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In recent years, functional (read: fugly) one-syllable shoes like Uggs and Crocs have been cropping up everywhere. Now everyone and their grandma is hoofing around in FitFlops. But can a specially-designed shoe really whip your rear into shape, no sweat required?

FitFlop, a U.K.-based company, along with Skechers and Reebok, who also make "toning shoes," say yes. With millions of FitFlops sold (4 million in 2009 alone), the Flops are admittedly a huge hit, but is that a result of clever marketing -- or do the sandals live up to the hype?

We decided to ask the experts.

How FitFlops Were Born
In 2007, Marcia Kilgore, the woman behind the Bliss Spa chain, founded FitFlop based on a technology developed by two biomechanics researchers at London South Bank University.

Their creation, Microwobbleboard, is found in the sole of the FitFlop sandal, and it's made of a chemical called ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), commonly known as "foam rubber" or, as one website claims, "the darling of running shoes."

According to FitFlop's patent application, three different densities of EVA material are molded together under high heat to create Microwobbleboard. Upon cooling, the multi-density foam expands to four times its original size. Additional heat is applied to create the sandal's shape. The completed product includes a high-density heel to absorb the force on the body produced by walking and a low-density mid-section "such that application of a user's weight, during use, causes instability." Although that instability is "barely perceivable," your body instinctively corrects the imbalance and this requires greater use of your gluteus, says the company.

But are FitFlop's claim of a "workout while you walk" really true, or are we all just buying into the latest way to hoodwink women?

"As far as I'm concerned," says Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist and spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, "it's all just marketing until I see hard data comparing regular walking to wearing those shoes."

FitFlop claims their sandals increase leg muscle activity by up to 16 percent. In theory, says McCall, the FitFlop would activate your "stirrup" muscles, which control the placement of the foot during movement. Still, that's not enough to get a workout because the muscles are simply too small. Fact: The larger the muscle you exercise, the more calories you burn.

"People may feel more toned from these shoes," says McCall, "because they're simply choosing to walk more."

To date, there are no published studies on the benefits of FitFlops. Cook and James have completed case studies at the London South Bank University with some results posted on the FitFlop website stating increased thigh- and butt-muscle activity. A FitFlop prototype was also tested independently at Salford University in the U.K. The scientists concluded that the mid-sole spreads pressure across the foot to reduce pain, and the design of the shoe improves the alignment of the body while walking.

A Comforting Alternative
The design of FitFlops does take advantage of the natural-born biomechanics of your foot by promoting what McCall calls its "natural roll." Think "heel strike, mid-stance, heel off, toe off, and swing," he says. Stilettos, stiff dress shoes and traditional flip-flops, meanwhile, hinder those first four movements. Regular flip-flops, in particular, don't have any support in the center of the shoe which can strain your arch and cause pain in the heel and along the underside of the foot.

Several FitFlop styles have in fact been awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance, meaning they "allow normal foot function and promote quality foot health." Which, let's admit it, most of our favorite shoes don't. This, and not a tighter ass, may be the real upshot of FitFlops.

Amber Angelle is a Lemondrop contributor who lives and writes in Brooklyn. She eagerly awaits the next-gen shoe that tones the body without requiring any type of movement whatsoever.