MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) Trainers

Howdy folks,

This lady is looking for some comfortable shoes. Really. Not batting for the other team or nufink like that. I just have tired, sore feet and a bad back and want to treat my feet to comfy shoes (preferably with a bit of style too, no white runners).

I'm having some physio at the moment and I asked the physio for some comfy shoe recommendations. Being a Kiwi recently arrived in Ireland she confessed she wasn't familiar with what's available here.

I told her someone has recommended MBT shoes as good for back and foot support (I've pancake-flat feet and funny alignment which isn't so funny when it comes to back and foot pain). She hadn't heard of MBT's though one of her colleagues had but didn't know much about them. The colleague recommended Cripps in Terenure as good for comfy shoes (haven't been there since I got my Communion shoes!!)

So has anyone tried MBT's? How did you get on? Are they just (very expensive) gimmicks? Or do they help with back and foot support and shock absorbancy?

Has anyone any other comfy shoe recommendations? Or good shoe shops for fitting shoes properly.

I'm to be fitted for insoles next week which can be put into any flat shoe which should help matters but I'd like to invest in some decent shoes to help matters along. From a vanity perspective I'd prefer not to be stuck in white runners but if needs must ...

Comfy Shoes - MBT's?

Just bear in mind that MBT had to change their advert after the ASAI got onto them for making midleading claims. I think the evidence to back up their claims is very flimsy. Do your own research on this before forking out.

If you have flat feet, properly fitted orthotics are not cheap, but they are certainly good and their benefits have solid scientific basis.

cheers,
Diziet

Has anyone any other comfy shoe recommendations?

Haven't worn anything else for about 30 years now:

[broken link removed]

...

similar problem. Bought a pair of ecco shoes. Wont be buying anything else in the future.

Re: ...

I have a pair (Dr. M's, not the poster on AAM!) from years ago, which the wife would love to ditch. I swear by them. The wife had to get orthotics made up, they have been a life saver for her.

Re: ...

I got orthotics made last year, you should be able to wear any decent shoes, i.e. Clarks, Ecco, Hush Puppies etc.. once you have the orthotics so I wouldn't advise spending ott until you get them. Only one pair of shoes I have purchased since have been unwearable with or without the orthotics and these were unbranded.

Re: ...

Thanks a mill for the replies folks.

Used to be a big fan of Dr M's but they offer no internal arch support and are pretty damn heavy so I ditched my last (much loved and much worn) Dr M's last year.

The orthotic insoles I'm getting are relatively cheap-and-cheerful at €45 (not the full-on hard plastic jobs costing €100's which my mother (whose bad feet I inherited) had to get as she left her feet and back problems too late). Mts, your advice re holding off until I get the insoles sounds pretty sensible.

BTW, I like ecco alright but their City range generally have little or no arch support or shock absorbancy.

Re: These shoes were made for walking the dogs?

Have recently come across Soft Wave shoes in Arnotts. Made in Portugal and are very soft leather. Flat ok but not too sure about the arch support. They work out at about €50 for shoes and €60 for boots. Once you've done a days retail therapy in them you won't go back to wearing anything else on your feet.

Comfortable shoes

... as a child my mother bought us echo shoes ... they were hideous ... so much so to my shame I went to school one day and one of the nuns was wearing the same shoes as me!!!
From that day on I swore no more ugly shoes ... I would rather suffer ... life is too short for comfortable shoes

Re: Comfortable shoes

Bless your commitment to the cause Henny Penny but if you'd spend a couple of sessions squealing under the physio's elbow as I have you might feel differently!

Ouch on the nun-shoe-matching though. Oh dear! That's the most disparaging thing my mother can say about an outfit: "You look like a nun on her day off!" :b

I know what you mean about the ugly shoe syndrome though. I mean sometimes I wonder if manufacturers of comfy shoes don't actually go out of their way to make the shoes look pug ugly. Few seem to have mastered the dual functionality of being kick-ass comfy and looking sh1t hot! (Ecco have improved slightly over the years though )

Sueellen, will look out for Soft Wave. There's nothing like a day traipsing around the shops to really test out shoes, is there?

Re: Comfortable shoes

Hi Coolaboola. I got the orthotics - they cost €250.00 - and they have made a big improvement in my back problems. They are difficult to suit to stylish shoes but keep looking and you'll get them. The €45 insoles are not worth the money - the orthotics are. I wear high heels in which the orthotics don't fit on a night out but I make sure I only walk from the car to the foyer of wherever and in - once I walked a 20 minute walk to a hotel and back at the end of the night, in high heels without the orthotics. I was CRIPPLED the next day.

Re: Comfortable shoes

Hi Joan, Sounds like you have bad problems with your back. Ouch! I (touching wood, crossing fingers and toes, etc) don't suffer to the same extent as you do by the sounds of things.

The physio isn't even sure that my current back problems are caused by my funny feet. Embarassingly I appear to have strained a muscle or ligament in my bum! Well my lower back, but we all know that means bum! And the physio reckons this is the cause of my current back troubles. Hence my reluctance to fork out for the full-on (and expensive) orthotics. The physio isn't recommending them at this stage anyway.

The insoles are a preemptive strike I suppose, trying to learn lessons from my mother's experiences (since I've inherited her feet but hopefully not her terrible back and leg problems). Between the insoles, sensible (but hopefully not too boring) shoe choices and exercises I'm hoping to avoid having to go for full orthotics...

Thanks for your advice though. Maybe I'm self-correcting when it comes to wearing sensible shoes... I feel so uncomfortable in high heels and I look like the alien from Mars Attacks when I try to walk in anything more than a 2 inch heel :b so I tend to avoid high heels as much as possible. But to date thankfully once I throw off the high heels I'm fine. I don't get high heel back hangovers.

Hi Coola,

One good tip that I always give out is to put the stopper in the shower and let the water build up and therefore soak your feet. You can also put some Radox in but you have to be careful as it can make the floor quite slippy. As I don't really have the patience for soaking the feet each day this saves the bother. Since I started doing this some years ago I find it helps with the aching feet a lot.

Oh, my other piece of advice is FORGET ABOUT HIGH HEELED SHOES - NOT WORTH THE PAIN.

I eventually had to get the proper orthotics after a few years of the cheaper ones, I can still get away with wearing the high heels for one night though! I find that wearing no shoes, not even slippers, at home also helps. For anyone into sports, Nike do a shoe called Kantara which has excellent arch support, specially made for over pronators. Orthotics are very uncomfortable at the gym.

Hi Sueellen, The foot soaking tip sounds good. Will give it a try. Am totally with you on the high-heel theory ... life's too short for that kind of pain (much to the OH's disappointment! )

mts, have heard that walking barefoot is supposed to be great but apparently not so good if you're flat-footed (like me) becasuse your feet need the support and control. Having said that MBT are supposed to be based on barefoot walking (Masaai Barefoot Technology)...

Surfing around I found this helpful site (among many) for choosing shoes (only runners alas). Thought it might be of interest to others on this board who suffer wonky feet. [broken link removed]

In the meantime I'm off to try out MBT's at lunchtime and then to the physio to get fitted for the orthotics this afternoon. Will let you know how I get on.

c

I could only recommend ECCO shoes.

Well I've tried out MBT's. Interesting. The sales person didn't instill confidence as he didn't seem to know much about basic biomechanics (like the concept of pronation or motion control shoes). The shoes themselves were intersting to wear. Imagine wearing shoes where the midsole was higher than the toe or heel so the sole is shaped like a rocker. Standing still in them was a challange, constantly adjusting my posture to stay upright. Walking was surprisingly comfortable though. The styles are limited and prices range from €179 (for sandals) to €207 (for boots or 'lifestyle' (i.e. cute red) shoes). I haven't commited to buying yet as I'm not sure I'm convinced yet.

I went to the physio afterwards. One of the physios at the clinic had actually bought a pair. As she said herself she had been convinced by the theory. But she said she's hardly worn them at all since. She reckons they do make you stand more upright which can only be a good thing but isn't sure that they're not a bit gimmicky (even having handed over the cash herself). And she definitely agreed they're pretty darn ugly! She suggested getting a decent pair of motion control shoes in the sales which will probably be less than 1/2 the price of the MBTs and see how I get on from there. In the meantime I have been given exceptionally uncomfortable orthotoic wedges to try and help with my wonky feet before being fitted for the orthotics. Ow! Ow! Ow!

In the meantime I remain a lady in search of comfortable shoes ... Saw some lovely ones on (merrell's were recommended by the Kiwi physio) I particularly like Spire Peak and Spire Bandeau as well as the Jungle Moc in Sunset (they all look so comfy ... my poor feet's fantasy!) Unfortunately none of the suppliers listed stock any of these styles. GRRR! In fact most of the suppliers listed only stock mens merrell shoes. Double GRRR!

Coola,

Go into Arnotts and try the Soft Waves. They had a few different styles when I was in there recently. For comfort alone you definitely won't regret it.

Thanks sueellen! Am bracing myself to brave the crowds. Will check out Soft Wave at Arnotts.

Ok, my search for comfy shoes continues, now bordering on the obsessive. While I still intend to try those Soft Wave shoes per Sueellen's suggestion I'm now officially fixated on trying to get a pair of Merrells.

Unfortunately there seem to be very few Merrell stockists in Dublin. Indeed most of those listed on the Merrell site either only stock mens, or a very limited range of ladies styles or don't stock Merrell anymore at all. I have found one shop (Lowe Alpine Shop in Temple Bar) who helpfully have offered to order the styles I want in for me. They said however that I'd be committed to buying them if they ordered them in.

Now part of me says fair enough, they're ordering in non-standard stock. But they're shoes. If I try them on and they don't fit correctly ... Hmm. Surely I can't be obliged to purchase goods if they turn out to be unsuitable for me (there's only so much you tell about a shoe from reading about it on the 'net - the proof of the pudding is in the wearing)?