MBT Shoes for Women

feature 3, Fitness Shoes, MBT Shoes, Rocker Bottom Shoes, Walking Shoes - By Jackie Burns on Monday, March 15, 2010 - 01:48

There is no doubt that MBT shoes are bar none the most unique shoes I have ever owned.  To be honest, I resisted checking them out for a while because I was like, come on, do I really need to learn how to wear shoes?  I need a walk-through to be able to walk in them?  And, let’s face it, they look pretty funky.  So why do they fly out of the stockrooms of retailers?

Because MBT shoes for women are unbelievably wearable and comfortable, and the look of them is quirky, whimsical, and undeniably unique.

Buying Your MBT Shoes for Women

MBT shoes really can be hard to come by.  They come in a range of loud colors and styles.  They are funky, comfy, and cool.  Because of this, you need to find a great retailer that will have what you want in stock at a reasonable price (they have almost as loud a price tag as they look).  The #1 MBT Authorized Shoe Retailer has always had the best selection – available when I want them, at a price I appreciate.  In fact, they have been the #1 retailer of MBT Shoes since they were introduced.  Because they carry such a large selection, they are able to keep their prices lower than the competition.  Furthermore, their very liberal lifetime return policy, with free shipping on deliveries and returns, make them a no-brainer choice when buying MBT shoes.

MBT Shoes – The Anti-Shoe

The MBT Company designs its footwear to impact and benefit your entire body.  Your body weight and the pressure placed on your body from activity are distributed equally across your foot – diminishing pain, aches, and strain.  MBT shoes all have a patented sole designed to improve both posture and gait.  Because of the unique design and shape of the shoes, just wearing these shoes works various muscles and provides a workout for you.

MBT stands for "Masai Barefoot Technology," and the design is supposed to simulate “walking in the sand.”  The walking surface of the sole is thick, curved, uneven, and multi-layered.  The technology used here is to strengthen core muscles just from walking and increase shock absorption.

Benefits of MBT Shoes

While the MBT Company itself makes no promises about the results you can get from wearing MBT shoes for women, they have been used by Olympic athletes for training purposes.  These are some of the advantages that MBT shoes offer women:

• Increased muscle activity
• Increased circulation
• Improves upright posture and easy stride
• Decreases muscle tension
• Decreases joint issues
• Improves back problems
• Improves leg & foot problems

MBT Style

If you’ve seen the MBT shoe for women, you know that they have a distinctive and original shape and design.  The sole is a thick, curvy, flexible, cushioned sole, and the uppers typically look like a sandal, a sneaker, whatever – with added embellishments, straps, creative materials, etc.  The women’s collection includes casual shoes, sandals, sneakers, boots, and clogs.  With a somewhat strange look, it has been really nice to see that the more recent styles and designs are more current and fashionable – including a Mary-Jane style, knee-high boots, and slides.

What You Need to Know to get the Best MBT Size and Fit

MBT shoes are sized according to European sizes, so you want to know your conversion. It is not the typical conversion as MBT uses thirds instead of halves for size differences.  For example, a US Women’s Size 6 = MBT size 35 2/3.  A US women’s size 8.5 = MBT size 39.  This is why you need to shop at The #1 Authorized MBT Shoe Retailer – they understand these unusual sizing differences, and their size conversions make it easy to buy the right size. There is a reason they sell more MBT shoes than anyone else.  Other customers have felt the following about the accuracy of MBT women’s sizes:

• Size:  ½ of customers feel that the shoes are true to size.  The other ½ feels that MBT shoes run about a ½ size small, so keep this in mind when ordering – especially if you are a half size.  Read the customer comments on the particular shoe you are interested in.
• Width: All customers feel that the width fits accurately.
• Arch support: ½ feel support is good, ½ feel support is moderate

Tips for MBT women’s wear:

1. Don’t wear them every day to begin.  Work up to daily wear to allow your body get used to the feel of the shoe as well as extra workout you get.
2. Lace ‘em up tight!  Loose fit will make for horrible and uncomfortable wear.
3. They come with a warning not to wear on slippery or wet surfaces – heed this warning!  These shoes can be slippery on wet surfaces and do not provide the best traction.
4. Toes will likely never touch the front of the shoe because you will slip back a little as opposed to the typical slipping forward in other shoes.

Other MBT Wearers

MBT shoes have actually received a lot of media press because they have been purchased and worn by celebrities such as Cher and Gwyneth Paltrow.  But what does the average wearer have to say about these shoes?

“MBT’s are more expensive than I would normally pay for shoes, and after the first wear, I was a little unsure – they are different!  But, wow, different is better.  These are the best walking shoes I have ever owned.  I don’t consider them a fashion shoe that I would wear to work (they do look unusual), but with the newer styles, I might change my mind because these shoes really do feel great on!”

“I found the MBT shoes to run a little small for me (there is no wide width), but once I found the right size, I fell in love.  I am saving right now to get my next pair.”

“After a short while in the shoes, I began to like them – a lot.  They do feel like a workout for me,  even after wearing them for several months now, but that is why I wear them.  I get a lot more out of my walking commute and endless urban errands without having to separate time out of an already full schedule for exercise.  I highly recommend them.”

So, in the end, I am a convert.  Now I actually really like the quirky look to them – it fits my personality.  I don’t wear them for every occasion, but I’m a shoe gal – I wouldn’t wear any shoe for every occasion. (What a waste, right?)  I must add though, that the deals I find at The #1 Authorized MBT Shoes Retailer do make MBT Shoes for Women easier to buy – I like the deals so much, I bought a second pair just weeks after my first.