Fresh and fun finds at FitFlop

“Fresh and fun finds at FitFlop”

Sun.Star Davao, March 26, 2011

When it comes to your footwear of choice, do you prioritize comfort or style?

I know of fashionista friends who would sacrifice wearing killer heels or ill-fitting shoes just because they go absolutely well with their posh outfits. Never mind the blisters and bunions!

I, on the other hand, wear my everyday shoes primarily because of comfort and functionality. Ballet flats and sandals are my top picks when doing errands or ‘chillaxin’ with friends and family.

Now, you don’t have to choose between comfort and style because FitFlop, the world’s award-winning functional footwear brand, superbly combined both key elements as it recently unveiled its Spring/Summer 2011 Collection at Chimes Specialty Store in Davao.

Fresh and fun finds at FitFlop

Melody Nubla, FitFlop’s pretty and charming brand manager, excitedly shares that, aside from the “richer, playful combination of yummy pastels, neutral hues and eye-catching details, there are styles with floral and wood-inspired patterns” that are included in the SS 2011 collection.

This early, Melody predicts that the “blossoming elegance of Floretta will be a definite hit together with Electra Strata which features a glimmering combination of triple-tonal stacks of shimmering sequins and the all-leather FF Supertone sneakers”.

At the launch, the season’s fashionable footwear must-haves were creatively displayed amidst lush foliage that made me say to myself, “Everything’s coming up FitFlops!” Taking the spotlight were refreshing variations of FitFlop’s classic Walkstar I; the comfort junkies’ ultimate choice, Oasis II; Walkstar III; the resin-embellished Pietra; the match-all versatile sandal Positano; toe-thong Hooper; and the crystal-embedded Rokkit.

Workout while you walk

The SS 2011 Collection boasts of the same groundbreaking Microwobbleboard midsole technology that gives wearers effective and effortless workout while they walk. The innovative process “helps increase leg and bottom muscle activity (up to 30%) making you feel less ache in your hips and knees; absorbs more shock than a normal shoe (up to 22%); realigns ground force reaction closer to your joints; and reduces foot pressure”.

In addition, this technology provides wearers physical benefits that include “improved body posture and relief from various bodily strains such as plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, chronic back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis, RLS (restless leg syndrome), scoliosis and degenerative disc disease”.

To demonstrate the advantages of FitFlop’s Microwobbleboard technology, Melody and her Manila-based team conducted an In-Shoe Pressure Mapping Analysis at the store. They put electronic insoles in my shoes and asked me to walk around Chimes in my ballet flats. After a few minutes, they attached the contraption to the computer for analysis and showed the results to me.

The second time around, I was asked to wear and walk using the FitFlop Supertone sneakers—it was extremely comfortable! I was pretty impressed with the results to say the least. Compared to wearing my ballet flats, the FitFlop sneakers reduced the pressure-loading rate of my feet to 25%, pressure in the toes was reduced by an average of 30% while pressure in the heel, by 15%. Amazing!

FitFlop for kids

During the 2011 collection launch, FitFlop likewise showcased, for the first time in the city, its adorable and practical footwear for kids in candy colors your little ones will surely love!

Melody explains that the FitFlop junior footwear “protects kids’ feet without limiting movement, and let their growing feet stretch and flex, with more foot-to-midsole contact than stiff and structured-soled shoes”.

She adds that the “triple density Microwobbleboard midsole acts like soft ground or sand underfoot. Generously cut, the multi-density FitFlop footbed allows movement and flexibility underfoot with an unstructured space in which growing feet can flourish”.

Furthermore, “the Footfloat effect promotes greater foot-to-midsole contact as the position of sandal straps on the instep keeps tiny toes relaxed and reduces toe clawing”.

With the introduction of the FitFlop kiddie line in Davao, the whole family can now definitely step up in style and comfort with FitFlop!

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.