Killer heels, beware: FitFlop is bringing sexy back
A shoe — nay, a slipper — that makes our legs leaner and butts firmer, and feels like a dream to walk with. It’s hard not to raise an eyebrow when you hear about the promises of FitFlop, the wildly popular footwear brand that’s got “the gym built in.” (I guess that explains why they’re so chunky.) Not since Dorothy’s sparkling red shoes or Cinderella’s glass slippers have I heard of such fairytale footwear. Besides, I thought we ladies have always known the fastest way to looking sexy: high heels! Now that’s magic I can attest to. When you wear heels, not only do you look taller and thinner, your legs look longer and leaner, too! Your calves are shapelier. Your lower back arches, causing your chest to thrust forward and your badonkadonks to stick out attractively. The constant tiptoe stance even exercises your pelvic floor muscles, just like Kegel exercises. (If you don’t know what Kegel exercises are, I guess that means you don’t need to know them — or do them — quite yet.)
Yes, nothing makes me feel more fabulous than my sky-high heels, but after walking in them for an hour, my confident walk morphs into a slight limp. As I desperately try to find a place to rest my aching legs, stressed ankles, and throbbing feet, I find myself glancing enviously at my fellow ladies, comfortably padding along beside me in their FitFlops. I have to admit, there must be something to this FitFlop for us, especially since, despite the worldwide love for FitFlops, their first ever standalone store is here in Manila. It’s probably the combination of the tropical weather, our perpetual inclination to dress casually, but really, the confident claims, comfort and candy colors of their footwear have flipped fans from the tsinelas out there.
Let’s geek out about feet for a moment: When you walk and your foot strikes the ground, it absorbs a combination of your body weight coming down and the ground reaction force. That’s some serious pressure. What’s more, wearing poor footwear can direct your weight only towards certain parts of your foot. Obviously, this strains your poor feet, especially the parts receiving the constant pounding.
This is where FitFlop comes in. Its amazing Microwobbleboard technology combines three densities in the midsole of the slipper for different benefits. First, the toe part helps maintain your walking speed and pace. Then the midsection creates slight instability (this is where the “wobble” comes in, although you don’t literally wobble in the flipflops), activating your leg muscles to push off the ground harder, thus working them out. Finally, the heel part absorbs more shock than other footwear, relieving joint stress. Geek speak aside, all you need to know is that it recreates walking barefoot on the beach. Your feet constantly sinking into the soft sand feels wonderfully relaxing, yet you’re unknowingly putting more effort into each step. Walking in FitFlops feels just like that, especially since it’s made of plush-but-firm foam that feels glorious.
You have to admit, that sounds a lot better than teetering around in stilettos. They’re not called killer heels for nothing! In the long run, wearing heels can give you ankle injuries, foot deformities (from corns and calluses to bunions and hammertoes), trapped nerves, not to mention pain everywhere: balls of your feet, ankles, knees, hip joints. (You’re also more likely to trip and hurt your ego.)
In the recent launch for FitFlop’s latest collection, Filipino orthopedic Dr. Jojo Gaddi talked about the In-Shoe Pressure Mapping Analysis, a process which identifies how much pressure the feet endure by scanning the feet for “pressure hot spots,” reminiscent of infrared scans. He compared the pressure that feet experience from heels and FitFlops. While a gorgeous pair of black pumps put a lot of weight on just the balls and toes of the feet (the scans showed glowering red hot spots in that area — no wonder heels can be so painful!), FitFlops were able to distribute the weight of your body throughout the entire foot, thus sharing the load and decreasing the stress. The scans showed a much larger coverage of a cool blue. My feet, all-too familiar with my crazy “The more painful my feet are in these shoes, the more fabulous they look!” belief, yearned to feel that cool blue comfort. Even regular flipflops (which provide absolutely no arch support) can’t give me that.
The happy accident is that this revolutionary slipper has gone beyond being just a comfortable choice for people who want great legs. FitFlop has proven to relieve pain from people who suffer from plantar fascilitis, chronic back pain, restless leg syndrome, scoliosis, and osteoarthritis. Who knew all this goodness and pain relief could come from a slipper that just wanted to give us gorgeous gams?
Best of all, FitFlop offers a great selection of pieces that can go from day to night. Aside from slippers, FitFlop has come out with more choices, from sandals to boots to sneakers, all equipped with the Microwobbleboard. They’ve had collaborations with Anna Sui, Swarovski and Liberty for gorgeous limited-edition pairs in the past, and for the latest collection, their lovely new designs include the glittery Electra Strata, crystal-embedded Rokkit, adjustable and classic Hooper, and oh-my-God-I-can’t-tell-that-this-sneaker-is-actually-a-FitFlop all-leather FF Supertone. Guys and children also get the unbeatable comfort of FitFlop with their own selection of FitFlop footwear. Bonus for guys who want to be taller: the Microwobbleboard adds a bit of heel height as well. Yet another happy accident!
While it’s unlikely that I’ll ever give up my heels, the thought of osteoarthritis, bony growths, and especially a doctor telling me I can never wear heels again is scary enough to make me take them off from time to time. Besides, who wants to be in heels for trips packed with walking tours, days with endless errands, or even just the daily travel from the parking lot to the desk? I know my feet would love the comfort of FitFlops. The fact that I’m toning my legs and bringing sexy back will be a bonus.
