Shape up Shoes

One of Santa’s helpers brought me some new shoes for Christmas. Not just any shoes: Shape-Ups by Sketchers. Is that a hint? 🙂 They’d probably work better if I’d dump the rest of the Christmas treats out already. I honestly haven’t been trying nearly as hard as I ought to be to get in shape these past several months. In my own defense, my mind’s been on other things. But it doesn’t help that I’ve actually gained weight recently. So I’m curious to see how and whether they’ll work.

My first question was whether they’re really going to help me shape up: the box suggests they can help with weight loss and give me better posture, stronger back, toning for my thighs, calves, and abs, better circulation, reduced cellulite, and a firmer bottom. I’m a bit skeptical as to how effective it will be with weight loss. I’m always trying so many things to get in shape, when I do lose a little I can never be sure what caused it. But if I start falling well below the weight I’ve been stuck at for years, I’ll be converted… maybe.*

Here’s what I do know:

– They are extraordinarily comfortable. Shape-ups are great for standing, actually; I can’t believe how comfortable they are. If you have to stand at work (teachers, servers, tellers, etc) they are a great investment. I’m half wondering whether they should have called them Stand-Ups!

In fact I would say they are SO comfortable, if you’re planning a trip to Disneyland, it’d be well worth your money to invest in a pair just for the trip so you don’t get nasty tired feet by mid afternoon… making for a much happier vacation. Just be sure to wear them a week or so in advance so you’re used to them.

– The soles are tall and a little strange looking, but the shoes are cute. And hey, adding a solid 2 inches to my height makes me look thinner, right?

– I don’t feel quite as comfortable on ice. I am guessing this is because less shoe touches the ice at one time, so there’s less friction. That said, they seem to be tall enough that I can walk right through snow up to 4″ deep, and I’m only wearing the sneakers version. Sketchers makes Shape-ups in boots as well.

– I worried that I’d feel less sure-footed. I don’t.. not at all, except on the ice I mentioned. But they do gently encourage you to stand a little straighter, to stay balanced without thinking about it, so I have high hopes for better posture if nothing else.

– They seem to be a little snug. I often have to go down a half size from my normal shoe depending on the fit; with these, I could have comfortably gone up a half size. Width is OK though.

– The rolling motion is very comfortable and smooth… these shoes would be awesome for marching bands, or for anyone who wants to walk more smoothly.

Oh, and lest I forget:

– They’re pricey and rarely discounted. The little elf who bought the shoes for me was disappointed that Famous Footwear would not honor their buy-one-get-one-half-off sale with Shape-Ups, at least not with another pair of Shape-ups. She still ended up buying two pairs: one for her as well.

So far her #1 comment has also been that they’re extremely comfortable at work, where she stands almost all day, and she feels it’s been well worth the investment for that alone. She’s also excited to see if they make life more comfortable for me at school; last semester I typically walked about 2 miles through the day just getting myself to and from classes. I get shin splints from running up and down all those stairs, and am hoping these will make a difference.

Anyway. The verdict is out as to whether they’ll shape me up. Scratch that: we’re still in trial. I will let you know what we find out. Meanwhile, if anyone’s got another opinion on these another similar brand (like EasyTones by Reebok for example) let me know.

* Maybe because I’m supposed to be losing weight now anyway. My PE Coach last semester said I’m anorexic even though I’m somewhat overweight. Supposedly if I eat better, including eating more calories, my body will let go. Since I started trying to eat at least 1400 calories a day, I’ve gained about 10 pounds. Supposedly, those ten pounds will fall back off soon and take the other weight with them. They’d better :-p