Skechers Shape Ups...

This time of year I feel inundated with commercials touting the latest and greatest diets and tools to lose weight. You're fat, lose weight. Just buy fill in the blank, and your waist line will shrink (as well your checking account balance). These messages must bring in revenue because they are being played on every channel, including the Food Network, an irony that does not escape me.

I try to ignore commercials especially during this time of year. I have battled enough body image issues; I certainly don't need them compounded by a skinny model telling me that I am not good enough. Having lost over 100 pounds and having kept the weight off, I can attest that these quick fixes do not work.

Nevertheless, I have been intrigued by one new product. Skechers has been heavily advertising their new shoe. The "Shape Up" shoe claims weight loss and toning by simply wearing this specialized footwear.

Despite my skepticism, I was curious. Could an amputee wear this product and achieve results? How would this newly designed shoe affect my ability to utilize my prosthetic? Basically, would the Shape Up shoe work for an amputee? I decided to find out.

I noticed that the Shape Up shoe was displayed prominently in the store window, but the price tag was not as obvious. The footwear costs $100 and is excluded from all sales. I have never paid that price for a pair of shoes and doubted that any footwear would cause me to shell out that much money.

After locating my size I proceeded to the back of the store for some privacy. I am comfortable being an amputee, but I am sensitive that other customers are not accustomed to a person taking off a leg to change shoes. As a courtesy. I try to be inconspicuous.

The shoe was easy to get onto my foot shell. I did have some trouble setting my heel height on my Proprio because of the shoe design. The bottom of the foot is curved, not flat. When I put the shoe on the prosthetic, the leg started rocking back and forth. It reminded me of a rocking horse! I had to hold the socket on either side and estimate a midpoint for the heel height adjustment to work.

With the height adjusted and with the other shoe on my foot, it was time for the moment of truth. I held onto the wall as I slowly stood up. "Hooray," Robby shouted. So much for being inconspicuous.

I immediately noticed that I was a good inch taller. The shoes were surprisingly comfortable despite their awkward appearance. Pockets of air were built into the rocker heel to absorb impact. It was time for me to take a step. For just a moment I remembered my cousin's advice to wear a helmet and protective gear to try these shoes and I smiled and hoped she was wrong.

I was relieved that my ability to balance was not impacted by the shoe. I feared that I would feel unstable, but this was not the case. I felt that I had control over my prosthetic.

The shoes work on a rocker principle. The initial contact between the shoe and the floor is designed to occur at the heel. The individual is then propelled forward through the rocking motion. This motion, repeated throughout the day, is touted to tone your thighs and bum.

I could not obtain a heel strike on my prosthetic side. I was able to make contact in the middle of the shoe and rock forward. I did not have any difficulties establishing the heel strike on my sound side.

After adjusting to the new shoes, I began to notice a change. My limb, subtle as it is, was all but eliminated. The rocker heel helped to propel me forward and actually normalized my posture and gait. I was no longer limping. If I had been wearing long pants and my prosthetic was concealed, I doubt that it would have been known that I had an orthopedic issue.

I don't know if the shoes do anything to promote weight loss other than increase the motivation for the wearer to walk more. That being said, they were the most comfortable shoes I have worn since my amputation. My limp was eliminated and my gait was normalized through the rocking action of the sole.

I walked around the store for about 10 minutes, trying to find a flaw in the product. For me, the shoe exceeded my expectations. My gait was normal. From a physical perspective, the feeling was reminiscent to walking pre-amputation. I felt like a "normal" limbed woman.

I fully expected to write a blog explaining all of the reasons that these shoes are not appropriate for an amputee. I was so cynical that I was formulating my blog on the drive to the store. I am pleasantly surprised and actually shocked that I am writing the opposite. For me, the rocking heel actually benefits the amputee. Some of the responsibility for foot movement is shifted from the ankle to the shoe, allowing the rocker heel to compensate for the limb loss.

I use a Proprio ankle. This computerized prosthetic has active dorsal and plantar flexion. It simulates the movements of my sound side ankle. I am going to return to the store tomorrow with my low profile Veriflex, my no frills prosthetic, to test the results with the shoe. I will keep you posted. I might have to buy my first pair of $100 shoes!