Hobbits are real!
Or a Brit. Or a Minnesotan. Or, if you’re really cool: a Masai.
In addition to their ability to jump like they’re on a pogo stick, minus the stick, the Masai are famous for their ability to walk and run long distances with significantly less overuse injuries than the rest of us. 60% less knee injuries, according to one study. Genetically gifted? Probably. But they have another secret – besides drinking cow’s blood which according to Wiki they don’t really do anymore but still think it makes a fun story to tell tourists, when the truth is they are far too poor to afford to kill their cows and therefore eat a diet of primarily maize like most other 3rd world countries – they walk barefoot.
I’ve mentioned before the benefits of walking without shoes but I’ve never put my money where my mouth is on this one. I thought about trying to do kick boxing or running on the track in bare feet but there is a strong possibility I’d get in trouble for that and, also, a strong possibility of athlete’s foot or plantar warts. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Y but just like I wouldn’t sit on the bike seats sans undies, I don’t walk around sans shoes.
I suppose nobody is stopping me from going barefoot in the great outdoors but here’s where my confession comes in: I’m a huge pain wuss. This was reinforced to me the other night when I had the immense privelege of helping my friend birth her third child (and by “helping” I mean sitting in her hospital room playing yahtzee and occasionally remembering to ask her if she’s okay). She was just laying in bed, not moving or talking and so I assumed she was asleep. The nurse came in to check her and mentioned, “Wow, you’ve been having some big contractions!” Checking her cervix (seriously, the worst part of being in labor – there should be a rule that the number of hands involved in getting the baby out should not be more than double the number of hands involved in getting the baby in), the nurse announced my friend was dilated to a 7 and 100% effaced. Girlfriend was so silent that the Scientologists wanted to come take notes. Were that me, there would have been screaming, cursing and death threats. Heaven help you if you are in the vicinity when I “transition.” I literally think I’m dying every single time (and you’d think after doing it four times I’d remember but no) and make sure everyone around me appreciates that fact.
Like I said, HUGE pain wuss.
Which means that even tip-toeing barefoot over the woodchips in my front yard to get to my mailbox yields yelps and squeals. The Masai would leave me for dead somewhere between Kenya and Tanzania (see – I did do some research for this!). Although according to, well, everybody, if I walked barefoot long enough then my feet would eventually get used to it. Just like the old man in Seattle whom we watched daily do the same circuit up and down the boardwalk with a quick dip in the waves, wearing nothing but the same pair of high-waisted women’s ’80s shorty shorts no matter what the weather. Really, who doesn’t want to be a crazy old man?
So how does one conduct a barefoot experiment in shoes? Up until now, I thought it was impossible. But there are other people as wussy as I am (or perhaps just socially responsible) . The people at MBT make what they call the “anti- shoe.” It’s supposed to mimick walking barefoot, Masai style, but with really big shoes on your feet to protect and accessorize your tootsies. In addition, they also are supposed to tighten and activate all kinds of muscles. Hmmm… think they do thighs? Once I got over the conscience pang of realizing that a pair of these shoes could probably buy a Masai villiage a cow, it has been a fond dream of mine to try them out.
Our own MizFit is currently running her own MBT experiment, courtesy of a thoughtful birthday gift from her man. If you are interested in trying them out then September is your month. MBT has christened September the month of walking. Check out their 30 Reasons to Walk page that not only has some cool ideas on how to shake up your walking but also lists events all over the country where you can get your walk on and try out some “anti-shoes” and other cool products.
Opinions? Any of you try these out? Are they worth the money? Would you ever drink cow’s blood? Walk barefoot on woodchips? Go through labor without screaming? I already know plenty about where you would pee😉
Now I’ve got that song stuck in my head. Thanks. 🙂
I’ve heard good things (from one friend) about http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/
but have been too cheap to try them out yet.
Just by looking at the shoes, I’d think these promote walking barefoot better than MBTs…
I am also a huge pain wuss, but have tough hands and feet. I’m forever picking up baking trays when they’ve just come out of the oven and my mum screams FOR me, and I’m all like “what?” I think I might be made of asbestos.
Do you think they can make babies come out of your hands? I’d be poppin’ em out.
I wanna hear Mizfit’s progress report on the MBTs!
TA x
I love em.
I did post my so far back in july and am gonna do an update soon (and sadly I also own and also ADORE the vibramfivefingers. love.).
and Ive visited the Masai.
that is all.
I love my Nike Free running and training shoes.
They feel almost like slippers and I took a while for my feet to adjust to the lack of support.
Now all I wear to work are Frees and Chucks as long as I don’t have anything really, really important going on.
I read a review in Runner’s World about those MBTs…those things are weird looking! I’d kind of like to get some for Halloween or something. But seriously, I think the guy really liked them once he got used to them, and once he got over the weird looks from others.
I had plantars warts when I was in 8th grade from walking outside all the time without shoes. That totally sucked. I burned them off myself (with that really smelly brush-on stuff), but you have to physically pluck all the little “seeds” out with tweezers or else they won’t go away. That hurt like a beyotch!
I am dying to try out the MBT’s, but alas, they are too expensive. If I am going to spend that kind of money on shoes, they need to be cute.
No, I would not drink cow’s blood. Yuck. Walking on the mulch in my back yard hurts my feet, but I do it anyway. I went through labor twice without screaming…because I got epidurals. Loooovvvve the epidural.
When I was young, I used to walk down our super long gravel drive way barefoot. It never bothered me, then. I walked across it the short way a few years ago and though my feet were going to fall off after 5 steps.
I wanted a pair of Nike Frees, but they didn’t fit my feet right.
No, I would not drink cow’s blood. Or eat blood pudding. But! When no one is looking, I’m totally going to try jumping like that.
Once, in Washington D.C. while I was visiting the National Mall. Seeing that large, long expanse of green grass, I took off my shoes and socks, and walked the length barefoot! It felt good!!
Give me a soft surface (grass or sand) and I’m all barefoot before you can blink. Otherwise, hands up as another pain wuss.
The MBTs look interesting but alas, too expensive and ugly to make my wish-list (currently lusting after maroon boots which will not mimic barefoot at all).
If someone were to DONATE a pair, I’d be so into trying them though!
Its a funny idea and kind of cool. I kind of want to try them.
I like walking around barefoot.
I thought they drew blood form the cow’s neck without killing it… and then mixed it with milk… hmmm… GROSS!!!!
I hardly ever walk around barefoot, even in my own home. I do wear Nike Frees at the gym though, because they’re great at strengthening your foot and ankles (by makes them work for themselves to stabilize rather than depending on the shoe). It did take a little while to get use to it (read, trying to teach class while in the midst of changing shoes…), but now I use them all the time at the gym. I need another pair.
I haven’t tried the MBTs, but they sure do look funny!
I have to admit that I’m confused about the purpose of learning to walk barefoot by buying big shoes and walking in them. It seems to me this can only delay the inevitable. At some point, aren’t you going to have build callouses on your feet so they don’t get scratched and hurt by rocks, thorns, etc?
Also, isn’t what you walk barefoot on going to be different than what the Masai walk barefoot on (pavement vs dirt)?
Me want MBTs! (But me too cheap to pay for them.)
I work out barefoot when I work out at home. Actually, wait: I work out barefoot at the gym, too! (Pilates teacher, DUH, Alyssa!)
But I have a hard time walking barefoot outside (other than on grass or sand). It’s painful PLUS you just don’t know what’s on the ground. Ew.
I had epidurals during my 2 deliveries, as well. Scream-free birthing! I would not drink cow’s blood, but I’m thinking that, for those who do, this could open up a whole new market for Starbucks. (Decaf caramel bloodychino, anyone?)
Has anyone heard of RYN Footwear that is really big in Europe and Asia right now? http://www.rynshoes.co.uk/video-wmv/ They look similar to MBT but claim to have better quality, stability and energy return. Plus I can see more style! What I like most about RYN exercise shoes is that they have a Sports High model for people like me who want the maximum immediate strengthening & ultra-toning results! Does anyone know where I can buy RYN Footwear in the United States?
After reading some blogs from people doing parkour I decided to get my hands on a pair of nike free – that’s what they recommended there. Admittedly, everyone and their cats is still better at climbing up walls than poor ole me but those shoes are simply awesome! I run faster and jump further than before, even my orthopedist told me “Huhm.. err.. you really have been doing all those [funny-looking and incredibly dull and boring] exercises that I recommended, huh?” – though I had not, shame on me. So after making my feet and calves cause me some agonizing pain in the beginning, those shoes strenghtened the muscles down there (no hips, sorry for that).
They look darn ugly though and doing more than 10k in them is (at least for me) only possible with a 2 days break from running afterwards – using your muscles and joints to stabilize and provide cushioning takes a toll, eventually.
Still love ’em, though.
I bought and used the MBT when I had an intractable case of plantar fasciitis. I was desperate because they are the ugliest shoes ever. I wore them regularly and really didn’t notice any effect on my legs. Might be because I do Olympic-style weightlifting, squats, deadlifts, etc. regularly so the legs are already really strong. They did not cure my plantar fasciitis. Taking Iodoral did cure the p.f. so I stopped wearing the shoes. They are really ugly and should only be worn with boot-cut or bell-bottom pants that are too long. I would not recommend them.
Best,
Cindy
Them shoes are ugly! I love walking around barefoot. If I could walk everywhere barefoot, I would. (Well, maybe not everywhere, I’d probably draw the line before Britney Spears did…no public bathrooms on my bare feetsies.)
I’m not so sure on the cow’s blood. Does anyone know what it tastes like? Maybe it’s delicious and we’re all missing out!
Just got a pair of MBTs. I walk barefoot all the time, so the idea of these super thick soles seems strange.
The IDEA however, is supported by podiatrists. The sole is round not flat. It’s a rocker-soled shoe that is important.
I find when wearing the MBTs that I have to be aware of my walk. Like when you thoughtlessly just throw up a weight.. you can’t just throw your feet out any old way.
I love that when I’m just standing I can rock back and forth on my feet. I don’t like the lack of sensing what the ground is like underneath my feet.
Today, walking my dogs on a dirt track, I had to change back to my every day Rykas. And they felt lighter or springer!
You need a pair of Vibram Five-Fingers…
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ (WFS)
just like barefoot, but not painful!!
Karin
Lighter, much more compact, better designed, more effective, less clunky…
We are now selling RYN Footwear online at http://www.FeetFirstFitness.com and at Feet First in Boca Raton, Florida. The demand for RYN shoes & RYN sandals is so high here that many styles were already sold out before our first shipment had even arrived.
I heard that RYN shoes will be coming soon to bliss spa and zappos.
I love my MBTs! Got them last year with some birthday money. I just got a pair of FiveFingers in the mail to test out for work (I work for a women's magazine and test out gear from time to time — it's a tough job but someone's gotta it). I'm curious to see how they compare and if I like them.
MBT’s are most assuredly NOT barefoot shoes. How can a shoe with a sole that thick be considered even remotely barefoot like?
I’ll stick to my VFF’s and Vivo Barefoot shoes.
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