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Elite marathoners like Tera Moody wear MBTs on their nonrunning days to get the toning benefits of the shoe's rockered soles, engaging the supporting muscles in the leg during casual walks around town. The heel also sits lower than the middle of the shoe, helping to work the calf and Achilles tendon. The MBT Fora is a sporty style that's 20 percent lighter than previous models.
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Treat your parents to gear and gadgets they'd never think to buy for themselves. Sneaks that will better engage his leg muscles. MBT Sport 2.
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Pound the pavement in one of these foot-friendly finds.3.
Weekend warrior: Work your lower body. MBT Goti leather.
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Better Recovery is Free Training: "...Then there’s active-recovery footwear from MBT. After I tried a pair for a week in 2008, I partnered with the company and put my coaches in them. The curved sole spreads the pressure of walking along the length of your foot, lessoning the impact on your feet, knees hips and spine. The balance point under the middle of your foot also forces you to constantly engage muscles in your hips and torso as you stand and walk, and lightly engaging muscles on a consistent basis is one of the primary tenets of active recovery."
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Plane must-haves: I always wear MBT shoes on plans - it stands for Masai Barefoot Technology. They help with your posture and protect your back...
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The 'Anti-Shoe': The shoes vary in cost, style and weight. Switzerland's Masai Group International Ltd., a pioneer in what it calls "physiological footwear," sells the MBT, with a dramatically curved sole. MBTs, which the company dubs the "anti-shoe," have been widely available in the U.S. since 2005 and cost from $240 to $390...
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MBT M. Walk Sky, "The MBT was the only shoe I felt truly activated my muscles," said Ms. Boyd, who declared the M. Walk Sky the "hands-down winner" of the group. "Almost instantaneously after I wore it, I could feel muscles I've never felt before" in her buttocks and thighs. Ms. Boyd attributed the shoe's powers to its cupped sole, which, she said, made "you work your balance and really think about how you were holding yourself." She added: "You know how your muscles burn in a good way the day after a hard work-out? Well, that's how I felt in the MBT's."
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Thigh Masters: What happen when three FITNESS editors trade in their flats for new exer-shoes?
MBT Lami: "My legs look better wearing these; it feels like I'm doing nonstop calf raises," says Rachel.
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Even today in many parts of the world, it's not unusual to see population segments, such as the Masai tribes of East Africa, without footwear. It was Swiss engineer Karl Muller who studied the nomadic Masai and found that while they were constantly on their feet traversing uneven, rugged terrain, they didn't have the neck and back problems of most Europeans and Americans.
Muller studied the biomechanics of the Masai and found that they utilize muscles and bones of the foot to correct their gait over Africa's soft, natural surfaces. The key discovery for Muller: active stabilization versus passive support.
Seeking to duplicate barefoot walking, MBT designers developed a patented sole structure that included a cushy wedge (the sensor) sitting between the midsole and the outsole to mimic a shoeless stroll on the beach. This unstable pseudo-sand-walking activated lazy muscle groups that rushed in to aid balance. The negative heel angle of an MBT shoe - evident at first sight - aligned the bones of the ankle, knee, and hip as it guided the foot into the step.
But why not just go barefoot a la South African Olympian Zola Budd Pieterse? Yes, the idea is unconventional, but so are MBTs. "I think people have their footwear because it reflects on their lifestyle," says Alois Badegruber, head of product marketing for MBT, "but their shoes also need to protect their feet. MBT gives people the opportunity to protect their whole body."
MBT works because of the instability it creates, but as a model for shoe technology, it's as stable as ever: The company now boasts more than 1 million in sales.
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MBT shot to workout fame with their "rocking" shoes with the trademark ark-shaped shoes. MBTs (which stands for Masai Barefoot Technology) force their wearers to "rock" while they walk, requiring extra work for your leg muscles. That they are effective is not in question - but their general dorky appearance garnered many chuckles on the way to slimmer stems. To that end, MBT recently release a new line of "low sole" shoe and sandal styles for the fashion-conscious. They still provide the same "feel and burn" and day-long stretch of the standard MBTs, but in a slightly sleeker package. Don't laugh these off - thanks to the rocking sensation that forces you to keep your balance, they really do exercise muscles you didn't know you had, in a far more stylish summer silhouette.
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MBT Tataga Shoe has a rocker-bottom sole that recreates the sensation of walking on uneven ground (if your balance is poor, use them only on flat, safe surfaces) while promoting better posture and toning leg muscles.
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