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Monday, December 11, 2006

MBT shoes review

It has been like 3 months since I got my MBT and after the initial period of getting used to it and the elevated height, I am now comfortably acustomed to it, so much so that this week up in Malaysia, it felt strange to walk so much in a normal pair of shoes. My initial review here: http://runningsucks.blogspot.com/2006/10/mbt-shoes.html

Initially, during my check with the physio and the oestopath, they had some doubts as to its effectiveness as an aid for my recovery. Nevertheless, as I had already gotten hold of the shoes, decided there was no harm wearing it since my working shoes was going bald anyway.

My leg has recovered and in fact gain strength - not too sure whether as a result of the shoes and the physio and weight training (probably all 3) and Megan(my first physio) even commented that for someone my age (yah I am that old) and with such extensive injuries and repair works), my progress is much better than the average person.

I attributed a lot of it to the shoes - mostly because it forces me to really use my balancing skills and leg strength to walk about and balance on the train. One other thing is it forces me to walk slightly straighter although I don't think I can get rid of my hunch in such a short time.

Conclusion, the MBT is comfortable, fun to wear in fact and I think most beneficial as a tool for strengthening the legs. Wah this sounds like an advertisement:( but definitely for those who want to strengthen their legs without wearing ankle weights, or get a leg workout during the entire office hours, I would definitely recommend buying it.

In fact, I thinking of getting the sandal version if the shoes isn't so bloody expensive.

48 comments:

  1. MBT's 5 layer sole with its unique "Masai Sensor" reestablishes natural rolling motion of walking & standing, improving posture, toning muscles, reducing stress on knees, hips & back and increasing circulation and respiration.

    If you want to buy MBT shoes online, just like going to a shoe store it is very important that you are fitted correctly with the MBT. Ideally you want some room for your toes since the construction of the MBT shoe is exaggerating your toe-off movement. At the same time you want both of your feet to be securely locked into your MBT shoes.

    Since the function of the MBT is to enhance and smoothen transition within your entire foot-strike activity, this causes more movement (and need for precise fitting) than in most regular shoes.

    If you are interested in trying MBTs, but have nowhere to go to try them on, the first challenge is to get an accurate measurement of your feet in "European Size" and always use this as your standard for fitting MBTs. For accuracy it is always best to use the sizing of the country of origin (MBT's are engineered and were developed in Switzerland).

    So how can you get your correct fit if you are not able to visit a shoe store? How can you prepare yourself to buy MBTs online? Very simple -- www.FeetFirstFitness.com outlines some very basic but excellent online MBT fitting techniques that guarantee you will be fitted with the MBT as professionally as is possible (prior to actually trying on the shoe).

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  2. Please note that MBT shoes do have quality problems. IMy MBT sandals are about 18 months old and the side walls gave way . There is no way of repairing it. I bought it from Foot Solutions Kuala Lumpur and they cannot do anything about it. Be careful before paying so much money. There is poor quality control.

    pvp@tm.net.my

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  3. So sorry to hear about your problem with your MBT sandals. Actually 18 months for a pair of sandal is not too bad. I have been wearing my MBT to work for about 15 months now. Based on the average price of $350.00 this works out to $23 a month or $0.77 a day, the price of a cup of coffee a day so I wouldn't say it is bad.

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  4. Last year our personal friend and inventor of the MBT, Karl Mueller, departed from his MBT kingdom in order to pursue other inventions and creations. At first we felt that this would not at all have an impact on the MBT product, which seemed to be at such a high quality and outstanding level. Nor did we feel it would impact the company's business units as Karl had partnered his brand with many excellent people worldwide.

    On the business side we were wrong: immediately MBT's US subsidiary in Idaho (our direct business partner for the brand) was completely reorganized and new managers were hired, most of whom had made their previous careers in the low end and discount shoe businesses.

    Their first move was to completely change the MBT product line: out with the old and in with the new. And as a consequence at the end of 2007 we ran an amazing sale on the dropped MBTs and we thank many of our customers for their enthusiastic participation and business in this sale of our existing inventory.

    Even more significantly, on the product side we were unfortunately also wrong: having recommended, fitted and sold over 5,000 pairs of the entire MBT product line since 2004 from both our brick & mortar and our online virtual stores, it quickly became apparent to ourselves and to our customers that most of the MBTs produced after Karl's departure were not even close to what we had become accustom to...

    In particular, starting in November 2007 we began receiving a plethora of complaints from customers that their MBTs were wearing out -- of the outsoles and collapsing Masai sensors -- already after only three weeks of usage (attached is a picture study of the outsole of the MBT Sport comparing the older and the newer product executions).

    Since then we have also wear-tested many of the new Spring 2008 MBTs and, also unfortunately, the results have been extremely poor: POOR FIT, COLLAPSING MASAI SENSOR, PREMATURE & COMPLETE OUTSOLE WEAR, LACK OF STABILITY, EXTREMELY HEAVY... And as a result somewhat reluctantly, we have now decided to no longer sell the MBT in our store until (hopefully) the former quality of this once-great-product has one day been completely restored.

    Just as we had been so enthusiastic in communicating and promoting the MBT brand when it was in its prime, we hope you understand our decision that we can not support any of our former efforts, convictions and recommendations based on the poor product quality issues present in almost all of the current MBT products. Quite frankly, there is no way we could recommend & sell the MBT in its current execution FOR OVER US$ 200!!! and expect our customers at all to continue to take our advice and recommendation seriously.

    To conclude, it appears that even more significantly than driving the MBT creation and innovation, Karl Mueller, during his time at the company, was successful in maintaining the MBT shoe's high execution standard of quality production. With him no longer involved, we are convinced that the MBT is no longer what it once was... and that anyone who has been as involved with the MBT as closely, as thoroughly and as long as ourselves is similarly in complete agreement with our position.

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  5. Hey, Anonymous #2, who used to sell MBTs...

    Do you still have any of the older, better styles left (especially in a 42 1/3?)

    If so, leave your contact info!

    Thanks

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  6. Steven,

    Sorry but after getting about 80 returns we got rid of our entire inventory, actually mainly comprised of the original MBTs...

    If you can find the Kilima Boot, Casuals, Kisumu Brown... these are all OK... most ironic: usually the older styles that are being dropped and closed out by the internet big box stores!

    We now market & sell SpringBoost online at www.FeetFirstFitness.com and hope to pick-up Cogent Footwear soon when it hits the market... www.Cogentfootwear.com

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  7. Do the walking shoes actually help to shape your legs and lose cellulite. I just had a baby and i am trying to get back in shape but don't have a lot of time to go to the gym? Also with the shoes being made so cheaply what would you recommend for mbt shoes or other shoes that my work like mbt shoes.

    thanks

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  8. In our opinion currently, the best quality physiofootwear for trimming and toning/anti-cellulite/training enhancement, and the new favorite among fashion models, is the SpringBoost.

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  9. It is a bit far fetch to suggest that the mere wearing of a shoe can shape legs and get rid of cellulite. A shoe is but just a necessary accessory for the right purpose. The best is still to find (make) time to do regular exercises. Go for walks, do strength training while baby is sleeping etc.

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  10. For $50 dollars or so MBT will resole your shoes. To me this is a bonus!!! Thought I would share.

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  11. My resole lated about a month - certainly not worth the $80 I paid! A real rip off for a lot of hassle!

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  12. I bought my first pair of MBT Hiking Boots in 2004 when we lived in Europe. After 2 months the soles virtually rotted away. It was almost as if they were water soluable. I knew the boot itself was not waterproof and for that reason I do not think they should've been marketed as a hiking boot - perhaps 'hiking boot style' would've been more appropriate. I had a real battle with the UK distributors to get my money refunded. I was more than disappointed because aside from the poor quality these boots were a godsend for my over pronation problem which caused me great pain. In 2005 I managed to score another pair of MBT boots from a friend for half price and the same poor performance with the soles happened in about the same length of time (2 months). I carried on wearing them regardless and they still eased my foot problems. I now live in New Zealand and lifestyle changes means I don't wear MBT's very often now but my old MBT's have pretty much had it. I will be visiting NY soon and thought I might try and pick up a new pair - is the performance of the sole still as poor?

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  13. In a land down under...

    We now suggest that you try RYN Footwear as a more technical better made alternative to MBT for the following reasons:

    1. RYN was developed, based on exactly the same research and principals & parallel with MBT in the 1990s in Korea but spent much more time in the R&D phase so as to create a product that would not yield the very issues you have so clearly described in your entry.

    2. RYN only sold into the local Korean market and waited until they had built their two fully owned factories before exporting just this year. Each shoe is hand made and undergoes a vigorous quality control procedure ensuring that all materials are 100% suited for wear & tear. None of their products are contracted out to second and third facilities in China and elsewhere as is the case for all current MBT production.

    3. RYN's added benefits are energy return and stability as well as strengthening, toning and aligning... all executed on a stable, highly technical, supportive and non-eroding seven layer sandwich midsole/outsole platform with integrated RYN AIR TUNNEL technology.

    4. RYN is a lighter and more compact product, better suited for the challenging terrain of the North & South Islands of New Zealand. Moreover due to the RYN AIR TUNNEL construction (versus the soft exposed EVA of the Masai Sensor), RYN Footwear can get wet and can withstand all sorts of exposure.

    In Kiwi terms one could say this is like a Steinlager... once you try it there is simply no equal.

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  14. DO NOT buy MBT shoes. They self destruct.

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  15. I bought the Chapa from a Foot Solutions store in Temecula, CA. They didn't have my size which would be 9 since one foot is always larger than the other usually. The "expert" said the 8.5 would work and they could stretch the other shoe to fit. I got them because a bruised heel pad that was painful. They seemed to do the trick of relieving the pain just walking around the store, which is required by the store so you get used them before walking outside. The one and only time I wore them, was at work and I walked around a city block. The stretched shoe foot(size 9 foot)went completely numb within the first few minutes of walking and I got a blister on the heel. The shoes have been sitting on a chair in their box ever since. I tried contacting the mfr. and after 2 wks I was told I would be given an RMA if I answered the normal questions of size, name,address, store purchased, etc. I answered within a few hrs of receipt of the email and the email bounced back. I recontacted the company and got no response with another email bounce. Don't know if the ID factory/distributor in USA is going out of business. The Foot Solutions store sold a discontinued model at full price (I later found on the internet these were discontinued and discounted by almost $100(!!)at an online stores when I searched for the style) and Foot Solutions knowingly sold a size smaller than what I should have had. I did question them at the time about this and trusted their judgment for this new fangled shoe. They were just out to sell a product and empty their inventory of old styles of stock! Definitely a very bad experience never to purchase them again! I would never recommend these shoes because you can't talk to anyone in the know about them or get any customer service.

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  16. You can view next season’s Ryn Shoes Collections by joining http://www.facebook.com/Ryn.Shoes

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  17. the most ugly, nonsense, useless shoes ever!
    people needs to learn more instead of buying crap things and convince itself that what they bought must be worthy!!!!

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  18. Want your fitness routine to ‘rock’ even harder? These sporty-chic sneaks—with 7-layer rocker bottom construction—not only deliver a killer workout, they also make your entire body feel better. They deliver everything to the highest degree: maximum core and posterior muscle stimulation, killer calorie burn, serious cellulite reduction, ‘wow’-worthy weight loss and radically reduced joint stress. The heel features encapsulated air tunnel technology that makes these get-in-shape shoes some of the lightest out there. Plus, they’re FDA certified as a medical device. (How many kicks can claim that?)

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  19. I like this funny piece on Ryn shoes

    http://www.thebalancingact.com/BA_video_player_embed_2009.swf?v=XZJL27ATY01254

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  20. As a retailer that carries both MBT and now RYN shoes, I have wriiten a review comparing the functionality of both brands:

    http://www.totalrelieffootwear.com/ryn-vs-mbt-comparison

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  21. I was going to buy my 1st pair of MBT shoes,I was so happy and exited,since I tried them in the shop and seemed very confortable for me,I have feet and back problems.I had no money/card with me,so I postponed the shopping (luckily?),at home and checked MBT on internet...the shop in Dubai is asking a price of 1100dhs (more than 200euro) for the "street" shoes and 950dhs (a bit less than 200euros) for sandals while on internet the costs are between 50-100eu. I'm so disappointed! :-(

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  22. I would prefer MBT shoes. I think it is the best footwear because it sole my legs and back pain.

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  23. There is a rash of counterfeit MBT sites selling fake MBTs for less. These cheap Chinese knock-offs. You would probably be better off buying Skechers.

    When you see broken "Engrish" and sites like mbtonly.com, you are guaranteed to be visiting an unauthorized, fake MBT site.

    For a list of official MBT Sites, visit http://us.mbt.com/

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  24. This is an execellent report on Rocker Sole Shoes, well worth viewing...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20mc99zOiwc

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  25. DON'T buy MBT!! I bought a pair last summer, and the foam at the heel is already falling out. When I called MBT they said "too bad", and that I shouldn't have gotten them wet. Are you kidding me?? I live in Washington, and hello it rains here. I heard there was a class action law suite going against them. I am going to try to get involved. It is totally unethical to sell $250 shoes that don't even last a year. Oh, and melt when you throw water on them... So MBT = Wicked witch of the west.

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  26. DON'T BUY MBT SHOES. IT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE POOR QUALTIY WALKING SHOES WHICH I PAID MORE THAN SINGAPORE $400 AND THE ACCLAIMED MIDSOLE (NOT VISIBLE FROM OUTSIDE) WITH "MASAI SENSOR" AND MIDSOLE SENSOR ARE ALL NOTHING BUT CHEAPEST FOAM STUFFED INTO THE RUBBER BASE. AFTER 28 WEARINGS EACH 30 MINUTES WALKS THE SOLE SPLITTED AND EXPOSING THE CHEAP YELLOW FOAM USED NORMALLY FOR PACKING DETERIORATED INTO YELLOW POWDER. MIDSOLE PIVOT INDEED!

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  27. MBT shoes ... the most expensive poor quality shoes...M must for Most, B for Badly...T for Talked-of... yes it is becoming exposed the MOST BADLY TALKED-OF SHOES with imaginary midsole "MASAI SENSOR" made of the soft sponge that collapse into poweder and fall out leaving a trail of sponge bits and gapping hole at the side of the shoes... very embarassing!!So ashamed of my MBT shoes!

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  28. MBT shoes ... the most expensive poor quality shoes...M must for Most, B for Badly...T for Talked-of... yes it is becoming exposed the MOST BADLY TALKED-OF SHOES with imaginary midsole "MASAI SENSOR" made of the soft sponge that collapse into poweder and fall out leaving a trail of sponge bits and gapping hole at the side of the shoes... very embarassing!!So ashamed of my MBT shoes!

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  29. MBT shoes ... the most expensive poor quality shoes...M must for Most, B for Badly...T for Talked-of... yes it is becoming exposed the MOST BADLY TALKED-OF SHOES with imaginary midsole "MASAI SENSOR" made of the soft sponge that collapse into poweder and fall out leaving a trail of sponge bits and gapping hole at the side of the shoes... very embarassing!!So ashamed of my MBT shoes!

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  30. Those are great review...I heard lots of positive things about MBT shoes...they say it is a good shoes, has quality and has reasonable price....:D

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  31. Actually i'm looking for good shoes brand then i came across to this post. I feel this is a good review for sport shoes.

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  32. There is a manufacturing defect with old models apparently. I bought one MBT and my sister also and found that they did not waterproof the sensor part! My sister's pair was completely destroyed when she went to Japan when it rained! I called the Director of Sales and got a replacement on mine. Thereafter I regularly sprayed scotchguard near the sensor and my MBT has now lasted for more than a year! Functionally it is good for the feet although a bit high. I would buy another pair when this one wears out.

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  33. thanks for sharing this post I like it
    i am shoes lover I always like to read about
    shoes

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  34. I am not a runner, in fact I think you can get so much more from walking or even power walking and it's better for your knees.

    I don't have the MBT shoes but I did get the skechers shape-ups and I love them. I do see a difference in the strength of my calves and my back is stronger.

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  35. For a S$440 pair of shoes I would expect it to last more than 3 years. i didn’t over use them nor under use them . i know both of that condition will lead to deterioration of the shoe. After one year, the sensor collapses and while walking the sole fell off. When I contacted MBT representative she was about to imply my shoes are more than 3 years old when I stopped her as it would make me even more infuriated. If MBT have short life span please inform your buyers before we spend that much of money
    email me for more photos and reference
    susan7si@hotmail.com
    aug 2010

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  36. The soft foam wedge fell apart in 18 months. I use them a little walking on sidewalks and on a grass sport field in good weather. I weigh 85k. My local shoe repair shops do not have this foam material to make repairs. Does anyone know where to get repair foam wedge matrial ?

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  37. I like this review segment... where can I find Ryn for men? The blissworld.com of course is only for women

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ0qoqATMnw&feature=player_embedded

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  38. All what I wanted in a shoe is its comfortness. It should be comfortable to wear and is light weight also.

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  39. Vous pouvez même visiter MBT en ligne de marche des magasins de chaussures et d’acheter ces chaussures. Cependant, assurez-vous de visiter un site de marche MBT foi chaussures et une chaussure MBT autorisés détaillant. Ne soyez pas tentés d’acheter des chaussures bon marché qui sont vendus pour aussi peu que 100 $ comme la plupart d’entre eux sont knock off. Ne pas acheter des chaussures qui sont moitié de leur taille ou de grande taille petite moitié. Assurez-vous qu’ils correspondent à vos pieds parfaitement. Une fois que vous rentrez chez vous vos chaussures de marche MBT, les porter pendant environ 20 à 30 minutes et se promener. Cela vous aidera à s’assurer qu’ils sont correctement dimensionnés et également vos pieds habitués à ces drôles de chaussures.

    Il ya beaucoup de choix disponibles quand il s’agit de MBT chaussures de marche pour les hommes et les MBT chaussures http://www.mbtmagasin.com/mbt-chapa-gtx-chaussures-c-13.html de marche pour les femmes. Vous devez vérifier les tailles de chaussures disponibles en fonction de votre sexe et de trouver celui qui s’adapte parfaitement. Les chaussures de marche MBT sont les meilleurs pour l’activité quotidienne comme la marche normale. Les chaussures Masai technologie pieds nus ne sont pas recommandés pour la course. Assurez-vous de parler à un physiothérapeute avant d’acheter une. Vous pouvez trouver des tas de critiques positives et négatives liées à MBT ne chaussures de travail. Chaque personne peut avoir eu une expérience différente avec les chaussures. Il n’existe aucune preuve coup sûr que ces chaussures offrent ce que la fabrique demande. Assurez-vous de réfléchir à deux fois avant d’acheter les chaussures Masai technologie pieds nus.

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  40. I switched from MBT to Skechers. So far, I have not encountered any problems with my two-year old pair of Skechers and they cost much less than MBT. End of shoe-hunting for me cos I'm sticking to only two brands for now, namely Rockport and Skechers until another "affordable" brand with good support and cushioning appears on the market for me to test out.

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  41. I have previously bought both shoes and sandals. I had the shoe resoled and 12 months later they started to fall apart. I took them back to MBT Brookvale. Australia and they said the wrong size sole had been fitted. They replaced the shoes. In March 2010 I had my sandals resoled and they have now fallen apart the same as the shoes did. I took them back and was informed they were out of warranty and they would sell me a new pair at a discounted price. They could not tell me why they kept resoling the shoes and sandals at $110 a pair when the body of the shoe would not last the life of the new sole. This would appear to be a known quality problem and I will not be buying any more MBT’s. I will look for similar shoes which have a better reputation.

    I was pleased with wearing them as they certainly helped with my problem back and knees, however I expect them to last longer

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  42. I Really Like Your Blog because Of your Blog Background Theme . Keep Creating More beautiful Blogs.

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  43. In my opinion, even the old MBTS were junk regarding heel longevity. I am crazy about the shoes but what kind of shoe do you have to turn on its side to dry out if it gets wet? Whats even more stupid is that they sell waterproof gore-tex boots and shoes that are supposed to get wet. Ugh, is something wrong or can you only safely wear waterproof boots indoors? I have several pairs of MBTs including waterproof boots which I bought before becoming aware of this scam. All of my older MBTS have rotted or disentigrated at the heel. I did some research on rubber and foam rubber and UV effects. It turns out that Mink oil with silicone or maybe without is used to protect the rubber on cars including weatherstripping which has foam in it. So I decided to start putting mink oil (Kiwi) on my MBT heel foam, and the ludicroulsy named sensor. It seems to be working, nothing has melted in six months and of course I have nothing to lose since they will fall apart anyway without the mink oil. At least the mink oil will keep the foam dry particularly if you make sure to force it into the seal between the foam and the plastic part of the sole and you wont have to turn your shoes sideways if they get wet. Hey, it is worth a try to save those expensive shoes from their timed self destruction. Good luck.

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    Replies

    1. I purchased a pair of THESE shoes in a prominent Dublin store (Arnotts)some years ago.
      they have been worn only a few dozen times and are practically new.The soles have now split /cracked open in both shoes.
      Given the expense of these shoes I am extremely unhappy with this problem and will not be replacing them again.
      The shoe number is 7640121280311

      Delete
  44. I came here thinking its a blog about mountain bike shoes, but i have to say something about MBT as well. My mother bought those and what she says is that, once she got used to them, walking became much easier. She walks the dog a lot, so i trust her. I am considering buying a pair for myself now, just low on cash at the moment, they are not really cheap.

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  45. The new line of MTB 's are ok , i have te new ARI and the Masai sensor is " protected" by a "shell" so it will not fall apart !!

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