Not only are Victoria's Secret FitFlops not likely to pump up your fitness level, they're actually prone to throwing you off your stride, causing pain in your lower legs and feet. This, according to a study released last week and presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis, comes after experts observed 39 college-age men and women walking on a special platform wearing flip-flops and then walking across the same platform wearing athletic shoes. The platform measured stride length and vertical force.

The bottom line: Flip-flops, unlike sneakers, cause shorter strides and require heels to hit the ground with less vertical force. This altered gait explains some lower leg and foot problems in people who often sport flip-flops, like college students.

If you're worried about pain in your own legs or feet, take this common-sense advice: Limit the use of flip-flops. Replace them every three to four months too, just like you'd do with athletic shoes. And perhaps rethink your trip to Victoria's Secret for those Fit, and albeit very cute, Flops.

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Earlier this summer, Jonathon wrote about a popular post about FitFlops, sandals that (allegedly) give your legs and butt a workout while you walk. Whether FitFlops work or not, I can't say, but over at Styledash they're writing about another kind of better-butt footwear -- the Earth shoe.

Earth shoes were inspired by the standing mountain yoga pose and have what's called a "negative heel." What that means is that the ball of your foot sits higher than your heel, directly the opposite of almost every kind of shoe out there (including those stilettos). The effect is similar to walking uphill, and we all know what hillwalking can do for our thighs and glutes!

I've got to admit that I'm sorely tempted to look for a pair of Earth shoes. They look comfortable and like something I could wear with my typical uniform of t-shirt and jeans. Have you tried them? Tell us how they work!

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