I am disabled, walk with a cane, obese as a result of not being able to exercise and pushing sixty years of age. I became interested in the FitFlop because other reviewers said that it made walking easier. I wasn't interested in if it made my legs or booty look better. I bought the first pair, on sale, just to try. I can say, definitively, that these shoes DO HELP ME WALK. I can walk farther and with much less pain than in any other shoe I've had. I find it much easier to keep my balance in FitFlops. I can also say that it does work the leg and buttock muscles, as I was a bit tender in those areas when I first started walking in FitFlops. Also, because the top straps don't stretch I feel more secure knowing I can't walk out of these shoes. I ordered another pair right away and will order a third pair if I can find the color I want in my size. Both my pairs are the Walkstar version, which I like because they look sporty and not like orthopedic shoes.