Ah, the endless battle of working out. Part of the struggle is forcing yourself to head to the gym. It’s crowded, we’re lazy, the excuses are endless. But alas, there’s a new fitness product on the market is aimed at us who want to be fit but avoid the gym.
Meet FitFlop. A sandal that works out your legs while you walk, it’s created with expert technology that literally tones your leg, calf and glut areas just by walking. The sandals also claim to improve posture (good-bye middle school scoliosis), develop muscle tone, as well as relieve pain from plantar fasciitis, chronic back pain and heel spurs among other benefits. The shoe also helps imitate the natural act of walking barefoot, though with more muscle load.
With hundreds of testimonials on the company website, as well as the widespread availability of the sandal (available online at Amazon, Piperlime, Macy’s, the list goes on and on), it seems that footwear is becoming as multi-functional as cell phones. Offered in both men's and women's sizes, the shoe ranges from $30-$150. Brands such as K-Mart and Reebok, who introduced its Easytone sneaker this past year, are jumping aboard the shoe fitness craze as well.
Our main qualm is the styling. It’s more flop than flip. More specifically, the sandal won’t add to your shoe wardrobe.They’re made in hundreds of colors, with embellishments galore, but the trend status is nothing to put in Vogue about. They’re walking sandals, and ultimately, that’s what they resemble (think Birkenstock, Mephisto).
The company did, however, recently branch out and create FitFlop boot style, including a limited edition Anna Sui version, available on Net-A-Porter. This make us think there’s plenty of potential for creating great legs in every type of shoe.
What do you think... are these the shoes of the future? Or are they just a flop?
