When he was walking through a rice field in Korea barefoot, Karl Muller - a Swiss engineer - found that his back pain (which had been a recurring problem for him) was very much better. Intrigued, he did a little research and discovered that Africa’s Masai tribesmen do not suffer from backache. They are also known for their good posture.

Weighing the evidence, Muller concluded that walking barefoot on soft terrain was much better for your back and joints. He resolved to develop a shoe which would replicate the effects of this type of walking on a soft surface such as grass or sand.

The end result was the Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) shoe. According to the company website, it is so different to conventional footwear that it merits the name of “anti-shoe”.

MBT shoes have no heel - they incorporate a specially designed curved sole. When your foot makes contact with the ground, a gentle rolling actions is the result. It’s like walking on sand in fact. The sole is constructed using materials of differing densities which further aids in reducing jarring and shocks.

Independent scientific testing has confirmed that this design is genuinely better for both joints and back - and there are further proven benefits. For example, walking in MBT shoes means that the wearer’s muscles are used for longer (in comparison with walking in normal footwear). There is about a 16% increase in the duration of muscle activity. There is also a tendency to “walk correctly” and take marginally shorter strides. These effects mean that extra work is performed.

The significance of this is that every step you take wearing your MBT shoes is giving you a little more exercise. It’s a lower body workout, without visiting the gym. MBT shoes can help you to tone and trim your legs and buttocks as well as reducing back pain and encouraging better posture.

You would think that those benefits would be all the motivation required. However, some people do find MBTS a bit chunky and, dare I say it, a little ugly (beauty is in the eye of the beholder). However, there are now other, more cosmetically appealing, alternatives to choose from if you wish. Skechers Shape Ups and Fitflops both incorporate similar curved soles which will tone and trim your lower body whilst engaged in normal walking activities.

Whatever design you find most attractive, the potential to get a lower body workout and reduce back pain just by normal walking looks like an extremely attractive option.

Learn more about MBT Shoes and Skechers Shape Ups

Popularity: 3%

Related Content

Subscribe to the post comments feeds or Leave a trackback