This is a product that is getting a lot of traction in Australia where it was developed and where they call this type of footwear, thongs. They are commonly sold in podiatrists offices and are proving quite popular. The amount of arch support built into them is about the same as you could get in a prefabricated or over-the-counter foot support. You can often see comments that anyone who tries them on, buys them as they find them so comfortable.

You can read more about them here and buy them here.

I had an email question about if any of the toning shoes would be help for a child with Severs disease (calcaneal apophysitis). Firstly the correct name is calcaneal apophysitis and not Severs disease, as its not a disease and it is preferable to no longer name diseases after people. However, Severs is till the most widely used name and is searched more much more often in the search engines.

Secondly, no toning shoes will not help. As the problem with calcaneal apophysitis is with the growth plate at the back of the need bone where the Achilles tendon attaches, toning shoes increase the pull from the Achilles on that growth plate, so are unlikely to be that useful.

If you want a deep dive into Severs disease (Calcaneal apophysitis), then we did this PodChatLive on the condition with a leading expert:

What can be done for Severs disease? Most cases are managed simply with load management and a cushioned heel pad.