I have seen these new shoes that look like normal flip flops, called “Fit Flops” on display over about the past year and a half at several department stores, and often wondered if they actually do anything besides make walking perhaps a bit harder, like tone the butt or thighs or lower legs any better than just walking in regular shoes, or flip flops for that matter. They have gained popularity though, and certainly a dedicated following in some circles, which is usually a giveaway that something works, at least for some people.

Fit Flops are sold at only a few select locations, and unfortunately they are not the cutest looking sandal/shoe, so be prepared to wear something that may not be your perfect ideal of what you usually wear on your feet in terms of looks, however they are supposedly very functional and comfortable to walk in.

A friend of mine bought a knockoff of fitflops, but hers were more targeted toward reducing cellulite, which I kind of thought was a little hard to swallow, especially considering that usually cellulite only responds to direct contact with the skin and deep tissue massages or something that otherwise can get in there and manipulate the lumps and bumps under the skin so that they can be smoothed out.

However, she told me that a couple rounds with these on the treadmill and she definitely noticed that she was feeling it more in her legs and butt, so I thought they might be doing something good in terms of toning. The ones she bought though, were very high, and actually made it so you were almost walking on uneven stilts, which I couldn’t help but wonder could this be good for you back and posture?

However, the Fit Flops are supposed to be good for posture and also help to strengthen the feet, with what they call a wabble board technology, which just makes it a bit hard for you to keep your balance when you’re walking in them. This theory is a bit like the running in sand theory, and that is that if you run on a sandy beach rahter than a flat and even surface, you are getting much more workout for your time, because your feet and legs are constantly working to keep straight and balanced.

Overall, I’d say Fit Flops probably do a little extra toning, but they probably will not do so significantly, since by my knowledge they would really more so work the feet and calves, not the butt and thighs as so many of us women want to get rid of.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 28th, 2008 at 3:17 pm and is filed under Fitness Accessories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.