There's a new kind of shoe people in the United States are seeing more and more of lately and they're making some pretty good sounding promises. The original brand name MBT, which stands for Masai Barefoot Technology, began showing up in the US in 2003 though it had already been selling in parts of Europe in the late 90s. It has since then become a growing sensation with a few big name shoe brands creating popular knock-offs.
The Science Behind the Design
Masai, also spelled Maasai, are a group of people living in Kenya, Africa known for their agility and endurance. The creators claim on the MBT official website that it was watching these people that they began to realize the benefits of having to balance as you walk. They say our feet weren't meant to walk on flat paved surfaces and doing so constantly can lead to strain on different parts of the body, as well as cause us to not utilize all the muscles we could and maybe should be to walk efficiently. The idea is that if we have to keep our body stabilized, we'll burn more calories and engage more muscles, like you do when walking on sand. MBT representatives also point out that this will improve your posture because it's hard to keep your balance and slouch at the same time. It's the same general idea behind exercising on a balance ball.
To create this effect, the people behind MBT made the bottom of the shoe thick and significantly rounded, with the heel of the shoe having a soft, thick section with a decent amount of give under pressure. When walking in a deliberate heel to toe gait the effect is intended to mimic that of walking on an unsteady surface, thereby engaging other muscles, evening out the pressure along the bottom of the foot, and forcing better posture.
Benefits, Studies and Testimonials
When it comes to the benefits of MBT shoes exclusively, there are many listed health benefits that focus more on proper posture and possible pain relief from joint and back pain. The most popular knock-off, the Sketcher 'Shape-ups' focus on the muscle toning and weight loss possible when wearing their shoes.
According to Walking Shoe Reviews, MBT shoes are capable of increasing stability and strength in the ankle and other joints and reducing pain in the entire body by "reduce[ing] the pressure of hip and knee joints by 19%." The website also lists a number of medical patients allegedly helped by MBT walking shoes. They claim a "...Reduction of foot pressure distribution in normal and diabetic patients, patients with Plantar Fasciitis, chronic back pain sufferers, [and that] Osteoarthritis patients [have] improved strength and balance." The site mentioned several studies to back the claim and also on the site are several testimonials of people who own and are pleased with the shoe.
Conflictingly The American Council on Exercise as reported by The Wall Street Journal conducted their own study of shoes featuring unstable bottoms to the shoe design such as MBT, Sketcher and Reebok shoes that fit that criteria. In the research there were two different groups of "12 physically active female volunteers in the 19-27 age range," says the Wall Street Journal site. According to the results on the bottom of page 2 on the ACE research report, "...none of the toning shoes showed statistically significant increases in either exercise response or muscle activation..." (A link to the ACE research report is located on previous posted WSJ website.)
Do They Work or Not?
It could be argued that the ACE report is not the final word because it's based on a small sample size and did not appear to address a few other stated health benefits. These shoes are not magic footwear that will make you melt pounds. If they make you more likely to go out there and take a walk on your new (and probably expensive) shoes then technically, yes, you are burning more calories because of them. If the large amount of padding and funny way the shoes make you walk causes you to be more engaged in your workout then great, maybe you shouldn't analyze it. Special shoes or no, it's important to take personal responsibility for your workouts and the tools and equipment to help you get there are useful on an individual basis.
In short, the answer to whether or not they "work" is going to depend on what you're expecting and how you use them. If you walk in them and find yourself standing straighter and walking for longer periods of time I'd say they are definitely helping you. If you purchased these shoes with the hope that they'll turn your fitness level around without any extra effort from you then you've probably wasted your money. If all they provide is motivation, that's something, but like any other fitness implement, when it comes down to it, it's you who has to do the work.
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