Why Are Reebok's EasyTone Sneakers For Ladies Only

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Why Are Reebok's EasyTone Sneakers For Ladies Only
Who doesn’t want firm buttocks and rock hard thighs? That’s the question men everywhere should be asking Reebok after they became the first major shoe manufacturer to bring out their own leg-toning walking shoe, marketed, just like similar shoes before it, only to the ladies. You know the footwear in question--the shoes with the lopsided soles, which force wearers to work a bit harder to walk, toning all the while.
The EasyTone ($100), which launched worldwide this month, has two pods with air pockets centered on the heel and forefoot. The pods are designed to look and behave like the balance balls at gyms (used by both men and women) across the country that intentionally keep the wearer off-balance. The instability requires an increase in muscle activity. As the (female) wearer shifts weight from the heel to the toe, the pods transfer air back and forth. Reebok leveraged its internal expertise with air transfer from their decades of Pump designs in developing the shoe.
The idea of intentional instability isn’t new to the footwear industry, but with Reebok, the technology is finding its way into the mainstream for hte first time. MBT footwear (available for both sexes) has been around for several years with its easily recognizable curved sole that seemingly turns your foot into a rocking chair. Reebok concedes that the EasyTone is pursuing the same ultimate benefit but is quick to point out distinctions. First and foremost, MBT shoes look different. They market themselves as the anti-shoe and those wearing a pair should get used to the attention. The EasyTone look like any other shoe once on the foot. The Reebok shoe also has two pods, one in the heel and forefoot, while MBT is designed around one larger pod.
Says Head of Womens at Reebok,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Katrin Ley, “We believe every woman has the right to a nice butt but for busy women, trying to fit this into their hectic lives is not an option. Reebok EasyTone allows them to tone as they go about their everyday business. The combination of the balance pod technology and great styling means it’s a shoe they are not ashamed to be seen wearing either.”
Determined, however, to conduct an objective and unbiased evaluation, I turned to the closest test subject I could find – my wife. The subject immediately noticed a distinct instability after putting the shoes on. While walking forward, a slight wobble of the foot could even be seen by an observer standing behind. That said, after a few days of wearing the shoe, she couldn’t discern muscle fatigue or soreness suggesting a significant increase in muscle activation.
As is often her wont, the subject next broke the rules for suggested usage deciding to jog in the footwear. Unlike the walking evaluation, the subject felt an immediate difference commenting that it was “just a lot harder to run,” with clear muscular soreness in the calves, thighs and buttock. She added that it felt like she “did lunges and squats during the jog”. McInnis emphasizes that the shoe is being sold as a walking shoe and that the components are tuned for walking but admits that a running version could be close behind.