Masai Balance Shoes
Masai Balance Shoes, also known as MBT Shoes, are a line of thick-soled shoes and sandals marketed as an aid to fitness and physical therapy. The shoes—made by Switzerland's Swiss Masai—are intended to activate neglected muscles, improve posture, and alleviate foot and back problems.
Fast Facts
- Manufacturer: Swiss Masai
- Retail: $175 and above
- Billed as "the first physiological footwear"
How They Work
Rather than being designed to ease the act of walking, Masai Balance Shoes are intended to increase muscle activity in targeted areas, while decreasing stress on the knees and hips. With each step, the wearer is artificially made slightly unstable, causing the muscles required for balance to do extra work. Reports have likened the effect of wearing them to walking in sand. According to the official site, simply strolling in the shoes works out the buttocks, abdomen and rear thighs.
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