If you’ve been struggling to fulfill your resolution to get your butt in shape, don’t look to the next fad diet or exercise craze. Instead, look down — at your shoes.

With the right pair you could find your butt firmer, your legs shapelier, your weight reduced — all by simply going about your normal, everyday activities.

At least that’s according to Reebok, MBT, Skechers and other companies touting muscle-toning shoes. The shoes are based on technology that mimics an uneven platform to create instability, forcing your muscles to work harder.

Skechers promises their “Shape-ups” will help you do just that — “without ever stepping foot in the gym.” Ads for Reebok’s “EasyTone” shoes say wearers will “leave 78 percent of men speechless and 81 percent of  women jealous.” MBT says it can improve posture, reduce joint stress and increase muscle activity as you stand around.

Does this sound too good to be true? Well, probably, say local fitness and foot experts who stress regular exercise if you want to get in shape. But they also agree that a good pair of shoes is a good place to start.

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OMG, did you watch Ronnie fight that guy on the boardwalk last night? I thought he was going to murder him. Literally. Anyway, we’re still hyped up from last night’s episode of “Jersey Shore,” so, uh, here’s Michael Cera getting a makeover from the cast. “Youth In Revolt” hits theaters today, and we can’t tell if it’s going to be awesome (possibly) or a dud (wouldn’t be that surprised). There’s no doubt about this video though, it’s a winner.

1. Squidfire’s Holiday Art Mart
Looking for unique holiday gift ideas? There will be plenty of DIY art and clothing options from more than 60 vendors at Squidfire’s Art Mart. There’s also no dealing with the weather, became the event is at Du Burns Arena in Canton. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Free. BRIAN KRISTA, B

2. Unsilent Night
For a (fairly) new holiday celebration that doesn’t reek of commercialism, join this parade of boomboxes (CD, cassette, MP3 all OK) blasting parts of Phil Kline’s “Unsilent Night.” No boombox? That’s OK, too. 6:45 p.m. Saturday at Penn Station; afterparty at Metro Gallery. Free. mobtownmodern.com ANNE TALLENT, B

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…For him

$38 Buffalo check scarf
ArmaniExchange.com
Scarves are always a simple way to add that finishing touch to any look when it’s a little nippy out. This example from Armani Exchange features a two-toned plaid pattern and fun-to-play-with fringe detail.

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Big news for sneakerheads and basketball players. The Air Jordan 2010 will hit stores Feb. 13 and cost $170. While the retro Jordans have seen a huge resurgence in streetwear/hip-hop circles (did they ever really leave?), the newer editions have been greeted less enthusiastically. Time will tell how much the 2010 style is embraced, but by the looks of the shoe, Jordan sneaker enthusiasts will have plenty to debate. After the cut, check out the interview with legendary sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield and Jordan Brand creative director Mark Smith break down their vision of the latest Jordan.

Spotted at Hypebeast.

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Hip-hop producer/artist/mogul/etc. Pharrell Williams probably hasn’t been penny pinching lately. A known fan of haute couture, Pharrell’s collaborated with Hermés in the past (his purple tote, made exclusively for him, costs as much as a high-end Mercedes Benz). Skateboard P skipped another travel bag and went with a hooded sweatshirt this time around. It’s one of one, and made of crocodile skin. Oh yeah, its cost has been pegged between $18,000-$75,000, according to streetlevel.com.

Dude, that’s kind of expensive. Nice looking, though!

Rummaging through a stranger’s unwanted goods. It sounds so unseemly compared with snuggling up with a latte in front of a laptop.

Yet there’s often no better place to find a great deal than a yard sale, tag sale, estate sale, garage sale, moving sale — whatever you want to call it.

“I like instant gratification,” says Hamilton resident Elbereth Chahalis, 26. “I think a lot of people are passionate shoppers. Especially with the economy the way it is, you have to really want the item these days to talk yourself into buying it.”

Yard sales deliver that thrill-of-the-hunt that comes from picking up an item with your hands and deciding it’s a must-have. And with the growing emphasis on environmental awareness, recycling and reducing one’s carbon footprint, “yard sailing” proves a “green” way to accessorize, decorate or even fill your closet on the cheap. It offers a chance to get out and put your shopping skills to the test.

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At last.  An advertiser who truly understands how to put together a compelling product demo.  New Zealand  sports bra manufacturer ShockAbsorber, has launched the Bounce-O-Meter, an online simulator that offers visitors an up close and wonderfully personal view of the physics behind breasts and activity.

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The inaugural Baltimore Fashion Week added a welcome dash of Milan to the mid-Atlantic last year. What’s on tap this year? Nothing less than a “fairy tale.”

Well, technically a “fashionista’s fairy tale.” That’s the theme for the second BFW, ruling the catwalk at the War Memorial Building from Monday-Friday.

“As we all know, fairy tales have a happy ending, and this fairy tale will be absolutely astonishing,” said Sharan Nixon, BFW’s founder and CEO. This year’s fashion lineup features 41 mostly local designers and, Nixon said, “we have stepped everything up a few notches.”

Via e-mail, we asked six BFW designers who’ll be stepping up those notches about how they got into fashion, what to expect on the runway and the answer to that ever-elusive question: Just what the hell is Baltimore style, anyway?

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Harry Potter has conjured up a record-breaking witching hour.

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” took in $22.2 million domestically from midnight screenings, distributor Warner Bros. said Thursday. That breaks the record set by “The Dark Knight,” which grossed $18.5 million from midnight shows last summer.

“Half-Blood Prince” also topped this year’s biggest hit, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” which pulled in $16 million from midnight screenings on its first day in June.

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