Toning shoes are great insofar as they let you tone your lower body just by walking around as normal. FitFlops are especially good as they don’t look anything like fitness footwear. You can wear them with outfits where exercise type shoes just wouldn’t work. Since you wear them more often, you get better value for money – and you get more toning benefit into the bargain!

But although busy women are definitely the target audience for FitFlops, there’s no reason why the girls should have all the fun is there? FitFlops have an increasing range of men’s shoes available which will help to trim and tone the guys just as effectively as they get the ladies into shape. They also have the added benefit of being wonderfully comfortable to wear and to walk in thanks to the pressure diffusing sole which reduces the average pressure exerted on the sole of the foot.

Another big plus for the guys is the fact that, not only do FitFlops look nothing like exercise shoes, but the toning sole is very discreet and unobtrusive. Nobody will have any idea that you are sporting a pair of toning shoes and getting a lower body toning workout with every step that you take.

FitFlop Kooper

For example, have a look at the FitFlop Kooper for men. These come in black leather, chocolate leather, fox brown suede and hunter green suede.

As you can see, they look just like a smart/casual sneaker, maybe with a slight hint of a boat shoe. They certainly wouldn’t look out of place in many modern offices.

They include the now famous FitFlop’s “microwobbleboard” sole – but you would never think that to look at them would you? The sole has been very well disguised and nobody would have any idea that you were walking about in a pair of toning shoes.

FitFlop Chukker Boot

Just a little more casual, but every bit as stylish, the FitFlop men’s Chukker boots come in chocolate leather, black leather or amber gold suede.

Once again, you would never notice the toning sole, it’s been cleverly incorporated into the design so that nobody will know that you’re wearing toning shoes (unless you decide to tell them of course).

Whilst the Chukker boot may be a little more casual, it would certainly be quite suitable for many working environments these days. At the risk of stating the obvious, these would also look great with a pair of blue jeans for casual wear.

FitFlop SuperTone Casual Sneaker For Men

A little more casual yet, the FitFlop SuperTone sneakers will look great with jeans or a pair of Chinos.

They come in sergeant green, amber gold sand dune and black and you may choose from leather or suede according to your taste.

As you can see, there’s no clumsy rocker bottomed toning sole to give the game away – but you will still get the full toning benefits and enjoy the comfort of the pressure reducing sole.

FitFlop Men’s Gogh Casual Slide

Finally, we couldn’t really discuss FitFlops without including some of the famous sandals. The Gogh Casual Slide sandal comes in Sergeant, Drak Chocolate and Tan Fox. These are ideal for anyone who doesn’t like a toe-post type sandal.

Of course, the Gogh is just one of a range of FitFlops sandals available for men. Pick the style that suits you best.

The toning sole may be just a little more obvious with the sandals – but it still isn’t too “in your face”. It just looks like a thick, comfortable sole – which is exactly what it is, but it has the benefits of delivering a toning workout as you walk.

FitFlops For Men

These are just a small selection of the FitFlops available for men. Needless to say, the ladies have got more choice than the guys – but the selection of FitFlops for men is growing all the time and there are plenty to choose from. Sandals, slippers, clogs, sneakers, boots and shoes are all available on Amazon – with free delivery.

Check out FitFlops for men on Amazon.

They’re fun and funky – inspired by the aviator jacket fashion. You’ll look great in these!

They have the same specially designed “microwobbleboard”  rubber sole as all of the shoes in the FitFlop range. This will provide extra support and reduce the average pressure across the sole of your foot. You’ll be amazed at how comfy and cozy they are.

The specially shaped sole will also help to increase muscle activity when you walk.

A super soft shearling inner lining not only looks great, but adds to the comfort.

The upper is of distressed leather, with a leather cuff and double adjustable buckle for the perfect fit. Comes in Chocolate and black.

Check out the new FitFlop Byker boots on Amazon.

2011 has been a bit of a torrid time for toning shoes in general. After bucking the downward trend in the footwear market and seeing skyrocketing sales, toning shoes came in for more than a bit of bad press during the course of 2011.

First a waitress sued Skechers claiming that prolonged use of their ShapeUps toning shoes had caused her injury.

Then Skechers got into even more hot water as a result of a badly misjudged advertising campaign when they introduced their ShapeUps range for school age girls.

Finally, the FTC found that Reebok EasyTone advertising was misleading and ordered the company to make up to $ 25 million available to compensate customers who were dissatisfied with the results achieved as a result of wearing their EasyTones.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should use whatever fitness footwear, be they toning shoes or not, to supplement and enhance your fitness regime rather than expecting them to be some kind of magic pill. It’s also worth pointing out that, despite the above, there are plenty of women who would be extremely upset were you to try and separate them from their ShapeUps or EasyTones.

The FitFlop Factor

So far, there’s been no problem with FitFlops, neither with their advertising or their claims. The reason for this is very simple, they are much more of a fashion statement than other toning shoes. They are also, according to their wearers, extremely comfortable to wear and to walk in. Many FitFlop owners seem to view the toning as a nice bonus rather than the primary reason for treating themselves to a pair of FitFlops (although it should be noted that many wearers do report good toning results).

FitFlop Fashion

Have a look at the new FitFlop Women’s Superblizz Winter Boots below:

They come in black, chocolate and maple, as shown – and there’s not much doubt that they make a real fashion statement. We think that they look great, although they may not be to everyone’s taste. However, there’s certainly no need to be boring and utilitarian with your choice of footwear when the ice and snow arrives.

The Superblizz snowboot has layers of super-soft shearling, facings of lacings, a water-resistant membrane, natural leather double height foxing and super-tread grips on the rubber sole to make sure that you keep your footing when it’s snowy or icy underfoot.

And, if the extensive testing carried out at the UK’s London South Bank University is to be believed, you may get some toning benefits into the bargain.

FitFlop For Comfort

Another benefit of the specially designed FitFlop “microwobbleboard” sole, is the fact that it provides additional support for the wearer’s foot – especially in the area of the arch of the foot. This has the effect of increasing the contact area between the sole of the wearer’s foot and the sole of the shoe – which reduces the average pressure on the sole of your foot.

That’s why you will often hear FitFlop wearers telling you about how amazingly comfortable their FitFlops are. It’s also why many FitFlop owners wind up treating themselves to more than one pair. Be warned, FitFlops can become addictive!

FitFlop For Winter

So, if you’re in the market for a new pair of winter boots, and who isn’t right now, think about treating yourself to a pair of FitFlop Superblizz boots. They look great, they are astonishingly comfortable, and the might just help you to tone up a little.

Check out these super shiny FitFlop Rock Chic sandals. They are in strictly limited supply – but since they cost $ 250, it might be a while before they sell out.

They are covered in Swarovski crystals – hence the price tag. If you love FitFlops and want to be the only one to have a pair of these – and you don’t have anything else that you would rather spend $ 250 on – then put your best foot forward and grab a pair.

On the other hand, if you like the shiny look, but think that $ 250 is a bit steep, you could have a look at the Rokkit sandals below. These come in Black Diamond, silver Nova and Bronze Ore.

These have rhinestones instead of Swarovski crystals – so the price is a little more sensible, somewhere between $ 75 and $ 100 depending upon size, color and availability. They still look great though.

Alternatively, you could have a look at the other FitFlop sandals in the range. There’s no shortage of different styles and colors to choose from, so there’s bound to be something that you like.

Another feature about FitFlops is that, unlike many other toning shoes, they don’t look anything like exercise footwear. They are bright, colorful and fashionable – which means that you will be able to wear them in situations where exercise footwear just wouldn’t work. you will get more value for money – and you will get more toning benefits into the bargain. Therefore, you might not be too surprised if a FitFlop wearer was to tell you that they bought their FitFlops because they look great (they do).

However, the first thing that many FitFlop wearers will tell you about is how incredibly comfortable they find their shoes. Not the toning effects, not the fashionable good looks – the comfort. In fact, for a lot of people, the comfort seems to be the number one benefit, with toning and appearance almost being considered as nice additional bonuses.

It’s more than just an interesting snippet of information. If your toning shoes are extremely comfortable, and good looking into the bargain, you will tend to wear them more often and derive more benefit from them as a result.

It’s all thanks to FitFlop’s specially designed “microwobbleboard” sole. This provides increased support for your feet, especially in the area of the arch. The contact area between the sole of the foot and the sole of the shoe is increased, and this reduces the average pressure which your body’s weight exerts on your feet.

The pressure map below shows how ordinary “comfort” shoes (on the left) compare with FitFlops (on the right). Blue areas represent low pressure, red represents high pressure.

The above chart is the result of a pressure distribution study conducted at Salford University in the UK which looked at the pressure distribution in the feet of 20 different individuals when wearing standard flat shoes and FitFlops. The study concluded that there was an 8% increase in contact area between the sole of the foot and the shoe when wearing FitFlops and that this led to an average pressure reduction of 25%.

Which is very scientific of course, but if all you’re interested is in finding out just how comfortable FitFlops are to wear, then talking to some FitFlops owners is a good idea. Don’t be at all surprised to learn that many people own more than one pair as a result of how comfy they are to wear and to walk in.

If you don’t have the chance to speak to someone who already has a pair then there is some useful user feedback in the video below:

It’s a further testament to the comfort of FitFlops that, responding to customer demand, FitFlop recently released their Gogh Pro clog – available in black and white – specifically aimed at hospital workers and others who spend a long time on their feet each day.

A healthy diet, combined with regular exercise, is the best, and most effective way to get into shape and stay in good health. However, it’s only human nature to look for shortcuts – and, in a way, it’s hardly surprising when you consider how time starved many people are nowadays.

So, the appearance of “toning shoes”, which claim to help you to tone and trim your legs and bottom just by wearing them as you walk about during the course of your daily routine, will be very welcome news for a lot of people. It’s a tantalising prospect – but how do they work? For that matter, do they work?

There’s a variety of different styles and brands of toning shoes. However, most of the major toning shoe brands seem to use a special design of sole. The design of the sole varies from one brand to another, but most of them seem to operate on the principle of generating a small element of instability in the walking process. The muscles in the lower body respond by trying to re-establish the body’s natural equilibrium. This results in the muscles working a little more than they would usually do – which is how the toning effect is achieved. Some toning shoes also claim to modify gait and/or posture – but it’s the generation of instability which seems to be the important factor.

Different styles of Toning Shoes

Skechers Shape Ups are the current toning shoe market leaders. They have a thick, chunky, rocker type sole with a kinetic insert. This replicates the mechanics of walking barefoot across soft sand and promotes a gentle rolling motion as well as introducing the required imbalance.

Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) Shoes also use a curved sole which is similar to the Skechers approach. Karl Muller, a Swiss engineer, came up with the concept of MBT shoes after he noticed that his back pain, a recurring problem for him, was considerably better than normal whilst walking barefoot across a Korean rice field. After some further research, he discovered that Masai tribesmen of Africa, who mainly walk barefoot, are well-known for their excellent posture and, unlike Americans and Europeans, almost never suffer from lower back pain. He went on to develop MBTs, mainly to help alleviate back pain, but the toning benefits are now also being recognised.

Reebok EasyTones have a significantly different design. Easytone soles incorporate special air pads – known as balance pods – which generate the desired instability. Considering that the EasyTones sole system was designed by an ex-NASA engineer, it seems safe to assume that the science behind the balance pod system is fairly sound. They are turning out to be extremely popular and are currently in second place in the toning shoe market irrespective of their relatively late appearance.

FitFlops are slightly different, they could even be considered to be the joker in the toning shoes pack. They are certainly very colorful, fun and fashionable! FitFlops originated in the UK as a range of flip flop type sandals with a specially designed sole which uses different densities of material in different areas. This creates a “microwobbleboard” effect which generates the necessary small imbalances during walking. Clogs, sneakers, slippers and boots were later added to the FitFlop range in response to customer demand.

One of the key differences between FitFlops and many other toning shoes, is the fact that FitFlops don’t look anything like fitness footwear – and that means that they can be worn in settings where athletic style shoes might be unsuitable. FitFlop wearers can therefore wear them more often and get excellent value for money using their funky toning shoes. It’s worth noting that FitFlops are also known for their comfort. The design of the special microwobbleboard sole provides increased support and maximizes the contact area between the sole of the foot and the insole of the shoe, reducing the average pressure and making FitFlops very comfy to wear.

Do Toning Shoes Work?

The various footwear manufacturers have carried out different tests and trials to verify the effectiveness of their products. There is also a host of user feedback from satisfied customers happy to testify that toning shoes are the real deal. However, it goes without saying that there are some – including the American Council for Exercise (ACE) – who doubt these results and claim that toning shoes don’t work.

Nevertheless, toning shoes are becoming ever more popular and are a big hit with their target audience – time starved professional women and soccer moms, who want to stay in shape but struggle to fit visits to the gym into their schedule or their budget. Even if toning shoes meet all the claims made for them, they shouldn’t be considered to be a substitute for regular exercise and a healthy, balanced diet. However, they could very well prove to be a useful way of boosting the effectiveness of an existing exercise routine – and, if they encourage people to walk a little more often than normal, then that’s a good result in itself.

FitFlop Gogh Slide

The Gogh slide is ideal for anyone who wants the freedom of a sandal but who doesn’t especially like a toe-post type sandal. It’s available for both men and women and has a leather upper along with the usual FitFlop “microwobbleboard” sole.

The women’s styles are available in Toffee Tan (shown left), Henry Green, Honey Gold and Raspberry.

Men’s styles come in Sergeant (olive green), charcoal, Tan Fox and Dark Chocolate.

FitFlop Electra Strata

The Electra sandal is already one of the most popular of the numerous flip flop type sandals in the FitFlops range. And no wonder, it’s bright, colorful and fun and can be worn with a variety of different outfits.

The new Electra Strata looks all set to be a popular choice this spring.

It comes in Tiger Eye (left), Palladium and Black Magic.

FitFlop Hooper Sandal

The first adjustable toe-post type sandal to be made available in the FitFlop range, the Hooper sandal has a super smooth leather upper which looks great with the large, bold buckle.

It’s a great look. The Hooper comes in Black, Buff (shown) and Toffee Tan.

FitFlop Gogh Leather Clog

Gogh clogs are always popular. They’re fun and funky and now the range is being extended with the addition of the Gogh leather clog.

These are available in Honey Gold (above), Henry Green, Raspberry and Toffee Tan.

FitFlop Positano Sandals

Another good choice if you prefer sandals without a toe-post. The Positano has wonderfully soft leather uppers and an adjustable heel strap.

They’re available in Toffee Tan, black (shown right), mediterranean and half-naked.