The FitFlop sandals footbed in made of multi-density EVA, which is a type of odour-free (and non-absorbent) foam that is used in many type of footwear. The outsole is currently made of rubber. The footbed does not contain any leather or other animal products.
Yes, the interlining of the FitFlop footwear contains latex, and whilst this may not come into contact with your feet, if you suffer from latex allergies, we recommend that you avoid wearing FitFlop footwear (unless you’re wearing them with socks).
The skin is very sensitive between the toes. The material we use between the toes is a synthetic ‘leather-like’ material. It is soft, slim and designed to be very comfortable.
However, we realize that many people have ‘issues’ with the comfort afforded by toe-thongs, and therefore we are:
Unfortunately not. FitFlop sandals are not suitable for hill walking or mountain hiking. They are quite open and airy on the foot, and will not protect it from rough terrain or weather. FitFlop sandals are designed for everyday use and everyday walking, to be worn by time-short individuals who may not be able to get to the gym, but want to make sure they get a ‘workout while they walk’.
FitFlop footwear is originally biomechanically engineered to load your leg muscle more when you WALK (not while you jog, hike, or cycle). Which is why we recommend getting ‘a workout while you walk’. At present, we can’t officially suggest you make any other use of your pair but just that. A FitFlop sandal doesn’t have a heel counter to keep it from falling off during any form of running or sprinting, nor is it covered enough to protect your feet from brush or falling rocks if you might be hiking. You should be safe in them for leisurely cycling, but we think it’s safe to say that Lance Armstrong most likely puts on proper cleated cycling shoes if he’s covering long distances on wheels. In short? These shoes were made for walking.
As with any medical condition, we recommend that any prospective FitFlop wearer consult their doctor before putting a pair of FitFlop footwear into regular rotation. While Dr David Cook (who helped engineer the FitFlop’s multi-density microwobbleboardTM midsole) originally recommended that - due to the inherent increased muscle load - FitFlop footwear not be worn during pregnancy, we’ve had several women report that wearing FitFlop sandals during pregnancy has provided fantastic relief from lower leg swelling, varicose vein pain, and even Symphisis Pubic Dysfunction. We’d suggest you search the word ‘pregnant’ in our wearer reviews depository to see what other women have experienced, then consult your obstetrician to ensure you have his/her OK before wearing a pair.
Our original testing was done using 15 women, across two different University research departments. While it wasn’t a massive amount, both groups of women showed similar and significant results: not only did FitFlop sandals activate their leg muscles more than walking in regular shoes, but they created a very healthy gait pattern, similar to that of barefoot walking. Knowing that FitFlop sandals were safe, functional, and fun, we decided to test launch them last year (2007) to see if women in the US and UK were interested in the FitFlop concept. The results were an overwhelming yes, and on top of that, women from all walks (no exercise pun intended) started emailing us with stories about relief from back pain, plantar fasciitis, arthritis, heel spurs, and more.
Armed (and delighted) with that feedback, we have developed a more extensive and detailed testing program, and have appointed a full-time researcher to work in conjunction with Salford University, and appointed a team at the Centre for Human Performance at LSBU to work on new applications, further tests and trials, to find out more about the magic that is the FitFlop midsole.
FitFlop sandals are generous fitting, with relatively wide footbeds and strong upper straps, however, they are designed- as are most shoes- for people of average weight. (We have not tested our microwobbleboardTM technology for efficacy on overweight populations, nor on the underweight, in fact, so can’t confirm that your FitFlop footwear would have the same muscle-toning effect.) However, we have received many testimonials from people who had gained weight for one reason or another, and whose back, knees and ankles were buckling under the strain, making it difficult and uncomfortable to walk for long periods of time. With a pair of FitFlop sandals on, the same people seemed to have experienced less lower back, ankle and knee pain, and suddenly been able to get up and walk for progressively longer periods each day WITHOUT any discomfort. In fact, several have gone on to lose several kilos in weight, simply from being more mobile, and more comfortable in their own bodies, most probably because FitFlop footwear helps to realign vertical force traveling through your feet on heel strike, toward the center of the pelvic girdle and behind the knee, where it causes less lower back and joint strain. We’d suggest that if you are overweight, you start with our original Walkstar sandal. It’s got a very flexible (but strong) upper, and most feet fit into it! Please let us know how you get on, and write back to us when you’ve lost your first 5 (then 10, then 20 kilos!). Good luck with your weight loss!
No. In fact, if you suffer from bunions, we’d suggest ordering a few pairs of FitFlop sandals for yourself, as we’re going to guess that you may never want to put normal shoes (that rub on your bunions) on your feet again.
We always suggest that anyone with a medical condition consults with their doctor prior to buying themselves a pair of FitFlop footwear. And while we’ve had testimonials from hundreds of fans who swear that just wearing theirs has lessened discomfort from not only plantar fasciitis, but heel spurs, Morton’s Neuroma, RLS, swollen lower legs, sciatica, knee pain and lower back pain (to name a few of the most common) we realize that people are biomechanically diverse, and what works for one wearer may not work for another. Originally, FitFlop sandals were engineered with the added function of loading the leg muscles more while one walked. What they’ve been reported – all by FitFlop footwear wearers- to do on top of that has been a surprise, but in some ways, a ’side-effect’. We would suggest that you consult the wearer reviews section of our website to read what other people are saying about their experiences with FitFlop sandals, and make your decision after reading them and consulting your doctor.
The FitFlop footwear has been designed with a regularly shaped footed, however, the multi-density midsole create a microwobbleboardTM action that challenges the muscles of the foot and arch, and therefore might not be suitable for everyone who needs orthotics. We recommend that you err on the side of caution and consult your podiatrist prior to wearing FitFlop footwear if you currently rely on orthotic support.
At the present time, we are not looking for investors for FitFlop. (We are – however- flattered that you’ve asked.) Should we be looking for funding in the future, we would be happy to keep your details on file, so please feel free to send them to us via scott.thomson@brandhandling.com
The FitFlop is a privately held company, and not yet available for investment on any stock exchange. However, should the situation change, we would be happy to update any interested parties who have submitted their contact details via scott.thomson@brandhandling.com
Not at all. FitFlop footwear is manufactured in China at one of the world’s leading specialist sports shoe organizations. FitFlop sandals have no affiliation whatsoever with MBT, nor do they share the same midsole technology as MBTs. The unique technology in the midsole of the FitFlop footwear was developed by Dr David Cook and Darren James at the Centre for Human Performance at London’s South Bank University. (For more information about the technology, click on WHY WEAR FITFLOPS?)
There’s no reason that you should be getting a callous on your big toe from wearing FitFlop sandals. In fact, most of our wearers find that they develop less calluses than normal, because FitFlop sandals allow enough room around the foot, leaving little potential for rubbing. However - a ’super foot surgeon’ friend of FitFlop has pointed out that women who have the tendancy toward bunions (or have been shoving their foot into small shoes- rather than FitFlop footwear for years) often develop a callus on the outside of their big toe, as the toe turns into the foot. If you think you might be developing this condition, it’s likely that wearing open toed sandals like FitFlop sandals have simply made your toes (and their attached calluses) more visible. In any case, we’d suggest that you consult with a podiatrist if you have any concerns, or if the callus seems chronic.
How long your FitFlop sandals last depends- as with any shoe- on how often you use them, what kind of weather they’re exposed to, and whether you hand or machine wash them between wears. (Machine-washing will probably get them cleaner, but contribute to an earlier density demise!)
We’ve found that most people wear their FitFlop sandals sun-up to sundown during the Summer, but may rotate between two or three different colours and trade them in after a season or two. We’d recommend getting a new pair every Spring (as we can’t vouch for the efficacy of a FitFlop’s microwobbleboardTM midsole after more than 6 months of wear), but you can still use an old worn pair of FitFlop sandals for fun, even if they’re not still performing at their peak muscle conditioning potential.
No. Your contact details will only be used to update you on the latest FitFlop progress, in-stock dates, new styles, special offers, and possibly for user ‘polls’. We appreciate any feedback you can give us if you’ve been wearing a pair!
We too have noticed a profound increase in what we call FitFlop ‘knockoffs’.
Not only is K-Mart apparently selling something, but so is a company that starts with S. and the Earth shoe company has launched a version too, although they are not claiming to do what we do.
At FitFlop, we back up our fitness and muscle-loading claims with SCIENCE. Our microwobbleboardTM midsole was developed with a Senior Lecturing Biomechanist at The Centre for Human Performance at LSBU in London, and independently tested by an objective team- including a doctor who is the lower limb biomechanist for the UK Olympic team- at Salford University. Studies have been completed (and please read through the ‘technical’ pages on our site ) that show how our patent-pending midsole helps not only to reduce hot spots and pressure points in the foot, and realigns ground force reaction to reduce lower back, knee, hip and ankle pain.
We’ve had thousands of wearers write in to tell us how miraculous the ‘FitFlop’ formula is, and how it has reduced pain stemming from conditions including back pain, dizziness, osteoarthritic discomfort, lower leg oedema, restless leg syndrome and more. We pride ourselves on offering the ultimate performance sandal product, and feel confident that no matter which imitations people may try, in the end, they will always come back to the fabulous FitFlop footwear!
Please return any problematic FitFlop footwear to the store where you bought it where they should offer you a full refund if your pair has an obvious manufacturing fault. You may need your proof of purchase and each store has a slightly different policy so check with them first.
While this is not a common complaint, we have heard that FitFlop sandals have had the odd ‘run-in’ with very narrow feet. If you have ordered or bought the wrong size (and haven’t worn your FitFlop sandals yet), please return them to the retailer or online website you bought them from for a refund or exchange. At FitFlop Headquarters, as we don’t sell individual pairs of FitFlop footwear, we unfortunately cannot process individual returns or exchanges.
FitFlop footwear has been engineered to fit a standard European width fitting. In a few instances – mostly in the US- women who have a narrower fit have found the upper webbing a bit loose in their normal size and have fit one size down more comfortably. (Because the footbed has a generous length, there is no issue of length when width is reduced.) We are in the midst of engineering next season’s FitFlop fit, and will attempt to overcome this issue so that the fit is more universal across all continents.
This one puzzles us, as we’ve heard it about 10 times (when over a million pairs of FitFlop sandals have been sold), so we knew some people experience the squeaking phenomenon, but that it was more ‘rare’ than ‘regular’. So we got up and walked around in our offices. All of us. In all styles and colours of FitFlop footwear. No squeaking. And then we decided to take them outside in the hottest possible weather and walk. Still no squeaking. And then one of us had a pedicure, came back in her FitFlop sandals right after, and : squeaking. So we’ve tested out the FFSF (FitFlop squeaking factor) with a random assortment of high street foot creams and it seems that squeaking may be related to wearing foot cream with your FitFlop sandals. It didn’t happen to all of us, but at present, it’s our best guess.
The webbing on the FitFlop sandals is not elasticated and should definitely not stretch. However, as with any footwear product, with continual wear, the footbed may have compressed slightly, leading to a looser feel across the upper. Normally this would not alter the fit, but rather custom mold to your foot, making the FitFlop sandals feel even better.
If by some odd chance, you feel that your straps are stretching (we’ve never seen this happen but did get one person who thought it had happened), please feel free to return them to us and we’ll take a look at them!
If you are a retailer (anywhere in the world except for Australia and Ireland) and are interested in carrying FitFlop footwear, please send information about your retail operation to: sales@thefitflop.com and our sales team will respond as soon as possible. (Please include the country your operation trades in in the subject line of the email, i.e. I want to retail FitFlops in Italy.)
In Ireland, retailers can contact Deirdre Carey at Brazil Body Sportswear (brazilbodysports@eircom.net ). In Australia, please get in touch with Richard Salmons at RG Sports (Richard@rgsports.com.au)
or distributor…
Please email your query to sales@thefitflop.com and a member of our team will get in touch as soon as possible.
Our apologies, we do not currently have the ability to process individual customer FitFlop requests, however, our Official FitFlop Retailers offer excellent service and most carry our entire range of colours, plus many have online shops that can ship directly.
Yes, they are suitable for a wide foot. Because the FitFlop’s foot bed is slightly wider than average, they fit pretty much every foot in width. If you have an extremely high instep, you may have to go up a size initially, or spend a few days wearing in the midsole, which custom moulds and compresses to fit your instep height after a couple of days of intensive use. If you have a narrow foot or a low instep we recommend you go down a size if between sizes.
We don’t quite yet, but we are working on a collection now. And we are VERY excited about it. We’ve been studying and wearer-trialling kids-sized FitFlop sandals for quite a long time (with UK Athletics lower limb biomechanics specialist Dr Philip-Graham Smith’s 7 year old daughter as one of our test subjects!) and have feedback from studies at Salford University that not only are FitFlop sandals safe for kids to wear, but also help free kids’ feet to encourage a more natural gait and may even improve posture and proprioception.
We also plan to do extensive testing on children who suffer from dyspraxia (who often use a wobbleboard to improve balance and coordination) and would appreciate it if anyone who has a child suffering from this condition -who might like to participate in a study/trial using kids-sized FitFlop sandals for improved balance and condition- would get in touch with us by emailing medicalstudies@thefitflop.com.
Note: taller and teenage girls in the meantime, may be able to fit into our smallest UK size, a womens’ 3.
FitFlop sandals are light and a pair of Walkstar weighs 400g.
FitFlop sandals have been designed to fit a standard-width UK foot and are graded in the traditional way. The webbing is designed to hold the foot quite high up across the instep and will not stretch over time. Thus, FitFlop fit is a function of arch height and instep height. Our experience so far has shown that Europeans have a slightly higher instep height and tend to need to size up whereas Americans have a lower instep height and need to size down. The length of the sole is quite generous so going half a size down should not cause a length issue.
Ordering online? Unsure about our sizes? Print out our FitFlop sandal sizer chart to ensure a perfect fit.
Fitflop footwear only comes in whole sizes. If your feet fall somewhere between, opt up a size if you have wide feet or a high instep, and down if you have narrow feet or a low instep. The upper bands on the FitFlop sandals do NOT stretch.
In the US, most people size down to the nearest whole size.
In the rest of the world, people generally size up.
Find your nearest FitFlop retailers and online retailers who will deliver to your country.
