sports shoes for ladies are so boring now… Their shoes are solid and comfy… chepaer than nike and the other brands… Now I see Nike and the other sports brand’s shoes pun not very attactive…
Been wanting to try the shape ups before but like what u said, it’s HEAVY! save 200 bucks and strap some weights to yr ankles would be a better solution… hahaha… btw, have u seen the exercise video for the shape ups?? It’s ridiculous! U can wear any type of shoe to exercise… it’s chair exercises and squats… market gimmick~~
ParisB says
May 9, 2010 at 5:41 pmHaha! I get what you mean about the new Skechers shoes. They seem to be more focused on leisure wear these days and yes I saw the video in the store. Made me wonder why I’d need their shoes for those exercises 😀
domncroxd says
May 10, 2010 at 8:55 amIf they could make these ‘get-fit’ shoes for work (I work in corporate so flats/flip-flops are out), then I’d definitely buy them!
ParisB says
May 10, 2010 at 9:39 amHaha same but then they won’t look that good would they? 😉
leeloo says
May 10, 2010 at 9:31 amI like the Skechers Tone Ups not because of the toning ability but because of how it fits on my foot. I cannot stand wearing ‘slippers’ (shoes/sandals/slippers with the thong between big toe & second toe) because I’d always get an irritation or blisters. Am a Size 9 US, 7-71/2 UK, 40 Euro which makes it difficult to find decent affordable and cute sandals.
Tone Ups fit me nicely there at the toes and has a nice cushiony feel on my feet. It has a little roll-y motion from heel to toe which is probably the whole toning thing. I hope they bring in nicer styles as mine is the first/old style with black & white lines on the strap. Not very attractive really.
I am interested in Fit Flops though but they are about double Tone Ups right? Maybe will give them a whirl at the next Isetan sale 🙂 Just to see how they compare.
ParisB says
May 10, 2010 at 9:40 amThanks for sharing! By contrast I found the Skechers less comfortable in the thong area because it was “loose” but then its because none of the sizes fit my foot well 🙂
Brandi says
June 13, 2010 at 10:40 pmyou wear a 9 US – were you abel to buy the tone-ups in a 9 or did you have to go bigger?
Twiggy says
May 12, 2010 at 3:27 pmhi!
i love reading your blog! i usually just “lurk” but i have to ask you…how did you find a size 4 in fitflops? i could only find size 5 in the U.S. but they’re still a bit wide for me b/c i have such narrow feet. i actually bought the pietra in pewter. i love the color and it’s quite comfortable, but it looks kind of wide on me so i’m not sure if i sould keep ’em.
ParisB says
May 12, 2010 at 3:31 pmHi Twiggy – Size 4 in the Walkstar 3 fits me just right. The base is a little wide but the thong sticks to my feet and the length is just right. Size 5 was a tad too big for me. I don’t know where to get them, but we had them here. Perhaps because we are the Asian market with smaller feet? 🙂 I think the important thing about Fitflops is how well the base fits to your foot and the thong area. If you don’t like how it looks, you could return. I still haven’t seen Pietra so I can’t compare it yet 🙂
j3nny9irL says
May 13, 2010 at 3:27 amHmmm… I tried the Skechers Tone Up slippers too at the Shoe fair last month. Me and my bf was like… What? Doesn’t that just look like Fitflops? and we wore Fitflops to the fair! haha 😛
It does look the same but when I wore them they are totally different. They feel different too. Actually I like fitflops coz I am a those who doesn’t drag my feet when wearing slippers. Same as my bf. So I just think that fitflops suits me really well. I bought mine in size 4 too and my bf is actually a size 13 1/2 he wore 12 as well. According to the promoter that after wearing them they kinda moulds into your feet’s shape and kinda loosen up a lil bit so I took the risk and bought the smaller size. I’m actually a size 5 1/2.
Still I don’t see Pietra on the official website but I saw my idol! Anna Sui designed the limited edition Fiorella! I feel like dying now? OMG! Don’t you love them? Don’t you wanna have them? *drools* 😛
Lou says
August 15, 2010 at 4:10 amFunny enough but I’ve been looking into these kind of shoes. Not so much for weight loss. I think if you want weight loss you have to exercise anyway. I’m more looking into this kind of foot wear for boosting circulation in the leg area. I think what you wear on your feet is so important, whether it’s for walking, gym whatever. You only get one pair of feet and we have to look after them as well as our ankles and legs also. Thanks for the tip of the skechers being heavy
lina says
January 6, 2011 at 4:46 pmcan i know in malaysia where can buy this type of shoe? thank u
ParisB says
January 6, 2011 at 4:48 pmFor Skechers look in Skechers boutiques. For Fitflops (which I highly recommend) you can find a list of stores at the end of this post.
kakadoodoo3000 says
March 28, 2011 at 2:37 amI use the Tone Ups. They toned up my calves, thighs, and butt…and when I spend a great deal of time walking, I feel that even my waist seems to tone up, too. 🙂 I use the black slide: http://www.skechers.com/style/38016/tone-ups-electric-slide/wht#Color=BLK i’m pretty happy with it…although if ever I have to stand in them for a long time, i.e. queueing up for something, they seem to “melt” underneath me…prob. how it feels to stand in quicksand. That’s disconcerting, and unpleasant..but for walking, I really love them.
R Burns says
July 13, 2011 at 3:29 pmI bought a pair of Skecher Tone-Ups thong sandals because I liked the look and they were on sale. Loved them so much I bought Shape-Ups because of the heavy advertising. What a difference! The Shape-Ups are really demanding, and actually irritated some sore nerves my aging body would sooner forget. The Tone-Ups, on the other hand, actually have alleviated hip and foot pain. They seem to behave more like the orthopedic shoes my doctor recommended, at a much lower cost. I threw away my entire existing shoe wardrobe, gave the Shape-Ups to a thrift store, and have begun replacing all the styles I love with Tone-Ups. Skechers makes many styles with this footbed, including everything from thong sandals (big difference between flip-flop styles and those with a bit more material over the top of the foot), clog slippers, boots, dress shoes, walking shoes, etc etc. I wear a “standard” size 6 medium US shoe, and in the Skechers buy a 6 in the open-toed styles, 7 in closed-toe sneakers, and 8 in boots to give enough room for bulky winter socks. You can remember the difference between the styles with “Tone-Ups for Grown-Ups” when shopping, because you wouldn’t want to mistakenly buy the wrong style. Hope this helps if you’re considering these, and enjoy really comfortable walking. I don’t know if they help with toning, but I’m sold on them anyway!
JefriLyn says
February 4, 2012 at 12:18 amI bought Sketchers Tone Up Slippers at Ross for a little more than a pair of slippers..yep they were under 20.00 including tax! My heals have somehow become very tender and I was looking for a slipper with cushion for my heals. I bought them for the comfort not the tone up. I was a bit hesitant because I bought a different brand of tone up tennis shoes a year ago and after wearing them for awhile my knees throbbed to the point that it was uncomfortable to move them..I threw them away. The Sketchers slippers are not as hard to balance yourself and they r heavy but feel like a slipper clog to me and my knees do not hurt at all. I love mine and best of all my heals do not hurt while wearing them and they feel like a comfy warm slipper. Ps they were snug when I bought them but after a few hours they loosened up and molded to my foot