Will Toning Shoes Be the Next Big Footwear Craze?

By Natalie Zmuda
Published: July 15, 2009
in Advertising Age

Toning footwear, shoes that promise to do everything from firming up muscles to alleviating back pain, are expected to become a $100 million category this year. Yet, it's still a category in its infancy. Brands such as MBT, Ryn and FitFlop have earned a cult following, broadening their distribution significantly in the last year or two, and now mainstream brands such as Reebok and Skechers are getting in on the action. More major brands are sure to follow, said Matt Powell, a footwear analyst with SportsOneSource.

"It's still emerging at this point, but it's starting to feel like its going to be a really big deal," he said. "People are starting to talk about it the way they talked about aerobics back in the mid-'80s."

Mr. Powell estimates the category will reach $100 million in retail sales this year. And though that's a fraction of the roughly $1 billion walking category and $5 billion running category, he says toning footwear is the kind of thing that could "catch on like wildfire."

"Pretty much everybody is aware of it, but some have chosen not to play yet," he added. "This could revive the walking category, which has been dormant for 10 years."