Science has certainly produced some amazing things in our lifetime. We've not only found successful treatments for cancers, vaccines for diseases, and decent anti aging skin creams, but we're also looking at the way we walk in order to improve our health and fitness. Most of us simply take walking for granted, thinking that every step we take is simply just another step in the direction we want to go. But what if you could do more with each step? Thats what MBT shoes are striving to answer.

What is MBT?

MBT stands for Masai Barefoot Technology. Simply put, these are shoes that were designed to simulate walking around barefoot in the sand. Since this is a natural condition for the foot - as opposed to wearing shoes - there is thought that these newly designed shoes would be able to create a more healthful step. Designed with a curved sole, the foot needs to walk in a slightly different manner in order to keep from falling over, but the double layered design is helping to cushion the foot the entire way.

Created by a Swiss designer, these shoes are meant to be worn on a daily basis in order to allow the body to move in a more natural way. By making the body change the way it touches the ground, the core muscles of the body need to engage more, resulting in possibly a flatter stomach and a stronger back. With all of the back injuries and problems that plague our sedentary lifestyle, these shoes seem to be the antidote to our office job lives.

Where Did They Come Up with the Idea?

When the designers were first coming up with the idea of MBT shoes, they looked to East African runners. Noticing that they trained barefoot for races, even marathons, the researches began to wonder if their lack of injuries and pain was due to this lack of footwear. By watching how the foot hit the ground, they began to see that the rolling motion of the foot engaged the rest of the muscles of the body, stabilizing it and protecting it from harm. But since the researchers realized the people weren't about to run barefoot on the pavements of their cities, designing a shoe became the top priority.

How Did They Create this Shoe?

By watching these runners in action, the developers realized that the running shoe would need to allow for perfect posture with each step. This meant that they would need to create a sort of 'ground' within the shoe that the sole could rest on through the movement. Into the shoe they placed a double layer lining that would increase the cushioning so that it would be like running on sand. And with the curved sole, the body could reduce the shock on the joints and the nerves with each step.

MBT shoes seem to have a lot of health benefits because of their odd design. From increasing muscle tone to decreasing the incidence of injury, these shoes might be more expensive, but more athletes are looking into using them for training and everyday wear. No fashion statements here, MBT shoes might look odd to the casual observer, but they way they feel is unmatched.