You know me. I'm no marathon runner or even 5k walker these days. With a podiatrist appointment around the corner to assess a new bump on the side of my foot that resembles a bony lump typically reserved for cartoon characters' heads, I'm trying to take it easy on the dogs. But then my son produced a box that he found on the front stoop and mumbled with a hint of disappointment, "More shoes for mom."
I opened the box to find a blinding white pair of Avia avi-motion toning shoes courtesy of PlanetShoes.com. My first thought was, "Not another pair of MBT wannabes." My second thought was, "Hey, these don't look like moon shoes!"
I quickly kicked off my workaday yet beloved Birkenstocks, laced up my new Avia avi-motions and took them for a test walk to the mailbox and back. Paying close attention to fit and feel as any good comfort shoe reviewer would do, I noticed four positive features right off the bat:
- Perfect fit: room for toes to spread out, no uncomfortable rubbing of bunions, instep or heel.
- Arch support: Hard to describe, but like one of those contour neck pillow for your arches: conforms to arch whether high or low. One of my feet has high arch, the other medium yet both felt equally supported.
- Rocker sole isn't as drastic as MBT; felt more like a regular tennis shoe with natural "roll" to it.
- Much more lightweight than my MBTs.
Knowing any shoe can feel comfortable for five minutes, I put the Avia avi-motion to the duration test: a two mile walk with my son up a few suburban hills and neighborhoods (keep in mind this was a good arthritis day--pain level 3). What I noticed:
- Third grade boys still enjoy walks with their moms. Oh! You mean the shoes...
- The negative heel engineering left my knees feeling slightly over-extended for a few hours after the walk, but resolved by evening. If you're new to this blog, you should know I have rheumatoid arthritis, so I have one big strike against me no matter what shoe I'm wearing. I've checked other websites and haven't found this to be a common problem with the Avia avi-motion shoe for healthy individuals.
- My calf and butt muscles worked harder--especially up the hills, but I can't prove to you with a photo that "toning" actually took place. Believe me, I wish I could.
- Overall, I found the avi-motion iTONE to be a comfortable, supportive alternative to my usual walkers, the Merrell Siren. I like the way rocker sole shoes take the pressure off the forefoot and heel during the stride. This is particularly beneficial for those of us with metatarsalgia (ball-of-foot pain), bunions or neuroma.
The best news about the Avia avi-motion is that it carries the prestigious Seal of Acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association. You can't say that about MBT or Skechers Shape-Ups.
The APMA Seal of Acceptance is granted to footwear, insoles, hosiery, materials, and equipment that allow for normal foot function and promote quality foot health. From APMA.org.
The Avia AviMotion iTONE and iSHAPE are available for $100 at PlanetShoes.com, free shipping and free returns.
Do you have a pair of toning shoes (Fitflop, MBT, Sketchers, Reebok...) What's your take on their claim to tone?
