Walk 'n' roll with this shoe
Valley company scores with orthopedic footwear
By MEGAN THOMAS
Express Staff Writer
Maybe you read about them in the New York Times? Sunday Styles. Possibly you saw them on NBC?s ?Today Show, or maybe you have seen them walking valley streets.
Hailed as ?the world?s smallest gym,? Masai Barefoot Technology, or mBT, footwear has generated national attention for its innovative approach to shoes that are designed for improved overall health. The mBT line of footwear by Swiss Masai, a Switzerland-based company, maintains its U.S. headquarters in Hailey.
The company?s footwear simulates walking on uneven ground for health benefits throughout the body. Trend enthu-siasts, anti-cellulite hopefuls, posture perfectionists and healthy living advocates covet the new shoes.
In the last year, the benefits from the line of footwear attracted an array of attention from A-list celebrities like Heidi Klum to news broadcasters across the country.
The demand expanded the Hailey operations from a staff of one, managing partner Conrad Casser, working from his Croy Canyon garage to a staff of six who are planning for a third move of the company?s U.S. headquarters to a new Hailey location.
So, what is the hype about?
The mBT shoe engages ?regions of the body we don?t use on flat ground,? Jessica Clifford, operations manager for mBT, explained.
The shoe is constructed with an unusually high curved soles built with eight different layers, including a fiberglass layer. The shoe mimics walking on soft, uneven surfaces like sand.
The convex design of the sole helps walkers to land on the thickest part of the shoe base, which then propels the feet to gently roll forward on the toes. This action decreases daily compression and promotes better posture.
The shoes require an innovative walking technique to engage muscle groups throughout the body, beginning in the feet and extending throughout the core muscles.
?mBT, being a kinetic device, kicks the stabilizer muscles in the body like inner core muscles,? Laura Hedrich of Ketchum, a certified mBT trainer explained.
Hedrich is trained by mBT to teach retailers and consumers how to walk properly in the shoes. mBT also provides an instructional CD-ROM and exercises to instruct new users. The careful attention to training may indicate that the shoes are difficult to use. This is not the case; a quick phone conversation works as well.
She added that the benefits ?extend from the feet, all the way up the legs and all the way up the lower back and stomach.?
The company promotes benefits such as stronger muscles, relief of back and joint ailments, improved posture and improved circulation.
?The shoes keep my energy up all day,? commented Laura Curd, an avid wearer of mBT?s and owner of Resource Salon in Ketchum, where the shoes are sold.
The shoes are also used as medical devices for a range of problems. According to Clifford, the increased circulation gained from wearing mBT?s can help diabetics who have circulation problems. The shoes can also help to realign the body, benefiting those with knee problems or hip replacements.
Hedrich attests to the medical benefits of the footwear. After the prop of a boat severely injured her foot, question arose if she would walk again. These days, Hedrich does not have to think about every step she takes.
?The shoes made a really big difference in my life,? she said.
America caught onto another benefit as well?an anti-cellulite device.
CNN called them ?anti-cellulite shoes.? NBC touted the ?shoe too hot for store shelves,? and yet another program called them ?miracle shoes.?
It?s not something the company promotes, promises, or even necessarily embraces, but it is a selling point that reappears in national fashion magazines, newspapers and television.
?It?s an active shoe,? Clifford said in response to the anti-cellulite attention. ?It indirectly helps cellulite and the appearance of cellulite.?
The shoes were not designed as an anti-cellulite device. Karl Mueller, a Swiss engineer, invented the shoes in 1997 to alleviate his back and joint pain. He designed the shoes as a medical device to realign the body for better health. The shoes took off in Europe and, along the way, captured the intrigue of image conscious Americans.
In the last five months, sales for the U.S. office increased five times. In June the company sold 8,000 pairs. Cities in Colorado, Texas and Georgia are top consumers. Despite the price tag, the closed toe shoe models retail for $234 and the sandal model retails for $224, the shoes are flying off the shelves.
?We?ve sold 50 pairs since the first of April,? Crisane Cook of Sturtevants in Ketchum said. ?That?s very good for orthopedic shoes.?
Rue de Shoe in Ketchum is also selling one to two pairs a day, said owner Jill West.
