You immediately feel the difference in the shoe, especially when you have to walk up a hill in the Skechers. You feel the shoes working up the back side of your legs from you calf muscles to your glutes. I like the shoes and enjoyed walking many miles in them during the first few weeks, but suddenly on Monday morning, I woke up with extreme pain in my ankle.
I hadn't twisted my ankle or done anything that would have broken my foot. All I know is that I woke up on Monday and walking was uncomfortable. By Tuesday, walking was extremely painful when I put pressure on my right foot. I decided to go the emergency room.
After taking x-rays, the doctor discovered a small portion of my bone that actually broke off just above my heel where the pain is at. This of course is one of the areas that must undergo the greatest amount of change the Shape-Up shoes forces you to make when walking.
After doing a Google search on the Internet for Setchers Shape-Ups and foot injuries, it appears these shoes were designed for flat surfaces and not walking up many of the hills we have here in the Ozarks, which means I was probably putting additional stress on my ankle when I would walk the bicycle trails around here.
Podiatrists are having varied reactions to Shape-ups. Some actually recommend them for certain types of back problems. Many fear that people will topple over because of the thick soles and the lack of ankle support. That one's likely to get ignored by all but insurance companies and injury lawyers. After all, high heels are still around. But these are designed for even surfaces only, and could quickly become dangerous on uneven surfaces such as the great outdoors.
My concern along the lines of podiatry is that the footbed provides no structure, so if you have issues like hyperpronation or supination, these shoes could be very bad. Furthermore, the soft, deep footbed leaves all the joints balancing on it unsupported, which spells trouble for any existing issues with foot, ankle, knee and hip joints. I have a kinky knee, and I reach for my neoprene brace for walks in these shoes. Because of these issues, these shoes cannot be worn for long periods and should absolutely not become your everyday footwear. These are gimmicky, and that's okay; gimmicks can be fun diversions, but only buy these for frivolity. I don't want to wear them too often. Who wants to be on soft, bouncy, unstable surfaces all the time? After a quick stint in them, I'm always relieved to go back to hard-soled shoes or boots, or most of all, go barefoot or wear my Vibram Five Fingers (That's right. That's for another review.).
Even though the shoe pads your step, the added resistance may be adding more stress to your bones and might result in a painful injury. The only change I have made in my walking style in the last few weeks were with these shoes, and I think I made the mistake of walking in them too much, rather than just walk in them for what they were intended for.
The doctor said my body will work out the small piece of bone that is causing the inflammation and pain, but for now, I can barely move.
