Product Description

Footwear with a unique sole construction that mimics the feeling of walking barefoot on sand, activating muscles throughout the body and relieving stress on joints.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #976 in Sports & Outdoors
• Size: 37 M EU / 7 B(M) US
• Color: Black
• Brand: MBT
• Fabric type: Leather or nubuck leather
• Dimensions: 2.00 pounds

Features

• Activates neglected muscles
• Improves posture and gait
• Tones and shapes the body
• Can help with back, hip, leg and foot problems
• Reduces stress on knee and hip joints

Amazon.com Review

At MBT we don't believe in shoes. We believe in footwear that makes you better from the ground up. MBT: The idea of Physiological Footwear MBT, Masai Barefoot Technology, was invented by Swiss engineer Karl Müller. During a visit to Korea he made the startling discovery that walking barefoot over paddy fields alleviated his back pain. Back in Switzerland, Müller began to develop a footwear technology that would make the natural instability of soft ground such as Korean paddy fields or the East African savannah accessible also to those, who have to walk on hard surfaces. In 1996, after years spent on research and development, Masai Barefoot Technology was mature enough to be launched on the market. MBTs are now available in over twenty countries, and approximately one million pairs of this revolutionary footwear technology are sold every year. How the anti-shoe is pro-body: Because of the specially designed sole, wearing MBTs significantly improves your gait and posture and relieves pressure on your joints and back. It also exercises a large number of muscles, whether you’re walking or standing. This, in turn, stimulates your metabolism, burns extra calories and speeds up muscle regeneration. In addition, MBTs can have a firming effect on abdominal, leg and buttock muscles. The key to MBT is its patented sole structure. The Shank, PU Midsole with Pivot and the Masai Sensor create a soft surface that is akin to walking barefoot on springy moss or on a sandy beach. This creates a natural instability underfoot, which activates the supporting muscle system and has positive effects on the entire body.

MBT technology mimicks walking in barefeet.

Wearing MBT mimicks walking on soft, natural ground. When the heel strikes, the heel sinks into the ground and the body has to stabilize. When the foot rolls forward, there is a controlled rolling over the balancing area towards the ball of the foot. The toe rolls off (without pressure).

MBT's ensure the foot’s natural rolling movement and optimizes pressure distribution over the whole sole.

The Anti-Shoe MBT would like to help people all over the world lead a healthier, more active and happier life. MBT is convinced that human fitness and health are significantly influenced by the way we walk – this conviction has already been substantiated objectively by many scientific studies. MBT therefore attempts to awaken and strengthen the awareness of physiologically correct walking among people world-wide by disseminating the idea and concept of MBT physiological footwear. The benefits of physiologically correct walking can thus be made available to as many people as possible all over the world, in a straightforward and uncomplicated way.

MBT's Masai Sensor creates natural instability, to which the body responds with increased muscle activity.

MBT's Patented Sole Technology The Lasting Board binds the upper and lower parts of MBTs together. The Shank provides firmness to the sole and also ensures the foot’s natural rolling movement and optimizes pressure distribution over the whole sole. The PU Midsole with Pivot triggers an active rolling movement and exercises a large number of stabilizing muscles throughout the entire body when walking or standing. The Masai Sensor creates natural instability, to which the body responds with increased muscle activity. The rubber Outsole protects the Midsole.

Amazon.com Product Description
The maryjane is back--with a new attitude that includes an adjustable Velcro strap and stylish contrast topstitching. Wear the Kaya for work or play--and get great core training from the patented MBT Sensor built into each sole.

From the Manufacturer
MBT shoes are physiological footwear--the first footwear that has a positive effect on the entire body. MBT stands for "Masai Barefoot Technology." Their innovative design includes a multi-layered, curved sole which makes for a unique and rewarding walking experience. The key to MBT is its patented sole structure. The shank, PU midsole with Pivot and the Masai Sensor create a soft surface that is akin to walking barefoot on springy moss or on a sandy beach. This creates a natural instability underfoot, which activates the supporting muscle system and has positive effects on the entire body. Wearing MBTs significantly improves your gait and posture and relieves pressure on your joints and back. It also exercises a large number of muscles, whether you’re walking or standing. This, in turn, stimulates your metabolism, burns extra calories and speeds up muscle regeneration. In addition, MBTs can have a firming effect on abdominal, leg and buttock muscles. Wearing MBT shoes can also be a therapeutic tool for back, hip, leg and foot problems. At MBT they don't believe in shoes. They believe in footwear that makes you better from the ground up.

Customer Reviews

Freaking Amazing!!
I have peripheral polyneuropathy, a degenerative disorder that causes numbness AND excruciating pain in my feet and lower legs. It is difficult to explain to someone who has not experienced it. Think of feeling like you have thick socks on preventing you from feeling things, while at the same time you have electric, zinging pains feeling as if you are being shocked or stuck with needles. After being on my feet for as little as 30 minutes, I normally have excruciating pain for 1-6 hours afterward, frequently requiring a narcotic, as well as a hefty dose of Lyrica several times a day. I have been searching for the last 2 or 3 years for the perfect pair of shoes, and I think I may have found them at last!
I am a nurse practitioner, and I work anywhere from 8 to 24 hours at a time, with a lot of walking and standing in our busy, 56 bed neonatal unit. Halfway through the night, I'm having to take off my shoes and socks because the mere touch of them against my feet is more than I can bear. And then, several hours more after I get home before I can get comfortable and go to sleep. I have tried Z-coil, Crocs, Born...I just haven't found one I like.
Then, a friend got a pair of these MBTs (in another style), and let me try them on the other day. IT WAS AMAZING. They totally change the impact of the shoe against the foot, with more of it coming at the arch, and less on my tender toes and heels. So, less toe and heel pain, and greater arch support. Genius!!!
Just incidentally, my husband washed my Crocs in really hot water, and they shrank. He forgot to tell me this before I left for my 16 hour shift last week. Just the slight increase in pressure on my feet made that shift horrible for me. And the next morning, I discovered these shoes. I went home, ordered a pair c overnight delivery so I would have them in time for yesterdays shift. My feet haven't felt this good after a night like that in so long I cannot remember. I have taken nothing extra for pain in over 12 hours!! Hallelujah!!
I would imagine these will benefit many conditions--diabetic neuropathy, plantar fascitis, polyneuropathy, among others. Considering the benefits, the cost is more than reasonable. Anything that enables me to care for my patients in comfort is BRILLIANT!!!
Incidentally, I chose this particular style for the "cute" factor--It looks good with my scrubs at work, and I can still wear it with slacks or a long skirt. Yowza!!

For $250 I should give it zero stars
I would like these shoes a lot better if two things weren't so bad.

1. The maryjane straps are really short. I have narrow, small feet so anyone with larger, um... meatier feet should go with something else. When the straps are closed they dig into my feet and really are annoying and not very comfortable. I can't imagine how much worse it would be if my feet were thicker.

2. The shoes slip up and down on my heels when I walk - and not just a little. It's like the shoes come off with every step.

I'm going to return them and try the sneaker version. I've heard such great things about this brand and really want to give them a shot.

Great for posture
I bought this through a regular store after reading that the nylon ones fall apart. This shoe has held up and is great for helping me stand up straight. It is a stiff material, a bit hot after wearing for long periods of time and the material does not "breath".