In many cases, toning shoes can fall into two categories: fitness shoes and shoes that are meant to be worn as part of everyday apparel. For example, a woman looking to incorporate toning shoes into her wardrobe could choose between sneakers that could be worn during exercise and with casual outfits and sandals that could be worn with dresses and slightly nicer outfits. There are even some styles of toning shoes that are nice enough to wear as part of one's professional attire, especially if one's workplace dress code allows for open-toed sandals.
Although women's toning shoes are often advertised and marketed more heavily than toning shoes for men, there are also a number of styles for men. Toning shoes for men are almost always sporty. Unlike the styles that are available to women, there are not many styles of toning shoes for men that can be incorporated into business casual attire. The styles that are available, however, can often be worn with exercise attire and with casual attire, which makes them quite versatile.
When it comes to toning shoes that resemble fitness footwear such as sneakers, the designs are usually split between shoes that are meant to be worn as part of everyday activity and shoes that are meant to be worn during exercise. Shoes that are meant to be worn during everyday activity often look like sneakers but are designed to tone the leg muscles — and sometimes even the muscles in the backside — while the wearer performs daily tasks. A person might put on his toning shoes to get an extra fitness benefit out of doing things like cleaning the house, going to the grocery store, and running other similar kinds of errands.
Toning shoes that are meant for exercise are usually designed differently. Instead of helping the wearer to get extra fitness benefits out of daily tasks, these shoes are intended to help the wearer get the maximum fitness benefits out of his workouts. It is not always safe to wear shoes for everyday toning while exercising because they may not be designed to support the body correctly during activities like running and jogging. Some shoes are intended for exercise in general while others are designed for specific kinds of exercise. There are some shoes that are designed to maximize toning in the legs while the wearer is running or performing aerobic exercises.