Could these shaky shoes help hikers with Parkinson’s?

I tried on some vibrating shoes, and I can see why there’s growing interest in them in the Parkinson’s world.

It made me think, what if this shaking footwear gave people with gait problems the ability to walk on a neighborhood path or even a smooth hiking trail?

What a thrill that would be for those who love being outdoors!

Two blue shoes with Velcro straps are shown by wearer.

The Swiss-made vibrational shoe, called NUSHU X, is being tested at a handful of sites in the U.S. It appears to be effective for some people against freezing, stutter steps and slow movement, all of which keep many with Parkinson’s from going out in public.

Innovative, but are the shoes a breakthrough?

Perhaps not quite yet. Vibration therapy has been around for decades, and studies continue to show mixed results for relief from movement disorders. There are chairs that vibrate, gloves that vibrate, and devices that vibrate the whole body. Now shoes are in the mix.

(Gotta love how hope continues to fuel Parkinson’s research.)

I was invited to check out the shoes at InspirFit in Willowbrook, Illinois, a gym I once visited for its excellent Rock Steady Boxing program.

A woman in a sweatshirt holds a blue shoe and prepares to pull the Velcro strap

Co-owner Nancy Timko, above, said she reached out to Magnes, developer of the shoe, about becoming a Midwest test site for the shoes.

“We care about our people enough to stay on top of what the latest and greatest is out there in technology,” Nancy told me. “These shoes looked super cool.”

She said the shoes are equipped to collect data on the wearer’s gait and share it electronically with their medical team.

Since May, dozens of people have visited InspirFit to try the shoes — some driving three hours or more.

A brown brick building has a sign that says InspirFit on it.

In addition to those with movement disorders, the shaky shoes have been shown to help stroke victims and patients with cerebral palsy.

So how does the shoe improve gait?

It uses “proprioception,” which is knowing where your body parts are and how they are moving. Receptors in your muscles and joints send signals to the brain that are vital for coordination and balance.

Several blue shoes are stacked in a shoe holder.

For my “test drive,” I slipped the shoes on in a size that fit me the closest.

They come in one style and one color (blue) and look like typical sneakers.

The vibrations send feedback that can assist patients who have trouble walking by providing a rhythm to follow.

A woman walks slowly with blue shoes on as if she's testing them.

A woman smiles as she walks slowly with blue shoes on as if she's testing them.

Nancy used an iPhone to start “metronome mode,” which put out a vibration in a steady rhythm from the sole of the shoe.

As someone with very ticklish feet, I was relieved that the vibrations were more soothing than uncontrolled laughter-producing!

Because I have a tremor-predominant Parkinson’s — and my gait is still pretty steady — to be honest I didn’t see a difference in the way I walked when wearing them. But the shoe is designed more for those with “postural instability and gait disorder” and who are at risk for falls. There are plenty of positive testimonials on YouTube from people with this type of Parkinson’s.

Still, some people have reported relief from foot and leg tremors when wearing them, Nancy said.

If you’re curious about the bottom line, I’ll give it to you. Brace yourself . . . the shoes start at $1,845. They can be purchased here.

If it can make former hikers who have Parkinson’s disease into rejuvenated hikers, I’m all for the NUSHU X (and any health insurers who decide to cover it). Where exercise is more likely to happen, so is relief from symptoms.

(Note: I get no compensation for this post. Just letting people know what’s out there.)