Masai Barefoot Technology

[Zen]

These MBT (http://footwearetc.com/mbt/)(no, not MTB) shoes are intriguing...

Somewhat costy, though.

[snapdragen]

Saw those today while shoe shopping - intriguing, but I'm not shelling out $200+ to try 'em.

[Juliette]

Don't do it. They're not worth the $$$$. I admit, I was a sucker for the advertising and I saw a review in a magazine (something like Womens Sports & Fitness or Womens Health) and figured Hey, a magazine review should be impartial. They did nothing for me other than make my ankles and knees hurt.

They may work if you are going from couch potato to walking around the neighborhood, but if you're active anyway, they don't seem to add any value.

[Trek420]

Those Masai may be on to something. I always feel better barefoot but the only barefoot workout is at the dojo. Still, once my barefeet are on the mat, ahhh, everything feels better till someone throws me :rolleyes:

Here are some people with inexpensive MBT

www.barefooters.org

[mimitabby]

I think it's kind of funny really. Masai walk around barefoot and have great feet.
we put big blobs of rubber where our arches are and call it masai technology.

I think Juliette is right on.

I wear Niki Free sneaks most the time. They give a little support and don't interfere with natural foot action. (but they're awful in dog plop)

[Andrea]

I'm with Mimi^

...and I'll only pay a lot of money for ONE type of hideously ugly shoes...
Shoes for Olympic Weightlifting:
http://www.dynamic-eleiko.com/images/ADISTARIIb.jpg

[7rider]

I saw these in a recent Shoe Catalog I got from Sierra Trading Post (http://www.sierratradingpost.com/search/SearchResults.aspx?searchDescriptions=true&Ne=9000000&allAnyWords=&searchWithin=&anyWords=&N=9000342&exactPhrase=&allWords=mbt).
I thought...How strange to buy a shoe that comes with an instructional DVD! :confused:
Got some decent reviews from the users, however...especially the sandals.
But even at 40% off...they're still a pricey experiment.

[Zen]

They remind me a bit of Earth Shoes (http://www.earth.us/comfort.asp)

[knapplaura]

Don't do it!

My friend who is a great runner got these, and they gave her horrible patellar tendonitis that has not gone away.

If you have any instability in the ankle, foot, or knee, these make it worse.

[RoadRaven]

I remember Zola Budd... she always has had a soft place in my heart after how irrate Mary Decker got with her.

She was young, and fast and ran at international level in her bare feet.



The Earth shoes look weird, I have a feeling I would always be thinking I was going to tip backwards... and the only Masai foot tech I would believe in would be bare feet that ran almost from the moment they could bear weight...

[KnottedYet]

What ever happened to Zola Budd?

The image of Mary Decker on the ground shrieking with this hate-filled contorted face is burned into my brain. (what ever happened to her, too?)

[teigyr]

I used to race against Mary Decker. There are stories....but the reaction to Zola Budd was a common reaction to things going against her favor. I don't know what happened to her but my mother might.

Sorry for the drift :D

[RoadRaven]

Zola Budd:
1984 Olympics- the Budd/Decker race
1985: Zola smashed the 5,000m record. She ran bare-foot and completed the distance in a time of 14 minutes and 48.07 seconds - 10 seconds faster than the previous record.
She returned to South Africa in 1988 and married Mike Pieterse in 1989. They have three children. I understand she still runs for enjoyment and pleasure.

Mary Decker? Interesting you raced with her Teigyr, and I guess it's a mild consolation to hear her reaction was not reserved for Zola only.
However, I have never been interested in how Decker fared after such an ungracious display.

[elk]

I have those MBTs...2 pair. One is a sandle. The other is black sporty shoe.

I got them from a shoe store I trust utterly to give me the right shoes and they were great when I had plantar faceatis (I totally forgot how to spell that)...

They are great for being on your feet all on concrete floors.

But I just don't like the looks of 'em. I was thinking of ebay...if anyone is interested...I think they are size 9.

Now I pretty much wear my Ariat riding boots, my Keens or my Sauconys.

[Tuckervill]

This woman wore those shoes to walk around the country and lose 160 lbs.:

http://www.littlechanges.com/

Karen