You can be sure that winter is well and truly on the way when the clocks go back. First it starts to get dark earlier and earlier and then the weather starts to cool down noticeably. It won’t be long before there’s snow on the ground. On the bright side, it’s time to treat yourself to a new pair of winter boots.

Clearly there’s no shortage of styles to choose from. Leather boots and fur boots are always popular choices. When the weather is wet you can still look good in a pair of brightly coloured Hunter boots – wellingtons with style. At the end of the day, if they’re worn by royalty, they’re bound to have a certain kudos.

Alternatively, you could demand a little more from your winter boots this year? Why not choose a pair that will not only look great but which will help you to look great as well ?

Toning shoes are a relatively new concept on the market. Their special design lets you get a free lower body workout just by walking about as normal. There are a number of different designs and brands available on the market, including winter boots.They achieve their toning effect as a result of a specially designed sole which makes the leg and butt muscles do a little more work than normal.

Skechers Shape Ups and Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) Shoes both incorporate curved soles which are intended to reproduce the mechanics of walking upon soft sand. Reebok Easy Tones and Fit Flops sandals, on the other hand, feature soles which are designed to generate a slight imbalance when walking in them. The leg and butt muscles attempt to restore the body’s natural balance – doing a little extra work in the process.

You can see how the prospect of getting a lower body workout whilst walking around normally would be very attractive for many people. After a long day at work, looking after kids or just doing general, mundane daily chores, it can be difficult to find either the time or the energy to pay a visit to the gym. For many busy women, toning shoes must seem like a dream come true .

A number of independent tests seem to back up the claims of increased muscle activity as a result of wearing toning shoes. Neither is there any shortage of very positive user feedback available. It goes without saying that there are those who doubt the claims. Some query the authenticity of the trials, based upon the fact that many of these have received funding from the big footwear manufacturers. Relatively small sample sizes are frequently raised as a reason to doubt the results. Obviously, there are different sides to the argument. Nevertheless, if toning shoes do nothing more than encourage wearers to walk more often, then that’s a good thing in itself.

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Womens World