 Could
a shoe revolution be afoot? Will fashionistas of the future
be bouncing down city sidewalks, their feet adorned in
thick convex-soled shoes rather than today's gossamer
Manolo Blahniks? Tomorrow's athletes won't be running
in Nikes or Adidas, but in hefty orthopedic footwear that
go by the name of Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT). If
this is the future, then the future is chunky.
SWISS
MOVEMENT
MBT was the brainchild of Swiss engineer, Karl Muller,
who was looking for a way to ease his own back and knee
problems. He found that walking on uneven terrain cut
down on the pain and decided to make a shoe that would
simulate that feeling. The shoe is named after the Masai
tribe of Kenya who are known for their perfect posture
and elegant gait. Mr Muller observed that these tribes
people were able to walk long distances barefoot ? without
suffering any sort of pain. The fact the footwear bears
the name of a tribe famous for eschewing shoes altogether
didn't prevent MBTs from becoming a runaway success
in Europe 10 years ago when Mr Muller began selling
his shoes.
MARCHING
ONWARD
Since their release, the MBT design has found many converts.
They all tout the benefits of the thick-soled wonder
and claim it offers relief from back and joint pain,
improves muscle tone and even reduces cellulite. But
what real good could a gaudy chunk of convex rubber
do for the aching joints of your arthritic patients?
Wonders, according to new research.
"Standing still in these shoes
actually increases muscle activity by 30% to 40%," explains
Dr Beno Nigg, PhD, professor in the Department of Kinesiology
at the University of Calgary. Dr Nigg has been studying
biomechanics and orthopedic mechanism for years and
recently teamed up with Swiss Masai ? one of the makers
of MBT ? to study the shoe. He explains that the Masai
shoes actually take pressure off of the joints by working
the tiny muscles in the feet. "MBT forces people to
use those muscles," Dr Nigg explains.
IN
THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
As for cellulite, Dr Nigg and his colleagues are leaving
that question to other researchers. MBT's unorthodox
sole design might convince the fashion conscious to
wait for the other shoe to drop before lacing up, but
the pioneers who do buy the footwear now should prepare
to buckle down and study. They'll receive an instructional
DVD with their purchase and be obliged to take classes
to learn the tricky skill of walking on the convex soles.
Another downside: the shoes are only available at a
handful of stores ? three in Ontario, two in BC and
one in Alberta. Oh, and did we mention the price tag?
The average pair of MBTs retail for about $260.
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