I'd never heard of these so I googled it. Yep, pretty homely! But I'm looking for a good pair of walking shoes. I'd buy a pair, no one sees me when I walk, anyway. I walk late at night or early in the morning.

I had never heard of them, either. I checked out several sites.

I would not buy them, because, I have a very, very narrow foot and have problems buying shoes. I could find no information on shoe width, only basic size (length).

Joy

I'll have to find a store that carries them and try some on. I have some nerve damage in one foot which makes shoe fit sometimes difficult for me.

Yeah, go ahead and say it...pretty ugly. I hope we can find someone who has tried these out. I live in San Francisco, so you'd think I could find a store that carries them.

Agreed, they're not pretty! But, the sandal type aren't any uglier than the other exercise/hiking type sandals and look like they have better soles and support.

I only wear sandals, never sneakers. I have a high instep and my feet feel claustrophobic in sneakers (no one except a high instep person would understand) so I'm always looking for good soles and arch support in a sandal. I even wear them in the winter with socks, yes I know, the epitome of dork ugliness. Thank goodness I don't care about that (well not much) anymore! However, $200 is steep for me. My DS spends that and maybe more on Mephisto walking shoes, but his last forever, they resole them when needed at a nominal cost. However, my feet get a litte odorifus after a while and my shoes will never last a long time, so I have to be careful about price.

yeah- Dr Scholl's claimed the same thing- and they were $20, and made of solid wood ;) (of course, they also gave you shin splints if you tried walking any distance in them- but that's another story)

I'm also prone to sandals (very very wide at the toes, I am- part hobbit I must be) and have found a good compromise with Sketchers- their new 'cycling' line, the 'fuss' sandal in particular has an open wedge heel, compressed foam foot bed, and neoprene uppers- as comfy as surf shoes, as bouncy as those sneakers with the 'exposed spring' and so far, they have not aggravated my feet's tendency to pronate.

Another high instep person here.....
Have newly become additcted to Romu's....check them out....very comfortable for me.
Linda C

I actually got a pair of these last year - and so did DH. He wears his a lot and loves them. He says they really help with foot pain. I don't wear them that much but do use them for fitness walking, some training (GREAT for lunges and squats) and for some standing Pilates exercises. They do make you stand well and I find that I get a better workout when I wear them for walking. It does feel like they make you use more muscles. They are not pretty though...

Good to hear from someone who has a pair! Did you feel like you needed "training" on how to use them?

In Canada you can only buy them at "Foot Solutions" and they did do a little training session with them at the store when we bought them. You also get a DVD. They are pretty easy to get used to but you need to start out only wearing them for short periods and work up to wearing them longer.

Hi,
just stumbled across this forum topic. I have been using MBTs since March this year, and they are excellent. I used to do lots of running, and gave up a couple of years ago because I was getting hip/joint pain etc. constantly. I do lots of walking now instead, but was finding that even with the best trainers (or sneakers in your case) I was still suffering. I read about MBTs and purchased some off Ebay (only paid £70 - half price). They do work, I have not sufferend any joint pain since using these to train (walking on treadmill) my knees have healed as has my hip,and I no longer get back pain which is another added bonus. My legs etc. toned quite quickly too. I think there must be something in the '3 times more effective workout that they claim. The do look ugly, and do feel a little strange at first, but I am so used to them now, and wouldn't be without them. The big mistake people make is buying their usual size - you must buy a size smaller, as they need to be a snug fit - this is why so many pairs are being sold on Ebay cheaply, because people buy their regular size, wear them probably once, realise the fit isn't good - then resort to selling them. These were the best investment I made, as I am now pain-free, and more toned for less effort.

OK - my Crocs are looking cute to me now.... ;^D

I have very sore feet all the time (I wore high heels exclusively during the 80s - now I'm paying for it). I saw these in a store, and walked right by them - figured the price was ridiculous. Well, I'm a bit older now and a bit sorer, and I happened to be in a store that sold them. No one else was around, so I tried them. I don't know about toning legs, but they were INCREDIBLY comfortable. I have a knee replacement in my right knee, and broke my left ankle 11 years ago (surgery, pins, PT - the whole 9 yards) - and no, I'm not in my 80s by a long shot. I'm now looking for these shoes on sale (hard to find sales). They didn't look quite as dorky when they were on as they did in the pictures and on the shelves. You can find them on eBay, but don't buy any shoes from eBay unless you've tried them on first and know exactly what size you need. They sell quick and high there as well. There are many places that sell them over the internet - again, try them on first or make sure you can return them (you usually can't on eBay). If you go to MBT's website - http://www.swissmasaius.com, click on "where to buy," and specify how far you're willing to go, it will pull up a list including store name, address, and telephone number. I live in a suburb of DC, and with a 20-mile search area, it pulled up 22 stores - including Naturalizer. For me to have done that much research, obviously I'm impressed. Try them out - I'd love to hear your reactions to them as well. By the way, I haven't paid less than $100 for shoes in a couple of years. The worst thing in the world is sore feet. If you have the right shoes, it helps everything else stay in line and happy. Everyone wears crocs these days (including my mother and daughter), but there is absolutely no support at all in them.

Ok I just looked and they are $49.99 and in limited sizes so check with your Avon rep