I bought these shoes because I was curious if they would help my feet (I have plantar fasciitis) and if they would really make my legs look shapely and toned. On the first count, I will say they are very comfortable for my feet. It's very hard for me to find sneakers I can wear comfortably, and these are definitely that. I used to have to put arch supports (at $20 a pair) in all my shoes, but I do NOT need them in these shoes. On the second count, I have to say the shoe's claims are true. After breaking them in (wearing them one hour the first day, two the second, etc.), I wore the shoes every day all day. I did go for walks in them but mostly I wore them around my house, shopping, etc. I did not have the soreness that some people say they have from wearing them at first, but I did notice I would feel different muscle groups working at different times. I did not notice any change until 10 weeks into wearing them, at which time I have to say my legs were noticeably firmer. I was hoping for my calves to be a bit bigger, but there is some change in them. The biggest difference is in my thighs. I have done fitness videos, weight lifting and walking for years and I have to say that I have never had such noticeable and fast restults (with so little effort). I changed nothing in my workout routine except wearing these shoes. Now I am going on longer walks in the shoes with the hopes of speeding up the leg-firming and shaping process. Another benefit I did not expect is that I have had NO lower back pain at all since wearing these. I often got lower back aches when I was on my feet for a long time (like doing cafeteria duty in my kids' school). I have NO back pain when wearing these. It really seems too good to be true that wearing these shoes around has firmed up my legs so much, but it is true. So I will be buying these for many years to come!