People don't just pop out of the ground and invent a new shoe, and the new shoes do not grow on trees. Every shoe style begins naturally, from someone who had an idea. When it comes to the MBT shoes, that someone is Karl Muller, a Swiss engineer.
The Prehistory of MBT Shoes
As it turns out, MBT stands for Masai Barefoot Technology. That is all well and good, yet if you don't determine what the Masai is, then you are definitely left in the dark. The Masai is in fact not a "what," but a "who." As in an African tribe living around Kenya. You might remember them as one of the more important tribes in Africa, and perhaps they are well-known for their fantastic posture. Masai tribesman don't wear shoes commonly, which has led to a lot of speculation about how their posture came to be so good.
The Early 1990s
Think back to the times of Vanilla Ice and grunge music and you'll be at the birthplace of the MBT shoes. During this period, Karl Muller happened to be in Korea and realized that whilst he walked without shoes on the soft grass that his knee and tendon problems appear relieved.
Being no slouch, Muller grew aware of the Masai tribe at some point and put two and two together: perhaps there was something to walking on soft surface with bare feet that helps the body reach its natural walking style and, hence, decrease the amount of pain you feel thanks to the method that you walk.
1996
Eventually, the first prototype had been created. The concept? Build a shoe that cushions the foot in the hard floors of Western modern life - think hardwood and concrete - while still stimulating the impact of having to walk with your bare feet. The result was the MBT shoe prototype, and by the year 2000, thousands of MBT shoes were being sold yearly in Europe.
Today
The MBT gets a lot of attention these days including some buzz that it can help you lose weight and be in shape thanks to the modern, challenging walking style the MBT shoes present. While the MBT doesn't market itself being a fitness tool, lots of people are looking into buying a pair of their own because they heard about the possible waist-slimming effects.
Rock Bottom Soles
It is critical to realize that today's rock bottom soles are mostly due to the MBT pattern. Rock bottom soles just like the Sano by Mephisto are also aimed at improving posture, gait, and serious pain. Thanks to the rising popularity of both the MBT shoe and the rock bottom sole, you will find lots of low-cost knock-offs of shoes like this - due to this it's important to ensure you have not only own a good MBT or rock bottom shoe, but that you obtain such shoes from the proper sources.
