The new craze in womens fashion wear is the Fitflop, a flip-flop with a twist. The shoe, designed and sold by Brandhandling, is marketed with the slogan “It’s a flip flop with a ‘gym’ built-in”. The idea is that wearing the Fit Flop will give you longer leaner legs by increasing the work your muscles do during walking. The shoe adjusts the platform during midstride causing the wearer to use different muscles with every step.
Very intriguing idea but I doubt very seriously if it is going to give you “longer” legs. The increased energy used “might” burn off the equivilant of a small cheesburger if you wear them all day while walking around the mall or at work but I would imagine that fidgeting while watching a movie would do just as much. However, people are definately going to be willing to spend $40 on these things just in case they do turn you into the next top model.
The downside to these things are that they could do more damage than good. Having a stable platform while walking is vital to avoid injury. The shoe industry has always tried to come up with gimmics to sell shoes. These may be just another in a long line of scams. The scientific studies done on the shoes so far are anemic at best. A total of 13 people have been tested in two seperate studies spanning a few weeks. The tests need to be broader and longer, as well as being done by an unbiased group, not the shoes creator David Cook. Both tests done were funded by the Brandhandling company.
Marcia Kilgore, the founder of Brandhandling is known more for her marketing skills than for her health knowledge. The shoes are in way more demand than they can manufacture right now. The Fit Flop website has a link to where you can buy the fit flop. But let’s not slight her and the company. If these shoes can remove a cheesburger a day from womens thighs, I am all for it. Heck, it will make buying Christmas presents a heck of a lot easier this year.