Work Out While You Walk?

Imagine a shoe that could increase leg, calf and gluteal muscle activity, improve your posture, mimic the gait of barefoot walking but with more muscle load and improve muscle tone. If you think it sounds crazy, then get yourself to your nearest department store and check out FitFlops.

I was walking through my local Macy's looking for a new pair of fall boots (perhaps a little prematurely, but boot season is almost here) when I stumbled upon these biomechanically engineered “flip flops with a built-in gym.” The science behind the shoe basically boils down to the fact that the design of the shoe sole activates slow-twitch (fat-burning) muscles in the legs for a longer period of time, thus burning more fat.

In addition to making it easier for people to stay in shape, the company touts reduced lower back pain as a major benefit of the wellness-promoting shoes. First launched in London in 2007, these chunky sandals have been making huge waves here in the U.S. this spring and summer with celebrity fans including Jessica Biel, Oprah and Heidi Klum. They come in a variety of brights, pastels and metallics to suit your footwear fancy and start at about $45—not a bad price to pay for a virtually effortless leg workout.