I have been a fitness walker for more than 22 years and have worn a variety of brands - Reebok, Nike, Asics, Avia to name a few.  Most have been great walking shoes. I was intrigued when these came out because of the 'instability' pads which we know from many fitness studies does cause the body to engage different muscles and help tone them. I didn't like the dorky looks of the pricey MBTs or the Skechers brand fitness walking shoes, but these look like normal sneakers (except on the bottom, which his hidden.)  I bought mine 18 months ago and really like them a  lot - and I'm not embarrassed to wear them the way I would be with the MBTs or Skechers. It took a bit of getting used to (tripped up a bit  on the stability pads the first day or two) but then they were fine and I walk at least 12 -15 miles per week in them.

My only complaints are this:  Pricey -- and you can never find them for under $99 so they seem to be price-fixed, which sucks. Maybe when other brands come out with similar products and there's more competition we'll see some sales. And the second thing is that unlike leather than can be easily wiped, the mesh (while light and breathable) also gets dirty very easily and is tougher to clean.  Mine are pretty dingy looking now!  They are wearing out, so I am going to order a new pair today.

People need to have realistic expectations. This is not a silver bullet. To lose weight and get toned you have to eat right, workout frequently, sweat and be consistent. And you will not get legs and a butt like the models in the ads by using these just for a few months! But in my experience, these are great fitness walking shoes and the extra work the muscles have to do because of the instability and the additional toning that results is a bonus.