MANILA, Philippines — High-heels, stilettos, wedges, flats, pumps, rubber and running shoes, sandals, — shoes are a guilty pleasure for most women (even men).
Shoes that are too narrow, too short, too large, or simply ill-fitted can cause discomfort, injury and even permanent deformity.
High-heeled, pointed-toe shoes often cause numerous orthopedic problems, leading to discomfort or injury to the toes, ankles, knees, calves and back. And since most of these shoes have a pointed, narrow toe box that crowds the toes and forces them into an unnatural triangular shape, the body weight is unevenly distributed, placing much stress on the ball of the foot and on the forefoot.
The key is finding the perfect fit, or the perfect shoes.
All these Marcia Kilore, Fitflop founder, know and understand. One fateful afternoon in 2005, when she was attending an uninspiring conference, an inspiration struck her. An idea about a pair of shoes that can keep women in shape despite their busy schedules came to her mind.
At a time when high-heels and stilettos are at their most fashionable, her idea seemed unsustainable. But she knew it was a challenge she wanted to overcome. Kilore knew that to penetrate the market she had to give them more than just boorish footwear. She had to give them something. She looked at what women needed and wanted: they wanted to be healthy but didn’t have time to go to the gym and do workouts.
It led her to walking. And when a woman walks, she needs a sole friend. She then thought: what if she could come up with a shoe that could make women’s walks more effective?
While visiting London South Bank University, she consulted with two biomechanics, Drs. David Cook and Darren James, who surprisingly knew about shoes and immediately understood what Kilore was looking for. Drs. James and Cook created the Microwobbleboard™ midsole technology, a biomechanically optimized triple-density midsole technology.
After two-and-a-half years of research, prototype testing and product trials, Kilgore held in her hands the first pair of Fitflop shoes. In 2007, Fitflops, her footwear brand, made it to the shelves. The footwear essentially promises “a workout while you walk” through its Microwobbleboard™ midsole technology.
“Microwobbleboard™ technology uses triple densities spread on the soles of the shoes. On the toe box comes the middle density, which aims to maintain speed and pace and increase stability. The low density on the midsection increases lower leg activation by up to 11 percent. High density on the heels helps absorb up to 22 percent shock in the lower legs to relieve joint stress,” shares Fitflop International marketing manager Irene Celli.
This year, things got retro as Fitflop introduced its Spring/Summer Collection 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand, with a fashion show in Samed Island. Gracing the launch were Fitflop’s top honchos Irene Celli, Primer’s Mark Chim and Camille Karaan, and Star Fashion Thailand’s Vitoon Tatiyamaneekul and Viphop Tatiyamaneekul, as well as Primer Group of Companies board of directors and the FitFlop brand managers from Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Inspired by the works of a famous 1950s photographer, the whole collection makes the most of the youthful appeal of the 1950s through 1970s. Its 36 new designs (26 for ladies and 10 for men) in various slip-ons, gladiator sandals and colorful sneakers are characterized by clean lines and vibrant shades as well as tribal and retro throwback prints.
Introduced during the regional launch, the women’s category takes in the Core Active styles including the toe-friendly flip-flop Walkstar™ 3 in a more daring strap design, bright patterns, and neutral shades of leather, the Core Classic such as Super T™ Sneaker in crisp white and warm yellow, the Core Pretty’s Fleur™ which is accentuated with dainty flowers, the Core Jeweled styles with its glittering crystals, plush and detailed metallic leather and sparkling resin stones, the Core Contemporary’s Raffia and Glad Pack bearing tribal prints, colorful stones in gladiator sandal profile.
The Men’s range is as polished as the sleek lines of the '70s, and comes in green, red, yellow and blue but complementing the dark and earth tones. The best-selling Supertone™ sneakers are a tad retro, while the groovy high-cut Supertop has comfortably padded collar. Monty™ is Fitflop’s take on the classic moccasin.
FitFlop is exclusively distributed by The Primer Group of Company and is available in selected Res Toe Run, The Travel Club, ROX and Bratpack stores nationwide. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/FitFlopPhilippines.
