Fitflop is this summer's must-have footwear

Liz Hoggard
03.08.09

A chunky orthopaedic flip-flop may seem an unlikely contender for the “It” shoe of the year.

But, launched exclusively today at Liberty, the new Obi FitFlop, £65, with the classic Liberty Caesar print, already has a waiting list of fashionistas who have worked themselves into a frenzy of anticipation.

Because this is “wellness” footwear with a difference. Forget clackety Dr Scholls. Or MBTs which give you devil's feet. Fitflops are seriously cool. Fans include Julianne Moore and Oprah Winfrey, Hilary Swank, Heidi Klum and Jessica Biel.

When the shoe — the result of a collaboration between Marcia Kilgore, the woman behind the Bliss spa brand, and Dr David Cook, a boffin in biomechanics at London's South Bank University — first launched in London in 2007, 18,000 pairs were sold in three days.

Admittedly the first FitFlops weren't very aesthetic in black and the iconic red. But Kilgore knew they also had fashion potential. Last year she brought in the glittery Electras and set up an exclusive partnership with New York boutique Kirna Zabete and Net-a-Porter to create the limited-edition “Aurelia”, £90, which channelled the Roman sandal-style trend.

This year is just as bonkers. Across London women are desperately trying to track down stray pairs left from summer 2009's mainline collection. You'd sell your own mother.

The limited edition Walkstar in Tokyo Purple, £36, is completely sold out. All the Electras, £45, have gone. Ditto the limited edition black and white WalkStar lll Jelly (chic in a Chanel kind of way) that features a street plan of a major city on its sole.

Over at John Lewis, sales of Fitflops have risen 217 per cent on last year. “They've become a fashion must-have rather than just a fitness-oriented product,” says Robert Hennessy, buyer of sports clothing and footwear. “It's a shoe time-pressed Londoners can so easily build into their exercise regime. Marcia is a talented cookie and she really understands women.”

The inspiration for the FitFlop — the shoe with “built-in gym” — came when Kilgore was sitting in a boring meeting about cellulite and started daydreaming about what might really work. “I never have the time to go to the gym,” she explains, “so I thought, wouldn't it be great if you could get an MBT sort of flip-flop that you could wear in the summer, that exercises your legs while you walk to the office?”

It took two years to develop the shoes with leading scientists before Kilgore launched her brand with the style “Walkstar”, available in two colours, at £36.

The shoe's USP is a patent-pending sole made of multi-density material that mimics barefoot walking. This “wobble board” effect claims to challenge the foot more than ordinary trainers and creates extra tension in the leg and bottom muscles, causing them to work harder. This year Kilgore introduced a sandal style for people who hate toe posts.

Although they were originally launched as a vanity shoe, Kilgore has received thank-you letters from sufferers with degenerative spine disease and chronic back pain, thrilled they can finally wear stylish shoes. Jade Johnson, the Olympic long jumper who suffers from a painful foot condition, found she gained the same benefit from wearing them as the exercises recommended by her physiotherapist.

Today there are more than 300 stockists across the UK, including Sweaty Betty, Harvey Nichols, John Lewis, and health website www.victoriahealth.com.

“Our customers go absolutely crazy,” says Gill Sinclair of www.victoriahealth.com. “People collect them. It's like a religion.” Such is her brand loyalty, Sinclair has even had a FitFlop named after her, a Walkstar Snake III called “The Gill”.

I currently have four pairs. Though I was late to the craze. Back in 1997, when my coolest friend took me shopping for white Birkenstocks, I thought: “Why is she buying nurse's shoes?” I held out against FitFlops for the same reason. But when I saw the glittery Electras, I was lost.

And now I have a new crush. For those of us who can't look at Manolos or Louboutins without wincing, there's the Obi, which combines a robust platform sole with delicate feminine print. “The reason we chose the Caesar is it is so iconic yet fun and summery,” says Gina Cowey, beauty buyer for Liberty. “It brings a playful element.”

Usually summer footwear makes me weep. But even non-Cinderella types get to go the ball this year.

You can pre-order the Obi from today by visiting www.liberty.co.uk/fitflop or call 020 7734 1234 ext 2301.

Other wellness shoes

MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) trainers were invented by Swiss engineer Karl Muller, who discovered that the barefoot-walking African Masai tribe has few postural or back problems. Their unique curved sole promotes instability and encourages a rolling front-to-back action.
From £135, mb-uk.com.
Crocs, the welly/clog fusion that was originally designed as boatwear. Fans swear that the brightly coloured, rubbery, waterproof clogs are not only comfortable but also exceptionally good for the feet. Some models have an anti-bacterial lining to prevent fungal infections.
£12-28, crocsfootwear.co.uk.
Birkenstocks are the original walking flip-flops and sandals. Their cupped sole offers some support so that the toes are not “clawing” as much as they do with ordinary flip-flops.
£34-165, birkenstock.co.uk.

Fitflops facts
Nearly three million pairs sold globally since the launch in June 2007. Just over 800,000 pairs of FitFlops have been sold to retailers in the UK.

How they actually work
By slightly destabilising the foot, they make you step more naturally and activate the slow-twitch muscle fibres in the legs (fat-burners).