A new way of walking!

I have recently had the chance to try a pair of MBTs. A pair of what? I hear you ask - MBTs which apparently stands for Masai Barefoot Technology and they are shoes which promote a whole new way of walking. In fact they are marketed as the anti shoe.

The range includes shoes, trainers, sandals and boots and I chose a pair of sandals which are smart enough for going out whilst being casual enough for every day wear.

I read the instructions - yes instructions for how to wear shoes - which advised me to get used to them gradually so that I didn't suffer any aches and pains. It also explained that since the base of the shoe is curved I had to put my heel down first and roll the shoe forward to walk.

It sounds odd but I found that my new sandals felt very comfortable as soon as I put them on. They did feel kind of odd as I felt slightly off balance at first but I soon got used to them. I started by wearing them for half an hour at a time and gradually built up to wearing them all day.

The shoes are supposed to exercise your legs and I can certainly feel the muscles working as soon as I begin to walk and, although I can feel the exercise working, I don't find that my legs ache the day after wearing the shoes as I thought that they might.

I have already been told that my legs look slimmer and more toned and I have lost a few pounds in weight too so what more could I ask for?

http://www.mbt.com/ is the website of these amazing shoes and here you can find the full range together with lots of information.

The only down side is the RRP which is £150 for the sandalls that I have although there are places that sell them cheaper than this - a word of warning though beware of cheap imitations as they may damage your body.

My Feet just got hotter...

I have terrible feet! I don't mean they smell or look awful or anything like that, no I mean they hurt, a lot... I have the beginnings of arthritis in my knees and feet and it's not funny.

I love strappy high sandals and lovely spikey boots but they no longer love me....sob... but the shoes that do love my feet are the ones that you're granny would not be seen dead in usually, so what's a girl to do?

I've found http://www.hottershoes.com/  and they are most certainly going to be my saviours. Shortly after I found the website I decided to get some shoes from there... It's a nice easy site to navigate, with a tab for FAQs - I've never seen so many questions on a site - but all very relevent and good to know.

It's easy to browse and to order your shoes, plus they come in different width fittings too - which is fab for me! I also liked the fact you can order a printed catalogue too as sometimes a screen just isn't the same as having a coffee and a flick through the catalogue.

There are delievery charges, but they don't calculate that until you have placed the order so they know how heavy/big it is. But delivery isn't that expensive anyway.

So they - what we're here to find out about is my new shoes!!

My stepson has had some blue baseball pumps like these ones above, they look cool and Himself has ordered a pair too, I wanted some in red, but the flimsy soles on Converse All Star type pumps just won't be good enough for my super sensitive tootsies...sadly. With thin canvas and a thin sole my feet woudl be aching in about half an hour, and I'd be in "I can't walk another step" type of pain within about three hours.

I took a stroll, figeratively, to http://www.hottershoes.com/  and found these adorable little pumps in bright red!! Lovely!! and just like the pumps the boys have - not a granny shoe in sight!

The website says

Enjoy a bright and breezy summer in brand new sporty shoe Bailey. Crafted from soft, natural nubuck with a durable toecap, it's as light and flexible as a gym shoe. Fun colours fit perfectly with your favourite jeans or sports pants for all your active leisure time.

Bailey Pumps are £55 and come in half sizes too.

The Nubuck upper is soft and supple to the touch, and the wihite rubbery sole makes my feet stick like glue to our boat rigging so I'm not longer a danger wobbling round the deck either!

There is loads of padding inside the shoe both all the way underfoot but then extra round the foot arch too. They really are the most trendy pumps for me that keep my feet in working order. Really lovely!

Although I did try and get away with wearing them to work as they look very smart and the MD said I was looking 'rather casual' so maybe I'll have to check out Hotter for more shoes for work instead...

As you can see, I went out in the garden and got artisitic with the camera!!

By Helen