MBT Shoes versus Avon Curves: Who Wins the Matchup?

Fitness Shoes, MBT Shoes, Rocker Bottom Shoes, Walking Shoes - By Jackie Burns on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 14:24

I really do love it when two different shoe companies create similar products.  It gives me a chance to see not only which shoe I (and others) think is better, but it also clearly outlines the real reasons to buy the better shoe.  I especially enjoy when the two companies are both established and reputable – with a long history of designing and manufacturing great products.  This is exactly the case between MBT shoes and the Avon Curves.  Both shoes come from companies with stellar reputations and a real commitment to exceptional products.  So, sole to sole, who steps out ahead?

MBT Basics

MBT refers to its' product as the Anti-Shoe.  The shoe has a very thick, multi-layered, curved sole that is designed to simulate walking in the sand – hence the name “Masai Barefoot Technology.”  By creating an uneven walking surface, the shoe activates muscles in your entire body to strengthen, improve, and exercise your whole body.  And, they work.  Research has demonstrated that the following are significant and consistent health benefits people get from wearing MBT shoes:

• Increased muscle activity
• Increased circulation
• Increase in tone and strength of muscles
• Straighter upright posture
• Steadier gait
• Decreased muscle pressure & strain
• Improved back, leg, foot, neck, and joint problems

The Curve of the Avon Curve

The Avon Curve is also a shoe that offers a thick, curved sole on a fitness shoe.  It is designed to generate a natural rocking motion while you walk to challenge your muscles to work harder, improving your strength and circulation.  Avon Curves also suggest that the shoes can improve your balance and posture – similar to the MBT.  Not exactly, but let’s start with the pros.

Pros:

• Curves do provide better shock absorption than other shoes
• Curves are comfortable relative to other fitness trainers – not more but not less
• The entire Curves collection is very attractive and stylish
• Very affordable

Customer reviews report that the Curve is very wearable in terms of comfort, but for those who have tried the MBT and the Curve, there was no question that the Curve just is not as effective in promoting the whole body health benefits that should come from the shoe’s design.  Here are the biggest concerns.

Cons:

1. Not very durable – wear developed on first day out
2. The curve is only on the bottom of the shoe – not the inside – so it is still a fairly flat surface for your foot
3. Saw no real muscle tone improvement after several months of wear – at that point the shoes were also tearing at the sole
4. Didn’t really feel like there was much of a workout – just a more wobbly walk

The Final Verdict

While Avon is an amazing company, I suspect they should stick to doing what they do best (likely better than anyone else), and that is making beauty products.  Avon has fewer choices and styles than MBT, and while the idea is great (that’s what makes MBTs so fabulous), their execution falls short of the original.  It is the whole shoe that benefits the whole body with the MBT – not just the sole.  If you want the results that MBTs deliver, you need MBTs, not Avon Curves. 

Save the money you’ll spend buying Curves and MBTs later on, and just get the MBTs.

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