Apparently you can weight train just by wearing your shoes. Well, not any shoes, but these athletic numbers from NGR (No Gym Required), which are fitted with weighted midsoles. Why should you be interested in a gimicky pair of sneakers? Well, the claim is that this fitness product will help wearers burn 50 percent more calories than they normally would doing every day activities or running and walking all the while improving their core and toning leg muscles.

Here, Winnipeg-native Jennifer Cohen, who is the founder of NGR, explains her "2 in 1" sneakers.

Q: You've essentially invented a shoe that allows people to lift weights while they walk. Tell me about them.

A: I launched them because [I thought] it would be easy for people to incorporate them into their lives as all you need to do is walk and you'll not only get a cardiovascular workout, but also the weight resistance that's necessary for a full fitness program. Whatever you do normally when you're wearing the shoes is intensified. There's also a booklet that comes with the shoes that gives you a few different exercises -- I put together some leg work and floor movements.

Q: What are the shoes composed of?

A: They come with two sets of mid-soles, one weighted and the other not. The weights are in proportion to the size of the shoe so the bigger your foot, the more weight in the shoe. Each shoe weighs between one and a half pounds.

Q: What sort of weights are they and how do they work?

A: They're basically a newer improved version of what ankle weights used to be. But unlike ankle weights, the weight of the mid-sole is more evenly distributed in the sole of your feet so that there is no pressure on the joints or on the back of the knees. There's a lot more shock absorption and the weight doesn't move around.

Q: Anybody famous walking in your shoes?

A: I don't like to say, but Debra Messing and Courteney Cox have them.

Q: What muscles do these shoes work?

A: They basically help tone your butt, your legs, your calves, your thighs and your lower body.

Q: What kind of results will people see?

A: If they use them, with a good diet, they should get nice toned legs and a toned butt. They'll be stronger and leaner.

Q: How many calories can a girl burn?

A: If you do a regular walk where you burn, say, 100 calories, if you wear these shoes, you'll burn up to 150 calories. You burn up to 50 percent more calories in whatever activity you're doing.

Q: Is there such a thing as over-doing it with the shoes? Should people wear them all the time or start off gradually?

A: Don't drive with them. And like any other fitness program, start out for say 20 minutes a day and work your way up. When you're finished working out, you can remove the weights and use them as you would any other shoe. Unlike most shoes in the "wellness" category that are ugly, these aren't.

Q: How much are they and where can people get them?

A: They cost $180 and you can go to the NGR website and place an order.

This interview has been edited and condensed.