Customer Reviews

AVIA Women's A9999 Avi Motion iTone Toning Shoe

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I was diagnosed with a severe case of Plantar Fasciitis a few months ago, I thought my days as a recreational runner were over; the pain and swelling were so acute that I could hardly get shoes on, let alone go jogging in them.

A visit to my doctor revealed the grim news, the prognosis & the possible remedies. He told me that I needed serious arch and heel support & he recommended that I acquire a pair of those Sketchers shoes with the "shape-up" soles. He said that even though any claims of these shoe's ability to help the wearer "shape-up" are dubious, they do, none the less, offer tremendous arch support.

I was optimistic as I headed to the store, but quickly had my hopes dashed upon seeing the price tag of these things ($140.00... & this was an outlet store!).

I refused to be deterred, & my search took me to an adjacent rack that featured (among others) Avia products & among those was the Avi-Motion line which the salesperson asserted were functionally comparable to the Sketchers (but these were under $80.00), so I went for it.

These shoes have a sole that has a kind of exaggerated convex profile to it (i.e. one continuous curve from toe to heel). Since most of us are used to (essentially) flat soles, this arrangement can feel kind of funny at first (as it did for me; with my feet easily able to rock front to back while standing stationary). One advantage to this is that is essentially forces the wearer to make a smooth transition from heel to toe while striding (it was my habit of running on the balls of my feet that caused my foot problems in the first place). Any unusual sensation caused by the shape of the sole abates after a very short period of time (maybe an hour) & thereafter feels no more odd than any other shoe I'd ever worn.

Besides saving $60.00, another plus that the Avias had over the Sketchers was their understated appearance; putting on a pair of the Sketchers make your feet look like a couple of advertising billboards (with more logos and slogans per square inch than I've ever seen on a pair of shoes). My advice to makers of shoes & other apparel is that if you want me to advertise for you, we can work out an endorsement deal... otherwise, I don't want your logos on my body! The Avias are white calf-skin leather with white soles & just a hint of gray embellishments. Tasteful.

My doctor encouraged me to get back to running as soon as I was comfortable in doing so. I was scared... but four weeks after my diagnosis I headed down to my local high school track to see what'd happen. To my astonishment, I was able to break into an easy stride without ANY pain whatsoever (at a time when just walking around barefooted on a hard surface was uncomfortable). These days, I'm back up to my usual four miles per day, three days per week & I'm convinced that I have these shoes (in large part) to thank for my quick return to "normal".

I wasn't sure what to think about these shoes but I am loving them. They take a little getting use to but are very comfortable!! I have been having hip pain for some time and it definitely is helping with that. I have not had them along enough to see if any toning is going to take place. But either way they are worth money for the comfort alone!!

I love these walking/toning shoes so much that I bought this as my second pair in white. My first one was black. I intend to use it at work a lot to match my different work attires. These shoes are so comfy just like walking on air and it supports my high arch and relaxes my feet while I tone during walking. I'm so addicted to it. I highly recommend these shoes vs. Shapeups which hurt no matter how much allowance I leave for my toes. It still hits and seem to be uncomfortable so after much shopping and fitting, I decided to buy Avia and they've been of high quality comfortable breathable soft cushioning material.

I have had these shoes for about 2 weeks and I absolutely love them! I can feel the muscles in my legs, butt and stomach getting tighter! Even my husband noticed a big difference in my legs and butt. These shoes are sooooo comfortable. I wear them everyday to work and I walk about 30-45" a day. I would highly recommend them!

I bought the shoe for its comfort. Then I started walking the dog in them. Then my muscles started feeling I had been working out. I dropped a couple of pounds over the last five weeks just by wearing them during my normal day. Everything advertised about this shoe is true. This shoe is aligning posture and strengthening back muscles. I paid almost twice what is advertised here, because I bought them at the mall. I am getting a second pair just because I am so amazed at the shoe. I know I know I sound like a commercial...best pair of shoes I have ever owned.

This is the 4th pair of toning shoes I've owned and by far the most aesthetically pleasing (translation: they're less ugly than the other ones). I've been looking for new ones for a while but just can't get past the "ugly" factor, especially when they're so expensive.
Previously I owned two pairs of Curves by Avon toning shoes- one pair tennies, one pair sandals. While I loved them, they are about as ugly as toning shoes get. The bottoms of those shoes felt more like a rocker and it took a while to get used to them as they felt unstable at first. Once I got used to the stride, they were great.
The other shoes I owned were the Reebok Easy Tone. They looked more like a regular shoe, with air-pockets on the bottom that made it feel like you were walking in wet sand. They were OK, but after about 2 months, the air came out of one of the pockets and that was that. I should note that I don't wear toning shoes all day every day, I just wear them for my daily walk, so I would expect them to last a little longer than they did.
I wore my Avias right out of the store and wore them the rest of the day. They were comfortable and felt more stable than my other ones. Instead of a full rocker on the bottom, it feels like a higher section from the ball of my foot back, with a thinner "drop off" to the toe. It felt like a weird stride at first, but not unstable like the other ones did. Now it just feels natural to me. I expected a break-in period, but really they felt comfortable from the start.
I'm not totally convinced of the toning claims of any of these shoes. Will they make you look like the model on the box? Probably not. But then again if they motivate you to get out and move around, then they do work.

I love this shoe. A few years ago I had a pair of the original 'toning' shoe, and had decided I didn't care for them. I saw these, and after reading the reviews thought I would give them a try. I love them. I recently went on a long walk around the Rose Bowl(flat ground) and was pleasantly surprised to feel the muscles for the next few days. I am active, and these are a definitely a great addition to my routine.

Not sure yet if have resulted in any toning effect, but they are very comfortable and my feet are not sore at the end of the work day. The slight rocking motion took about a day to get used to, but even that was minimal. Some reviews stated that the laces came undone, but double knotting them seemed to mostly eliminate this issue.

I'm an avid walker and have bought Avia walking shoes for years and years so when I saw Avia had the toning shoes, I looked them up and read reviews. I liked that they didn't look too weird as some of the other brands do. My first walk in them felt different but I was able to get used to them very quickly. I felt muscles I never knew I had! The muscles were deep in my bumm and thighs - just where I need the work!! I've now walked in them for 3 weeks - 5-6 times a week and have begun to notice the difference in my thighs and bumm. I definitely feel more toned in my thighs. The only thing I noticed is the shoe strings are a little short but I just make sure I have them tied good. It's really better than too long.

I expected these wonderful shoes to be somewhat hard to get used to but the opposite was the case. From the moment I put them on I felt like I was walking on air, wearing them the entire day. I've had several back surgeries and a hip replacement and have continuous back and hip pain. With these shoes I'm able to walk farther and faster than before, and I actually enjoy walking. A fantastic shoe that I would have paid a lot more for.