Want a Better Butt? Try These Shoes

by Anne Metz (Subscribe to Anne Metz's posts)
Posted Aug 31st 2007 at 9:04AM

You want a better butt, don't you? And if it doesn't involve squats, even better, right? Well, then, I've got good news.

The butt-lifting shoes I mentioned in the title of this post are made by a company called Earth. What makes Earth shoes different is exactly what makes Earth shoes a perfect partner for those of you interested in lifting the junk in your trunk. Namely, it's all about the negative heel technology.

Negative heel technology was first developed by a Scandinavian yoga teacher by the name of Anne Kalsø. Kalsø noticed on a beach visit that standing in sand felt an awful lot like the sensation of holding the standing mountain yoga pose. Her shoulders rolled back, her breath eased, and her feet relaxed as her spine aligned to its natural position in the compressed sand.

What Kalsø had stumbled on was something she dubbed the "negative heel," meaning that the ball of your foot is kept on a slightly highly plane than your ankle. Because of the slight incline of Earth's negative heel shoes, you exert more effort than you otherwise would as you walk around. Like a strolling on a treadmill with a 3.7° incline, Earth's negative heel rocking motion tones your legs, butt and even your heart. The negative heel can also improve breathing and relieve back pain since these are often symptoms of chronic bad posture.

Earth shoes might sound (and look) a little odd at first, especially since most shoe styles go to great lengths to keep your heel higher than the ball of your foot (i.e. every shoe on the market, but especially those stilettos). High heels look good, I admit, by they come at a high cost.

Doctors have been warning us for years that towering shoes are as bad for your posture as they are for your feet. Not looking like you have mile-long legs is a trade-off, but it's not bad as you might think since these flats burn extra calories from the effort required to walk in the negative heels. Thus, Earth shoes actually make your legs healthier and better looking -- instead of just giving the appearance that your legs look better. (Come on, the thing itself is way better than the illusion, no?)

I actually have a pair of Earth shoes that I've been wearing for a few months now, and while they aren't my *most* chic flats, they certainly are my most comfortable. I can actually attest to a difference in my hips and butt whenever I either wear the shoes for a few days, or don't wear the shoes for a few days. Naturally, things seem smaller and tighter after sustained use, and similiarly looser when I don't.

I can't speak for all the bod-toning shoes out there, but I can say that if you are able to find a pair of Earth shoes that fit your feet*, you're well on your way to the better butt. Of course, doing a few squats here and there won't hurt either, but short of that, try a pair of Earths.

*I highly recommend getting a fitting for Earth shoes. Not all styles are suited to all feet, so it's worth asking a knowledgeable salesperson for help.

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