ASK any women if they would like to get trimmer when they walk around the shops and I’m sure I know what the answer would be.

As good as the intention may be to go to the gym three times a week and make sure you keep clear of the chocolate and snacks, sometimes life isn’t that easy.

That’s why the growing popularity of shoes which help you tone as you walk – that’s right, all you have to do is walk in them – caught my eye and I decided to give them a try.

There are quite a few of these shoes on the market now and I was intrigued to see what they would be like to wear on a day-to-day basis and if they in fact did what they said on the shoebox.

One sports shop in the centre of Worcester has reported a rush of customers who are keen to buy a pair of summer shoes designed to tone the thighs.

Knowles of Worcester in Broad Street has sold more than 100 pairs in the past month of these flip-flops which have been aptly named the FitFlop.

Another shop, Scholl Total Footcare in Mealcheapen Street is also currently trialling the sale of the MBT – a trainer which claims to improve your posture, ease back pain and tone your body.

So, with that in mind, I selflessly gave them both a go.

James Blackshaw, ground floor manager at the sports store, said he had been surprised by the amount of women coming to buy the FitFlops, which have a starting price of £35.99.

“The interest has been huge which I think is mainly down to the large coverage they are receiving in the press and on television, and the fact it brings together two aspects that women love – shoes and something that will tone their bodies,” he said.

I couldn’t agree with him more. The shoes to the un-trained eye don’t look that unusual and I have worn them shopping around town – as well as around the office – without getting strange looks.

At first I did find them quite tight, which they need to be to get the full benefit of the shoes. They also did rub a little between the toes, but that isn’t unexpected with new shoes. However, within a few days, these summer flipflops really had become a staple item of my wardrobe and while I could feel my legs having to work a little bit harder than normal, it wasn’t uncomfortable at all and I found them easier to walk in than normal flat shoes.

FitFlops are meant to work by challenging your muscles more, and are designed with a midsole which apparently has been shown to increase muscle response.

The MBTs, which stand for Masai bare-foot technology, were created by a Swiss inventor who discovered the Kenyan Masai tribesmen don’t suffer from back pain – and so decided to design a shoe with a curved sole to mimic the rocking motion of a foot walking on soft sand or grass.

More than one millions pairs of these have been sold each year since the mid 1990s and Scholls in Worcester is hoping the trend will catch on in the city.

“People are certainly taking an interest in the shoes,” said Debbie Chamberlain, store manager. “Customers who are looking at them have heard about them through friends and in the newspapers. They not only help you tone up but they also can help people with back problems because the shoes give your foot a rocking motion.”

The shoes certainly do look a lot different to your normal gym trainer and do take a lot of getting used to due to their arched soles which gives a rocking motion as you walk and certainly make you work a lot harder to get around.

“The fact that they give the entire body a work-out really is appealing to people. We had one lady come and buy a pair as her chiropractor recommended them a few years ago and this was the first time she had seen them. She has had them for about a week now and we hope that the shoes are helping her back,” added Mrs Chamberlain.

The shoes cost about £135 but I’m sure it’s a small price to pay for anyone suffering from back pain. But I do feel they would take a bit of getting used to.

While I didn’t notice a dramatic improvement to my legs when wearing the FitFlops, I have definitely felt them becoming more toned and I will keep on wearing them all summer.