I was thrilled to get the chance to review the Fitflop, a summer sandal with a gym built in, developed by boffins at South Bank University.
This is a shoe with a lot of claims: -

• by simply walking in them I could tone my leg muscles and calves, 
• improve my posture, and
• even clear up cellulite

It all sounded a bit too good to be true, but still I couldnʼt wait to slip them on and see if my lower body would miraculously transform itself into that of an Amazonian goddess.
Style-wise, these sandal have a stylishly sporty look, with a chunky sole and my pair had a black glittery thong that could easily be worn in the evening as well as the day. For sports shoes they were surprisingly easy on the eye and a cut above the clunky look of MBT footwear that offers similar toning benefits.

The first thing I noticed is that they are comfortable and so light weight they make you feel like you're walking on air with a ever so slight rocking motion. Size wise I think they might come up a little large, as my toe started to rub a little on the thong, so probably a shoe best to try on in a shop before you buy.
After just a couple of days wearing them I could definitely feel something going on. Iʼm not sure if I could tell exactly which muscles were being worked, but the back side of my legs and my lower back felt a light gym work out style ache. This continued over the next week of using them and although I couldnʼt yet notice any obvious visual signs of toning, something was definitely going on, my posture definitely felt improved and my feet were very comfortable.

Iʼm not sure the fitflop offers a complete alternative to the gym, or will make your pins look like Maria Sharapovaʼs just by walking around in them. But they certainly provide a least a little light work out and offer comfort and sporty stylishness to boot. I'm looking forward to wearing them for the rest of summer.

RRP: £49.95, available online from www.fitnessfootwear.com.