MBT Shoes
I first heard about MBT Shoes from a friend who had got them from her pilates teacher. She couldn't recommend them highly, so after a bit of research on the web I became sufficiently intrigued to try and track some down.
While most vendors appear to be individual pilates or fitness practicioners, I also found a shop in York (Sarah Coggles - a very trendy clothes shop - I didn't fit in at all). There, on an overcast Saturday morning, I found a few pairs of some ugly-looking shoes with very strange, convex soles.
The assistant explained that the MBT Shoes (or "MBTs" as I have learned to call them) were invented by a Swiss chap who had problems with his achilles tendons. He spent some time in the Far East working for a while in paddy fields, and while working in the paddy fields his achilles tendons cleared up. He put two and two together, and realised that the improvement in his tendons was due to the fact that he was no longer spending his life walking on flat, even (unnatural) surfaces, but instead on the soft, uneven (natural) paddy field.
Thus MBT was born. The shoes have been developed so that even when walking on even surfaces, the shoe behaves as if the surface is uneven. This means that the body is forced to use all it's muscles in holding us upright - just as nature intended.
The name MBT stands for Masai Barefoot Technology was inspired by the Masai tribe who walk very long distances barefoot. Due to the terrain they develop toned, lean leg muscles, perfect posture and virtually no back and joint complaints.
I'm not sure if the shoes will be that good... but I was prepared to give them a try.
In the shop, the assistant had clearly been trained to properly fit them. I told her my shoe size and she brought down a pair that were a size smaller - they need to fit snugly. She also told me that she had worn her MBTs out and was saving up for a new pair (MBT shoes aren't cheap - mine were £145.) She showed me how to walk, and made sure I was properly kitted out. She also advised me not to wear them intensively at first - but build up to it as the shoes involve all sorts of muscles that, in my current state, I wouldn't have used for years. (She told me a story of a woman who, on her first day, wore MBT shoes all day shopping in London. The following day, she couldn't move...) Certainly, after a few minutes I could tell that some of my muscles weren't used to the attention...
The shoes themselves aren't the last thing in fashion. They're not the first thing in fashion either - frankly, they're a bit ugly. But I quickly forgot all that once I started wearing them: they are astonishingly comfortable.
Impressions after one day: First impressions are good - the shoes are astoundingly comfortable, although the sensation is quite unusual. It's hard to stand still without rocking slightly, which keeps the ankles busy. I went for a 30 min walk around our village, and it really did feel like I was walking on a carpet of pine needles. I also noticed that the shoes are making me use muscles that I wasn't aware of - they can be quite tiring! I found that I was scuffing the soles more than usual - it's going to take me a while to get used to walking in them.
Impressions after one week: Still good, one of the problems has been finding time to wear the shoes. At home, I prefer not to wear shoes and wearing them specifically seems a little strange. So instead I've been going out for more walks than usual - and trying out the MBTs in those.
I've also noticed that MBTs aren't as effective when going "off road". We live about five minutes walk from fields and often when we go for a walk our route takes us out to the fields along uneven paths and footways. Away from the smooth, tarmac surfaces, the MBT shoes aren't nearly as effective - I guess because the ground is already uneven.
Impressions after one month: One month in and I'm wearing my MBT Shoes pretty much all the time. I actually find them absurdly comfortable - I much prefer them to my normal shoes.
I can't say that they've made a huge difference to my back yet, but I've had a bit of a setback in that I woke up one day and discovered that I'd pulled a muscle in my groin that caused me some pain. It's taken me a couple of weeks to get over that and I didn't wear my MBTs while I sorted that out. (I have no idea if the MBTs caused the strain - they might have.) So that set me back - and I've been training myself to use them again.
Impressions after six months: I now wear my MBTs pretty much constantly - mainly because I do find them really comfortable. However, I have gone through a bad patch of back pain, so I'm not sure how much impact they are having on my lower back pain. Still, it's early days yet!
How long is it supposed to take?
The literature I was given says that typically requires 100,000 - 500,000 "training steps" are required before your gait is programmed in so that you walk naturally even when not wearing MBTs. (I guess a training step is when you're concentrating on using your MBTs properly, not just slobbing around in them.)
Anyway, I did a few calculations. Based on the fact that my stride is slightly less than one yard long, I will need to walk a distance of somewhere between 60 and 300 miles. As my walking speed is roughly three miles per hour, it's going to take me 20 and 100 hours - and that's training steps...
One year on... I've had my MBTs for just over a year now - and they have become part of me. I miss them when I'm not wearing them. Over the past year I've had various bouts of back pain, so they're not a perfect solution. Mind you, I still think I'm in the process of going through the training steps - I haven't been as rigourous in keeping up with the training regime as when I started. (One thing I'd like to do is try them for jogging or on a treadmill, so that's something that I still have to explore.)
I am 100% confident that when these wear out, I will buy myself another pair - and as they're not cheap that's saying something...
MBT Tips
- When you start using them, don't treat your MBTs as everyday shoes. It takes time to train your body to use them so use them, so to begin with use them only when you can concentrate on walking.
- Make sure your MBT Shoes are laced up tight - they don't work so well if you're wearing them loose.
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What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Robert S
I've been wearing MBT's for several weeks now and won't wear anything else. Since I've put them on my lower back problems have went bye-bye and they are ...
Lizzie G
I am a 48 year old woman, 100 pounds overweight, and with several conditions that cause pain and fatigue. Which came first, I am not sure, but both the ...
What a relief...
What a relief to read your info on MBT shoes. I bought a pair less than two weeks ago and wanted to wear them a lot, but my back started hurting sooooo ...
MBTs not longer as good as they were
Last year our personal friend and inventor of the MBT, Karl Mueller, departed from his MBT kingdom in order to pursue other inventions and creations. At ...
I have been wearing MBTs for several years
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I have been wearing MBT shoes for several years. I was working 12 hour shifts as an ER nurse and developed tremendous pain in my foot. Turned out to be ...
Lacing your MBTs
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I enjoyed reading your MBT "one year" diary. I have been wearing MBT's for less than a year and have found that it has improved, if nothing else, my posture....
MBTs practically worn out
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My husband has practically worn out his MBTs and wears them on a daily basis. They have really helped his posture and lower back pain over a 2 year period....