MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) Trainers

I'm really thinking of buying a pair. They are a bit pricey (€179 - 220).

I was wondering if anyone had tried them or heard anything about them.

Good, bad or indifferent all advice welcome.

Thanks.
 
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Independent reviews show that they are not all they are cracked up to be and the UK ASA took them to task for unsubstantiated claims. Do your own research and save the money for something nice!
 
Thanks for that - I'll do a bit more research. All I can find is glowing reports but it sll soming from Reatil Brochures so can't believe a word of it. Some really reputable Personal Trainers and fitness centres are selling them though - I's be surprised if they turned out to be a complete sham.
 
Id forgot about MBTs , sbpost did a thing on them last year, havent bought the paper in ages, but god bless their search engine..

[broken link removed]
 
If you get them will you keep us posted on how you get on and what you think of them?
 
I found a stockist here and am buying some next weekend.

Thought I was a total trend setter until my boyfriends mother showed me hers, she has them about 2 years and loves them!
The runners are a bit nana looking though, but what can I say, I'm a marketing mans dream - I have to try them
 
The Chemist at the end of O'Connell Street, Dublin, has a good range of MBT's in the window
 
You can also get them in a shop upstairs in the Powerscourt Town House shopping centre (though I haven't actually got them . . . . yet).
 
Hi,


I bought the shoes one month ago and can only praise them! They have fixed my back pains in only one week. I used to go to the chiropractor twice a month so I'm alrady saving money.
They also tone your legs and stomach!
 
I am really interested in these runners - I have read mostly fab reports of them and have been seeing people wearing them more and more often recently. I stopped one woman last week who was wearing them and asked her whether they did what they were supposed to do (I didn't go as far as asking her whether her cellulite had disappeared!!!). She had bought them over the internet about a year ago and said they had done a very good job in toning her legs. I know they look a bit crap but I think i'll defo be investing in a pair! The website has a section on where to purchase in the Republic of Ireland. The chemist in O'Connell Street that stocks them is Hamilton Long, Brazil Body in Powerscourt townhouse Centre do them too and Pat Henry Fitness Studio. They're supposed to be a bit sore when you try walking in them first but you just have to practice in them.
 
Hola

I bought my MBT's two weeks ago. They are quite "nerdy" to look at so they are not for the fashionistas out there, but if like me you have a genuine medical complaint; I reckon they will do the job. I have 3 slipped discs and as I am only 27, I am desperate to explore every avenue available that doesn't lead to surgery.

I got the black MBT's as I think I will get away with wearing these at work on occasion. They are VERY sore to walk in at the start! It is recommended that you only walk in them for half an hour a day at the beginning, and gradually build on this. It is a similar feeling to walking in sand, it really pulls on the calf muscles. If you are looking for something a little trendier try www.lovethoseshoes.com. They sell a range of footwear with negative heel technology (something similar to the principle behind MBT's).

I will post some progress reports at a later stage!

Noor
 
they're about €200. I just ordered a pair in Brazil Body in Powerscourt Townhouse Centre on Thursday evening. The girl there showed me how to walk in them and I must say when I took them off and put on my own normal runners, I found them harder to walk in even though I'd only had the MBTs on for about 10 mins! Will get them in a couple of weeks and can't wait. Got a white pair - they're actually not as bad on (to look at) as I thought they would be thankfully. And initially anyway, they are like walking on air although you can really feel the strain in the back of your leg as soon as you put them on - it's like having to balance on your tiptoes but you're wearing a shoe? Very strange feeling...
 
joanmul said:
Do you mind if I ask how much they cost?


Thanks
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Mine were €199 in Hamilton Long Pharmacy on O'Connell Street. So far, the longest amount of time I have been able to walk in them continuously has been 40 minutes. After that my legs get achey and sore. It's probably very good for me though!
 
Another much cheaper alternative (maybe not so effective) is to buy velco leg weight in Boots and wear anywhere(about 10 euros). They are also a bit sore if you wear them all day and they really tone the calf muscles!
 
Hi, I got my MBTs two months ago and only get pains in my legs after walking in them for about 4 hours. Could someone please describe how to walk in them? Noone every showed me propperly. The girl in the chemist just asked me to try them on in the chemist and walk around....? Thanks for your feedback!
 
Enaja



Be careful with those leg weights, they can tone and build you legs, but also wear and tear your cartilage and play havoc with your meniscus joints in you knee and ankles.

I used them for a long time to exercise with, but not for walking or running. Women are also especially prone to hip problems and these weights’s can also contribute hip displacement or joint weakness also.

You may not notice symptoms now but after 1 year or so they will become apparent, they are only good for doing stretching or toning exercises to build more resistance.
 
Matilda, check out the FAQ section which gives info on wearing the MBTs and I assume somewhere on the site it mentions how to walk in them. I was shown in the shop I got them in as well (last week) and have been wearing them 15 mins each way from the bus to work since Monday. I must say you do feel them working your legs and after you've worn them, even just for the 15 mins at each end of the day, they do tend to feel quite heavy. I was also given a video on how to wear them (which I haven't watched yet) but from what the girl in the shop said, you don't really use the toe or heel and you try to walk on the outside sides of the shoe?


Good luck with them anyway - time will tell if they work for me!!
 
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