JayPEll's Shoe Blog

I’m 47, so — while I have (mostly) been in favor of the over-the-knee boot trend that’s swept the planet this season — I was not sure I was going to participate. Wasn’t I too old for over-the-knee boots? Can non-fashionistas really carry them off? What in the world would I wear them with?

Fortunately, my Significant Other had no such worries, and decided to just issue me a pair for Christmas. He got me the Mezzo style from Stuart Weitzman — black suede, low wedge heel, with an elastic panel up the back to ensure a great fit.

When he’s right, he’s right. They not only look fantastic, but with their low heel they are also age-appropriate, and even surprisingly versatile. They go great with stuff I already own, like my tweedy above-the-knee skirt and my skinny jeans. What hadn’t occurred to me before, too, is how warm they are — a real plus in cold New England winters.

So, contrary to all expectations, I’m joining the ranks of stylish women everywhere, from Madonna to Michelle Obama, and bopping around town in my new over-the-knee boots.

I encourage any and all doubters out there to at least try on a pair — you might be pleasantly surprised at how good you look.

MBTs — the “muscle-toning, posture-improving, calorie burning, joint protecting, back relieving bi-lateral system that you happen to wear on your feet” — are on sale! You can save up to 40% on MBTs by shopping Planet Shoes from now through August 22.

Note, too: The prices shown below don’t reflect the final markdown — prices are actually 20% lower than shown here!

What’s more, when you order MBTs from Planet Shoes, you’ll get free shipping both ways.

So, click on over to Planet Shoes today to get these incredibly comfortable shoes at low prices that won’t last.

At the start of The MBT Project, I hypothesized that I could eat about the same as I always do, exercise about the same, and – simply by injecting regular MBT walks into my routine – my body would shed 5 pounds. Those extra pounds would just melt away, is what I hypothesized.

Now, three weeks into my experiment, the gods of weight loss have responded. “Hahahahahahahahahaha,” they said. “Only an ignorant fool would think it would be that easy.”

Well, color me ignorantly foolish because, despite my best efforts – in addition to regular workouts, I’ve been MBT-walking everywhere here in South Beach – I am not losing any weight. I think I’ve even gained a little, if you can believe that (I can’t).

How is this possible? Maybe it’s because MBTs aren’t miracle workers. Despite all their technology and loyal customers, they’re just heavy shoes with a fancy sole. It could also be that walking isn’t really effective exercise, at least not for us reasonably fit folks: At best, it’s a maintenance activity.

Or, perhaps it’s because the food and wine in Miami are just too good.

You can draw your own conclusions as to what’s really going on, but I will admit that I’m probably overindulging dietarily. Can you blame me? The restaurants in Miami are fabulous. I am married to a man from Italy who loves to cook. Special shoes or not, the deck is stacked against me.

So, I’m sticking with the MBT walks – if exercising more than usual is what I need to do just to maintain my weight here in Miami, then I’ll do it. It’s hardly a hardship tour, and at least it isn’t snowing.

After a week of almost-daily MBT walks, I am now equipped to credibly explore some disturbing similarities between my shoes and the iconic Volkswagen Beetle. To wit:

• Both shoe and car rely on an arch-based design: The arch is, of course, a notably stable architectural design element. The arch-shaped car enjoys enviable stability and responsiveness; it’s always at one with the road. MBTs daringly upend this design, inverting the arch to create a sole which, rather than stability, confers a sort of rocking-and-rolling, don’t-quite-have-my-sea-legs sensation with every step.
• Like the Beetle, the shoe is heavy: Just as if I were wearing Volkswagens on my feet, I’m never unaware of my lower extremities when they’re encased in MBTs. Lugging these shoes around must be working my legs and butt, right?
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: The designers who gave birth to car and shoe no doubt adjudge their looks “distinctive,” or even “unique”. I gave birth to neither, and am therefore free to opine thus: The Beetle is cute, but MBTs are god-awful ugly. I’ve taken to wearing them only at night, during my after-dinner “let’s go exploring!” walks to nowhere.

But, I kid because I love (maybe). As I’ve said before, style points don’t count. My primary concern in evaluating my MBTs is how my back and problem shoulder feel, especially during long walks. I can honestly report that, even after walking up to 5 miles, my back feels fine and my shoulder – which would normally start to ache during such journeys, and would be sore for hours after – seems to feel better.

So, for now, I feel like I’m on the right track with my MBTs. I’m not in love with them, but I’m seeing enough benefits that I’m willing to keep wearing these very ugly shoes in public.

My new MBTs arrived today - and they’re kind of a hoot! The azul color I ordered turned out to be the light, bright blue that is so identified with Miami Beach, my home-away-from-home for February and March. So - surprisingly enough - I’m really kind of thrilled with how they look.

Of course, looks don’t really matter, at least not for our purposes. What matters here is performance: With regular use, will MBTs strengthen my legs, ease my back/shoulder pain, and make me stand straighter? To start my quest for the truth, I threw some jeans on and took my new Azuls out for a short spin.

It’s a little hard to describe what it’s like to walk in MBTs, but I’ll give it a shot: Imagine encasing your feet in heavier-than-normal tennis balls, and then going for a stroll on the beach. It’s a different sort of feeling, I admit, and it took some getting used to.

It’s still too early to draw any conclusions about MBTs, of course, but I will say that, during my walk, it felt like my butt was more “engaged” than usual. This is a good thing, and I hope it wasn’t just wishful feeling on my part.

My favorite part of the day has been my husband’s reaction. When I first put on my new MBTs, he said my walk was already “more elegant”. Now granted, one of his best qualities is that he lies as needed when commenting on my appearance. But, who says he wasn’t telling the truth this time?

I made it to Miami. I understand it’s snowing and nineteen degrees in Cambridge today, and you can just imagine how sad I am to hear that.

But, back to the topic of this blog: I bought my MBTs yesterday - and I cannot wait for them to arrive.

Shopping for my MBTs took a little time, and not only because there are so many styles available. You also need to figure out what size to order, as the US sizing of MBTs is a little off. Most sites recommend you order up by ½ - 1 size.

Another point worth mentioning is that you can save a pretty good chunk of money - as much as $100 - if you buy one of the discontinued models. The discontinued models offer the same features as the current models, they are just styled differently. And since both the discontinued and the current models are pretty ugly, there’s really no need to be au courant. The discontinued styles may not be available in-store, but they are readily available online.

So, after a bunch of research, I ended up buying the (discontinued) Chapa model, in azul, at PlanetShoes.com. They cost $164 (plus $4.95 for expedited shipping). Aren’t they pretty? Kinda sorta?

I decided to buy my MBTs at Planet Shoes for a few reasons. Most importantly, Planet Shoes offers an excellent array of MBTs, both current and discontinued models. In my budget-conscious state, I appreciated the variety of styles and plentiful sizes they offer in the discontinued models. Planet Shoes is also very customer-friendly. They offer free ground shipping, both ways. If you need to return the shoes, there is no restocking fee or similar nonsense. And, they’re super-prompt - they shipped my shoes the same day I ordered them.

These policies are in marked contrast to the other sites I found which offer discontinued models, such as walkerswarehouse.com and amazon.com (which sources its MBTs from walkerswarehouse.com). While their quoted prices were lower than Planet Shoes, these sites charge a whopping $13.95 for ground shipping, and don’t even offer expedited shipping.

Plus, it takes them 4-6 days to ship your order, and, most egregiously, will charge you a $15 restocking fee if you need to return the shoes. At the end of the story, these sites ended up being only a few dollars cheaper than Planet Shoes, and with far too many customer-unfriendly policies for my taste.

So, I’m pleased I ended up at Planet Shoes, and I can’t wait to get my MBTs (and I hope they fit)! I am really looking forward to exploring Miami in my new shoes!

MBTs - which stands for Masai Barefoot Technology - are the distinctive-looking shoes with the fanatical following. People are crazy about MBTs not because they’re beautiful, but because they seem to make good on some rather extravagant claims: When you wear MBTs, you’ll place 19% less strain on your hips and knees; you’ll increase buttock muscle activity by 9%; you’ll increase rear thigh muscle activity by 19%; and your posture and gait will immediately improve, to the tune of a 10-degree correction. Some MBT owners have claimed the shoes cured their back pain. Others attribute significant weight loss to their MBTs.

Sounds pretty good, right? I for one could definitely use some back-pain reducing and buttock-muscle working. So, I’m embarking on a two-month experiment - what I’m calling The MBT Project - to see for myself whether these funny looking shoes really deliver on their promises.

Here’s my plan: I’ll buy a pair of MBTs. I’ll wear them as I explore Miami, my home-away-from-home for the next two months (ciao New England winter). I’ll see how I look and feel at the end of March: Does my chronically achy shoulder feel better? Are my buttocks and legs any stronger? Did I lose that stubborn 5 pounds that’s been weighing on me for a while? Or, did I wear ugly shoes in public for nothing?

To make the experiment as scientific as possible, I don’t plan to change my eating and drinking habits - which are generally healthy, if you don’t count all the carbs and dessert and wine. There are too many great restaurants in Miami for that; plus, I’m married to an Italian man who loves to cook. I think you’ll agree that now is not the time to diet. I’ll also be exercising as usual, which means I’ll be on the Stairmaster or swimming or at a yoga class a few times per week. The only change to my health-and-wellness routine will be the addition of the MBT walks.

Of course, you can argue that health benefits - mainly weight loss - will likely accrue because of all the extra walking, regardless of which shoe I’m wearing. True dat. Without a control case, it will be hard to know just how much of any benefits can be attributed solely to the MBTs. This is where we enter unscientific territory. So, for me, if my shoulder feels better, and my posture improves, and my legs and back feel stronger, I’ll chalk that up to the MBTs. If the only result is that I lose a little weight, well that’s an ambiguous outcome I will just have to live with.

I’m looking forward to getting started - and hope you’ll join me for the ride!