Don't get excited by the hype... but buy some anyway. (FitFlops)

Member Name: louiseypees

Product:	FitFlops
Date:	11/08/09 (459 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The most comfortable shoes in the world ever

Disadvantages: No idea if they're toning me up - I'm not a size 6 yet

Now, considering I work in marketing, you'd think maybe I'd be wise to marketing people's evil ways of making people part with their money, and so have some kind of immunity to falling for hype. Alas, this is not the case. I seem to fall for a big hype-up even more than ever - and I've always been a bit of a bandwagon-jumper when it comes to "must-have" new items.

It's not surprising then that last year I parted with £33 of my hard earned money to get myself a pair of fit flops. Hailed as the next big thing for no-effort exercising, I decided my life wouldn't quite be complete without them. Visualising my future toned thighs and bottom, I waited with baited breath for the boots.com delivery.

Fit flops claim to help tone your legs and bum by way of their "micro-wobbleboard" technology. Basically, the sole of the fit flop is made up of three sections - a big squashy deep section under the heel, a harder slightly upturned section by the toe to help you take your steps quicker, and a "micro-wobbleboard" in the middle, which aims to slightly de-stabilise you so that the muscles in your legs and your bum have to work a bit harder to keep you upright and walking.

It sounded like a slightly strange concept to me, but one visit to the Fit Flops website showed me that there was some science stuff behind it and people who were far cleverer than me had said they definitely worked. What I found really interesting on the website was that there were thousands of testimonials - not from people who had lost inches on their thighs, but from people who had found that Fit Flops had relieved them from foot or leg pain they'd been suffering from for years and years. People who had always had to wear orthotics in their shoes, people with fallen arches, heel spurs, dodgy knees, arthritic hips, other foot and leg ailments I'd never even heard of were hailing the Fit Flop as some form of miracle.

So what's my experience of the miraculous Fit Flop?

Well, to be honest, I haven't noticed a huge amount of difference in how toned my legs and bum are. Having said that, living in them on a recent two-week holiday did see my trousers becoming noticeably looser despite the massive amounts of tapas I was getting through daily. This could have just happened because I was walking much further than I usually did I suppose.

Muscle toning or no muscle toning though, I can't get enough of my Fit Flops! Even in trainers, I have always had problems with my feet and legs - I've dislocated my knees in the past, and they often just hurt for no reason. I also never managed a full day's shopping without coming home with tired sore feet. Now I could (and do) walk all day. My arches no longer fall, my knees no longer hurt, I don't get any pain in my heels or cramp in my toes (yes, I apparently have the lower body of an 86 year old woman). I am just comfortable. A day in other shoes is not pleasant - I wore some the other day and by that evening I was in pain walking to the bathroom.

I didn't even think I had problem feet and legs until I started wearing Fit Flops - I'd got to the point where I didn't notice that I was usually in some discomfort, even if it was just tired feet after a day's shopping. Now I find it tough to deal with even the slightest bit of discomfort because I know how much better I'd feel in my trusty Fit Flops!

So in summary - they're great, buy some. They may or may not tone you up and give you a supermodel bum. They will be the most comfortable shoes you'll ever take on a summer holiday. I just need some winter ones now!

Summary: Amazing - get some.