Lemondrop

The ubiquitous FitFlop: They sounded too good to be true when we first wrote about them, these specially designed kicks that whip your legs, thighs and booty into shape via normal, everyday walking (to your car, to your apartment, to McDonald's).

Well, according to a recent study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, the fancy footwear just might have been wishful thinking all along.

"Toning shoes appear to promise a quick-and-easy fitness solution, which we realize people are always looking for," says ACE's Chief Science Officer Cedric Bryant, PhD. "Unfortunately, these shoes do not deliver the fitness or muscle toning benefits they claim."

Researchers found that the toning shoes they tested, including Skechers Shape-Ups and Reebok's EasyTone, showed no statistically significant increase in muscle activation during treadmill trials, when compared to normal athletic sneakers.

But before you chuck your MBTs in protest (you mean we wore these chunky things for no reason?!): "There may be one positive effect these shoes offer," notes Bryant. "The motivation factor. If these shoes are serving as a motivator for individuals to walk or get moving more often, that is a good thing."