The MBT is the ultimate shoe - one of the best I have ever seen! Whenever I have patients who come in with chronic foot pain caused by "Overuse Syndrome" - usually caused by a job where they are on their feet all day (i.e. Retail, Teachers, Postal Employees) - I try to get them into an MBT.
I have a patient who works for the Post Office and she suffers from chronic foot pain due to the fact that she is on her feet eight to ten hours a day. She has several more years till retirement and the only thing that is keeping her going is the MBT. She told me that once she started wearing the MBT, she isn't willing to wear any other shoe. I have another patient who went to many doctors from many different specialties over the last five years and they all told her the same thing - "you just have to live with the pain." Once I got her into the MBT, she came back in eight months later and hugged me. She had lost thirty pounds because she was able to return to exercising and she told me that she's never been happier in her life because now she's able to do all the things she'd been wanting to do but wasn't able. That really made my day!! I could tell more success stories about the MBT, but you get the point...
I own the MBT myself and my goal is to walk at least one hour a day - not that it always happens but when it does, I'm always in my MBT's. Also, whenever I have lower back pain, I immediately put on my MBT's and it's almost instant relief. Remember, if you continue to have lower back pain, please follow up with an orthopedic surgeon for proper evaluation and treatment.
The shoe is a little funky looking but my experience has been that when someone is dealing with chronic pain that is effecting their lifestyle and activity level, they are usually quite willing to give the MBT a try. I sometimes write prescriptions for my patients who need MBT, which can make it tax deductible. I always counsel people to go to the store, usually Foot Solutions on Scottsdale & Acoma (SW Corner), as they have excellent customer service and they work with you one-on-one to make sure that you're comfortable with the shoe. There is a break-in period with the shoe - usually one hour the first day, two hours the second day, ect... until you are up to a full day of wearing the MBT. I've heard the people at Foot Solutions sometimes tell people that you don't need a custom-molded orthotic with the MBT, but I would have to respectfully disagree. I feel the arch support, whether it's a CMO or an Over-the-Counter Insert only adds to the MBT's power.
A word of caution! Not everyone can tolerate the MBT. If you have balance problems or a history of falling, this may not be the shoe for you. Also, not everyone can tolerate arch support so I always advise patients to try the MBT and if they don't like it, don't get it. But I also tell them to keep an open mind - the shoe is weird - but in a fabulous "don't your feet feel better" way!
This shoe is recommended for people with: metatarsalgia, mild to moderate hammertoes, mild bunions (may need some shoe stretching and to prevent progression of the bunion and the MBT will need arch control with a CMO or OTC Insert when you have a bunion), mild to moderate degenerative joint disease of the forefoot and midfoot, mild Morton's Neuroma, mild Tailor's bunions, diabetic patients, neuropathic patients (with particular care to make sure you are measured and in the correct size shoe), tendonitis, plantar fasciitis (heel pain), as well as knee, hip, and lower back pain.
This shoe is not recommended for people with: gait instability (i..e balance problems and history of falling), elderly patients with weakness in the legs or a shuffling gait, Dropfoot, moderate to severe hammertoes, Achille's tendonitis, and moderate to severe bunions (the toe-box may not be wide enough - may need to be stretched). I would never put an elderly or weak patient in this shoe as it is too heavy - they need a lighter shoe.
This is an expensive shoe! If you have mild foot problems, you can now buy this shoe at Dillard's for $250. If you have more severe problems or chronic foot pain, go to Foot Solutions at Acoma & Scottsdale so you get more one-on-one attention and more gait training. It is slightly more expensive but worth it.
I give this shoe a solid Nine-Toe Rating on a scale of zero-toes (arch enemy) to ten-toes (foot friendly).
Let me know how you like the shoe!
Have a lovely day...
Cathy McCarthy.
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