Strength Shoes: Jump like Frogger or Gimmicky Waste of Money?
Companies will promise you anything if they know you will pay them a handsome amount of money for their product. One might be reminded of Homer Simpson’s attempt to filch money from senior citizens with his “Happy Dude” scam. By sending one dollar to “Happy Dude” through the mail, he vowed that you can become a happier individual and will achieve a life-time of happiness. While no one product can ever attain this claim, basketball bliss and dunking on your amazed friends even if you are sub 6-feet is supposedly achievable with Strength Shoes by the company Strength Systems Inc.
Being an individual who never quite made the 6 foot mark, I was intrigued. According to the ad, I would look just like a flying Air Jordan, while my minions under me would look up with open-mouthed awe and respect. Also, according to the picture, I would somehow have a better physique and my legs would look almost Herculean, but that’s beside the point.
I was in for some rare good luck. My friend had already purchased these sneakers and we both shared the same foot size. He told me that I need not purchase them, that he would allow me to keep them. Wow! What a true friend, I mused. They fit comfortably, although I felt quite silly and very unsure of my footwork as I stumbled around for the first time.
The idea is to focus one’s weight mostly on your toes, causing your calf muscles to support a vast majority of your weight. With this increase in pressure, your calf muscles will stretch and strengthen, fulfilling your inner desire to slam dunk and trash-talk your buddies. Your Achilles’ tendon will also take on more of your weight, thus preventing injury by exercising this vulnerable area. Upon first practicing I certainly felt taller wearing these sneakers, but only because I was taller. The sneakers will heighten somebody by approximately three inches. Now, if only this were legal on the basketball court, I thought.
Coming down on these sneakers merited a great deal of practice. At first, my jump and landing was about as graceful as a linebacker playing the leading role in the Nutcracker Suite. The upside of these sneakers is that it provides full ankle support; there is practically no way to roll your ankle or injure your lower leg while you play. However, a clumsy fellow like myself will become quite attuned with landing awkwardly and even falling. It’s slightly unusual to have your full weight supported on your toes all the time. It is easy to forget that the heel of the sneaker is not equal to the balls of your feet.
The rubber outsole advertised on Strength System’s website provides a decent surface to land on, preventing any slip and slide activity. After several months of practice using these sneakers, putting on regular basketball sneakers felt quite strange. I found myself on the tips of my toes like a middleweight boxer. Those who do a great deal of ice skating know the slightly awkward feeling once they get off the ice and walk around again in their socks. It almost feels unnatural to be back on regular terms with the ground again.
The bottom line: Does the product deliver on its promise? Strength Systems claims that they have 17 years of research under their belt regarding calf muscle enhancing and providing people like myself a sure way to gain on our vertical jumping abilities. Is it 17 years wasted? Well, yes and no. By my own estimation, I have increased a grand total of 2 inches in my vertical leap, still keeping me quite a distance from the rim. This is after training for approximately 3 months, averaging 20 minutes a day three times a week. Perhaps this time period was not long enough to get the results I was hoping. And then again, perhaps nothing, short of being picked up by the waist by Manute Bol will ever see me close to slam dunking the ball. In any case, my calf muscles are more well-defined thanks to these sneakers. One can assume that competitors with a similar product can have equal results. For $130, you may want to pass on these frontal platform shoes and just purchase a couple of pairs of high top Converses. By my estimation, they look classier and feel much more comfortable.
Higher jump? Yes. But do not expect a miracle. The chances are better that your friends will be picking up your rebound than they will be looking up at you amazed at your vertical leap. Instead of lining the pockets of Strength Systems Inc., perhaps you would be more interested in achieving a lifetime of happiness? If so, please send a dollar to Kevin Kreusch, P.O. Box…
