I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before on the site, but about 3 years ago I had vascular surgery on my leg. Due to who knows what, several veins in my leg collapsed. It caused an unbearable throbbing pain, not to mention a disgusting display of ‘blood blockage’ — i.e. I looked like I had the veins of an 80-year-old, or as my mother so eloquently puts it, cauliflower veins –SEXY!
I had eight of my veins removed and now visit my surgeon regularly for injections in order to prevent further damage. Relax, I’m fine. Aside from the occasional ache or tenderness, due to scarring and poor circulation, it doesn’t affect me. at all. The scars aren’t even that bad - if you squint 
One of the best things I can do however, is WALK! Lucky for me, I LOVE walking. It’s my favorite form of exercise. I especially enjoy going on walking dates with my mom. Whether we walk outside or in the mall (DORK ALERT!), we always have a good time and she makes the time fly!
Due to my circulatory issues, it was suggested that I look for a walking shoe that helped increase blood flow to the legs. After a bit of research and trial-and-error, I not only found the best shoes for my circulation, but for my posture and muscles, as well! And the best thing about them? ANYONE can benefit. These shoes are not just for people with poor circulation –HARDLY! Improved circulation is merely one of the many benefits of wearing them.
MBT shoes, coined as “the world’s smallest gym,” have been around for at least 5 years, but have just started picking up publicity – probably since celebrities have started adding them to their shoe collections. MBT shoes increase muscle activity, strengthening and toning the legs, buttocks, stomach and back muscles.
In addition, many have made the claim that the shoes’ unique design helps walkers smooth cellulite.
While you won’t find those claims on the shoe manufacturer’s Web site, MBT shoes have been used in training by Olympic medalists and other top athletes.
According to Swiss Masai Inc., the shoe manufacturer, other benefits of the shoes include:
- Activates neglected muscles
- Improves posture and gait
- Tones and shapes the body
- Can help with back, hip, leg and foot problems
- Can help with joint, muscle, ligament and tendon injuries
- Reduces stress on knee and hip joints
As well as relief of:
- Muscular Tension
- Joint Problems
- Back Problems
- Leg & Feet Problems
Let me start by saying these shoes do not look like your average Nike or adidas kicks. No, they are a bit more ‘bulky’ (to put it nicely!). The first thing you’ll notice is the thick and curved sole. Setting the shoes on the floor, you’ll see that the sole curves upward at the heel and toe. Yes, it looks a bit odd, but not as odd as the feeling you’ll receive when you first put them on — a sense you might fall backwards – I’m surprised I didn’t! Don’t be alarmed, this is just the shoes’ technology at work! By curving the soles in the front and back, the shoes force you to stand upright directly over your center of gravity. Take a look at this diagram for a detailed explanation.
I wear these shoes for about an hour to an hour and a half at least 3 times a week. When walking was my primary form of exercise, I would wear them for an hour every day. When I first started wearing the shoes a few years ago, my posture immediately improved and my legs started looking like I was spending hours at the gym. Since I’ve continued to wear the shoes, my posture has improved, my legs have gotten stronger and I have far less pain due to circulatory issues.
I only use these shoes for walking. In fact, I don’t think it is recommended that you run in these shoes –I imagine it would be quite easy to break an ankle (for me, the klutz, anyway)!
Sure, I get a few raised eyebrows and interesting looks, but it seems that more people are interested than turned off by the young professional channeling her inner granny! In all seriousness, the company started to create more ‘cute’ and ‘fashionable’ styles. My pair are white and grey with a pink stripe! All I know is that I’ll be staying away from the ‘professional’ styles. Because any tennis shoe made “workplace friendly” is just a fashion crime waiting to happen.
Classic MBT shoes (image credit: www.mbtshoes.tv)
A cuter version (image credit: media.merchantcircle.com)
Have you seen/tried MBTs? What shoes do you swear by?
Tags: product review
I’ve heard about these shoes but I don’t know – they just seem kind of weird to me! I swear by heels!! I wear them every day
K- woman after my own heart
Ok. So I have been thinking of trying these. I was looking at the Reebok version. What do you think of that one? It is supposed to do the same thing. http://www.reebok.com/US/#/product?modelId=30035866&articleId=R418531
chantal- hmmm this is the first I’ve seen of the Reebok version. I can’t really give my opinion without having tried them out. They certainly look more sleek! And I like that they are a bit less expensive. They don’t look as severe, so I’m also wondering if the affects would be a bit less noticeable. Definitely worth checking out though! I might see if I can find a pair somewhere to try on. Thanks for sharing
I’ve totally seen those before – just never knew their purpose!!! Thanks for sharing!
i’ve read great things about the mbt shoes, but never tried any personally. it is something i’ve been thinking about getting, though. so i’m glad you posted about them!
the vein problems sound not fun. glad you’re ok. still, i bet your ability to run, or maybe even bike, is compromised, no?
Carolina John – Actually activity of any kind is encouraged since it increases my circulation. I’m pretty much able to run, bike, swim, whatev! I’m still incredibly slow, but I don’t think that has anything to do with my veins
I’ve seen two women wearing them, and I have asked both what they thought. They both said they loved them, and that they also found they had better posture. In fact, if you don’t correct your posture, you fall over, right?
One of the women’s pairs, was a super-cute Mary Jane style. She was wearing them around the grocery store.
Wow, those shoes look fantastic! I really want to try them out, unfortunately I can’t afford a $200+ pair of shoes, lol. I wish I could – I think they’d be perfect for me!
Sarah – I’ve seen them online go for $50-$90, you might want to check that out! My mom actually bought a pair for $80 online.
I love that they are so good for the body – and yet I still think they are so weird looking. And I can just hear all the comments I would get about them – not nice ones!
Trish — yea, I don’t really care! It’s not like I wear them around the office or out shopping, and if I did I would HOPE someone would say something
Just when I’m walkin’
Vascular surgery, wow. Sometimes health overrides fashion, so I can see why you’d check out MBT. They are a bit much for me…but I do swear by Earth shoes. My feet are ultra flexible and beat up from ballet when I was younger. Also, I used to wear heels ALL the time. Anyway, my toes go numb if I don’t have proper support. Earth shoes are…kinda cute sometimes…but I miss my heels. The difference is Earth shoes make my feet and legs go “Ahhhhhhh thank god mmmmmm”
Wow, these sound awesome. I’ve never seen them before. Thanks for commenting on my blog the other day
I’m loving yours!
I think they sound great, but the price puts me off trying them. I’m glad they work for you though!
Walking is great exercise…people don’t realize how important the right shoe is. Thanks for sharing and for visting my site.
oh these shoes look funky!!!! i would wear them walking myself.. it might help burn some extra cals no??
I am totally going to give these a try!! They make sense in the way that the.. what’s that half dome inflated ball called? the way it throws you off balance and makes you use your core. Thanks so much for turning us on to these!
Michelle – I hear ya on the Earth shoes! They feel great on my feet and since wearing them is like walking on an inclined treadmill, my legs are also getting a workout. But, what I like best is how many styles there are to choose from! Everything from sneakers to flip flops and boots to mary janes.
I’ve been thinking about getting some of these for a while. Would love you to do a review of Fit Flops. These are using a similar technology to MBTs but in a flipflop style.
Those are some crazy looking shoes. Young professional channeling her inner granny. Love it. I’m glad they helped with your legs and posture. If I needed to buy a pair (due to leg problems) I’d probably just wear them with longer pants as these things are certainly not lookers
They are hideous but when I lived in Boston and walked all the time I used to wear them and they really do tone. I would just wear them under yoga pants so you couldn’t see too much of the shoe.
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I’ve been blogging about these too! But I found a shoe that’s even BETTER for circulation. It’s called the Chung Shi. The Chung Shi hurt my feet a bit though, so in the end I got MBT’s which don’t hurt, but I can tell my circulation isn’t being helped as much.
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