I used to wear heels 24/7. Iʼd wear them not only to go out dancing, but to buy milk and take out the trash as well. Why am I telling you this? I feel itʼs relevant to my review today. Heels are great. Not only do they make your legs look longer and leaner, they also force the muscles in your calves and butt to work extra hard. Of course there comes a day (particularly if you go to the gym as rarely as I do) when you have to stop wearing heels - When the muscles in your legs have shortened so much, you need to change to flats to stretch them out again. This happened to me two years ago and meant not only did I need to buy new shoes, I also needed to learn how to walk again. Sound strange? Let me tell you, walking in heels is very different to walking in flats, so when the Reetones ended up on my desk I figured I was the perfect candidate for a review.

The Reebok EasyTones are big news at the moment. Everyone I know is talking about them so I was quite chuffed to be reviewing them. For anyone who hasnʼt heard of them, the Reebok EasyTone is a shoe which promises to exercise your legs and butt every time you take a step. This is done with three ʽstability ballsʼ on the base of your shoes. These balls work by making the ground beneath your feet ʽunstableʼ, forcing the muscles of your legs to work harder. Iʼd half expected the shoes to look a bit like the MBT shoes, but they donʼt. Instead they look like perfectly normal trainers, the only difference being how they feel once you put them on.

In the beginning I wore my Reebok EasyTones for a (fairly) solid 4 days and Iʼve been wearing them intermittently since then. Next to my regular ʽprettierʼ shoes I already prefer wearing my Reeboks, but letʼs do a run-down of my first four days: -
The first day was quite strange. I could feel the pods under my feet at every step and my left foot felt off-centre.
The second day I felt Iʼd adjusted. Both shoes felt comfortable and I was starting to enjoy the ʽrollingʼ sensation I got as I walked. I actually found them far more comfortable than any of my other shoes.
The third day was much the same as the second except by the end of the day my toes had started to ache. Itʼs very strange to have sore toes while wearing flats. I assumed it was part of my feet adjusting to the new shoes.
The fourth day was quite hard. Iʼd been out dancing the night before (not in the Reeboks), so could feel all the muscles from my calves to my thighs. My toes were still aching, so I concluded it was probably caused by the shoes themselves. There is a pod under the ball of my foot and another under my toes. Either one or both is pressing on my foot, causing the pain.
The fifth day I walked in the shoes for a solid couple of hours. At the time I finally took them off, I could definitely feel my calves, thighs and (unfortunately) my toes.

What do I like about the Reebok EasyTone?
Aside from the toe issue (which only happens after a lot of walking) I really love the ʽrollingʼ sensation I get from wearing the shoes. Also wearing them reminds me to walk properly, so as to engage my core muscles.
They look like regular trainers. I spotted someone on the street wearing a pair the other day and I think I only noticed as I was in the middle of conducting my own review.
They can be used while sitting around in parks, walking and training in the gym. Yes, the EasyTones can also be used while training, however theyʼre not recommended for running. By June (apparently) Reebok will also be releasing Reetones specifically for training and running.
They have a website www.reetalk-toning.com where you can join in discussions, answer polls and read the Reebok EasyTone blog. Itʼs quite a cute idea and I am now a member (though I have never contributed).
I love the fact that I can feel them working my thighs and calves while Iʼm walking. I canʼt say Iʼve noticed the effect on my butt, however years of wearing heels is renowned for working your butt anyway.

What do I not like about the Reebok EasyTones?
My toes are not impressed, though Iʼm not sure if thatʼs due to my decade on heels or if itʼs a common problem among EasyTone wearers.
The colour. My EasyTones are white, very white. Fluorescent white in fact. If I had teeth that white Iʼd be thrilled, on my feet, not so good. The one thing I do like is they have pretty blue stripes which sparkle in the sun.

So what are my final thoughts on the Reebok EasyTones?
On my fourth day, when I was walking around with very sore legs, I realised two things:- One was that I needed to go to the gym more often and the second, wearing the Reebok EasyTones meant I could feel the muscles in my legs far more than wearing regular shoes. This is a good thing and I like my EasyTones so much I'm considering buy a second (more socially acceptable) black pair.

Prices start from around £70 and they are available from www.fitnessfootwear.com and other good sports retailers, both online & in the high street.