April 29, 2008
You've seen them in spa catalogs and specialty stores for years, but you've never actually seen anyone wearing a pair - until now. The Masai Barefoot Technology shoe, or MBT, stands to replace Uggs and Crocs as New York's "It" ugly footwear.
But unlike its predecessors, the MBT is actually good for your feet - not to mention legs, abs and butt. Its thick, curved sole mimics the effect of walking barefoot in sand - just like the Masai tribe of East Africa does.
Karl Muller, a Swiss engineer and explorer, came up with the concept after walking a few days in their non-shoes, and subsequently finding his chronic back pain gone.
"What happens is you're thrown off balance a little bit, so your core is immediately engaged - like when you're trying to stand in a yoga position," says Sheri Poe, CEO of Masai USA Corp. "You stimulate your metabolism, you burn extra calories, you step up your muscle generation. And it immediately increases correct posture by about 19 percent."
With claims like that - not to mention the whopping 0 price tag - it's not surprising celebrities have been among the first to run with the trend.
Katherine Heigl was recently photographed wearing her white MBTs, and Sly Stallone sported a pair of black ones at the premiere of the new "Rambo." Guy Ritchie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Maria Shriver, Rachael Ray and Neil Patrick Harris are all fans, too.
But this year, "the ugly shoe" - as even its own company calls it - has started showing up in mainstream stores, and sales have been "doubling on a year-to-year basis," says a spokesperson.
Because of consumer demand, "you're now seeing them in places like Shoe Mania," says Poe.
MBT has also made an attempt to improve the shoe's look, launching a third-generation model that looks more like a regular sneaker or sandal. They're coming out with tall leather and suede boots for women this fall. And a prominent new ad campaign touts the sleeker new MBTs as "the anti-shoe."
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