AUS Triathlon Coach
While attending a ITU Triathlon World Cup Race in Kitzbuhel. Austria, on July 22, 2007, with some of my elite athletes I was advised to try MBTs.
Though known to be somewhat of a self-healer and quite skeptical of new innovations. I had a quite serious problem with my left foot, and calf, due to an injury caused by a Taxi running over my foot while in Sydney, back in June 2002.I became interesting in trying these.
Though many had told me that I would most likely have a permanent limp and not be totally free of pain and problems with this; I worked many hours stretching and exercising this myself until it became somewhat pain free; well that was until this year.
As MBT had a sale area at the above race, I decided to try these special shoes out.
Now whereas the people there were helpful they were trying to tell me, what I needed and that my present shoes were wrong for me actually telling me they were too big in size, a point I dismissed, after all I had been around long enough to know what I needed in a pair of shoes...I thought!
On my return to Australia, my foot and leg was getting worse so I made a few phone calls finishing up at the MBT headquarters on the Manly Warringah Peninsular after speaking to some of their staff and having a few things pointed out to me. The first and most important being you “must be fitted to these shoes”, they must fit right, before we will sell to you. Well that won me over service and someone interested in helping me find what I should/could be wearing.
Now the problem I though was how do I try these and get them fitted. Mr Stewart we will have somebody phone you later this week, I explained I was heading overseas again at the end of the next week and would have liked to travel these with me if they helped my leg.
Two days later, two of the staff from the MBT outlet in Sydney arrived on the Gold Coast with many shoes for me to try.
For over an hour I was taught how to walk in these shoes and advised that wearing them 30mins a day would be enough for the first weeks as my legs would get a bit sore adjusting to the straight, upright stance, soft sand type walking, and posture, one must use when wearing them.
I left Australia with one pair of the MBT shoes and a pair of sandals (which I am always wearing)
After the first week, I hardly had them off my feet. Comfort and the fact that my leg was getting much better, are just some of the points that has won me over.
I had two of my athletes try these shoes, both have had great success from using them; one a swimmer changing over to triathlon had a foot problem caused from running.
Now in just 6 short weeks he has been able to take his weekly mileage up over double.
The other a high profile elite female triathlete uses these to ease any aches and pains from training, with great success.
I would personally recommend that any body, but in particular athletes use these shoes.
They certainly have my seal of approval.