At Masai (sic) Barefoot Technology (MBT) you can now buy a pair of (anti-) shoes which are apparently based on the ‘upright posture of Masai warriors’. These shoes are said to help you reduce cellulite by forcing to work the affected areas while walking.
Those who own the shoes but still can’t walk the walk, don’t despair, the people at MBT have come up with a Masai Walking 5-Class Starter Pack.
£45 (6,527 Kenyan Shillings!! – damn!) will get you and your friends a specially trained instructor who..
…will take you and your friends through the basics of walking in MBTs. You will learn tips that accelerate the toning effects in the legs and bottom and learn how to use the stomach muscles to create your optimum walking form.
Am I the only one who finds this slightly annoying?
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Edit: The fact that this post is filed under Watu Na Viatu has made me smile.
First, this sounds suspect and highly improbable. Second, are you annoyed because you wish you had thought up the idea of becoming an instructor first? £45 is rather a lot of dosh..:-)
Mama JunkYard Says: If I had come up with the idea I would not split the profit with someone who choses to chokoza me
Glad someone’s finally blogged about this! Read about it in The Sunday Times a couple of weekends ago. Was having a fit (grand-mal, tonic-clonic seizure ….. the works!!) about the concept when one of my coworkers happily shared the fact that his girlfriend had just bought a pair and was attending classes (yup…. on how to walk in them) that evening.
It really annoys me when the western world romanticises (?spelling) a basic concept from a far away land/community. Not for the benefit of the said community/people, not for the education of the ignorant masses in the western world…….. but for a tidy sum.
I mean, were the maasai consulted? Will they profit from this venture? Is the MBT trainer not just a fancy akala? And is it really worth £ 115
It reminds me of the current yoga craze engulfing this nation. Everyone does yoga nowadays……….. (Again for an extortionate sum – I call it Mickey Mouse Yoga) Was enjoying the sunshine in Regents Park this weekend – thoroughly entertained by the spaced out anorexic, near-naked blonde who proceeded to unleash some dynamic yoga moves on all who cared to watch. Obviously her perception of this ancient, spiritual exercise has to be questioned …….She was just showing off and I’m sure the yogis would be deeply displeased.
The bottom line …………. don’t distill, repackage, rename, MISUNDERSTAND (and thereby MISINFORM) the elements that make up another mans culture!!!
Mama JunkYard Says: Thanks for stopping by Tabster. You have summed up exactly what annoys me.
Haiya, me I am going to get a pair! Wacha, it might be the next big thing….and I’ll be legit because I once owned a real pair of akalas.
I suppose it would have been worse had I seen the concept and no mention of the origins was made. Don’t mess with businessmen/women.
Mama JunkYard Says: If you buy those MBT shoes make sure you stop by NicKui Inc and by the Qyondo designed to strengthen your back and neck muscles
lol. they will teach u how to firmen those skokes and give spring into ur walk….am kickin myself for it not bein my idea.
but there’s still room we can package:
-the african pot:carry it wit ur forehead, strengthens the neck muscles,adds poisture
and lots more i will return
Mama JunkYard Says: You sort out the medical benefits of the basket carrying and I shall work on the intellectual property aspect. Soon we shall have our own yacht
LOL LOL LOL!!! Bitto what the Tabster said but for me, its just hilarious!! Ati Masai Barefoot Technology?? Why are they shoes then? Shouldn’t they be barefoot!!!
LMAO!!
Mama JunkYard Says: That is why they are also called “The Anti -Shoe” LMAO
I saw this on the net sometime back, and thought it was ridiculous so ignored it. And yes, it pisses me off when people/organisations take something like that and exoticise (is that a word?) it. What is Maasai about the the shoes anyway? Even more stupid is people taking classes (WTH?) to walk in a MBT – Ms K I am with you on the barefoot – BAREFOOT should have been a clue, shouldnt it?
MJY – LOL on you checking to see if I have blogged. I will walk (virtual) over there now and do some blogging.
Yeah I give with the nephew carrying a kiondo on your head can be made into a business and call it CAK- say how them idiots feel. Wajama humans try try and really try my patience. I am sure they do not have a Masaai on their Board or even consulted one, technology indeed!
Mama JunkYard Says: LOL @ CAK . Our business shall now be called NickNyaksKui Inc
saw this in a swiss sunday paper a few months ago – though at that time there was nothing about classes being offered.
i must admit, as a maasai, i was more proud than worried about whether “we had been consulted”. but i’m sure they did their research.
this thing of walking as “barefooted” as possible seems to be the latest craze. just seen the tv-ad for the nike barefeet technology, where all the stars are barefooted – rooney, serena, federer and runners with KENYA clearly visible on their shirts (yeah!).
Mama JunkYard Says: I have seen that advert!!! LOL..it is something when a shoe company tries to sell you the idea of running barefoot
When I saw this post, I initially thought some wiseass had finally made some high-tech akalas, patented them etc. Kumbe its just some ridiculous viatus being called Masai Barefoot Technology [ridiculous paradox, that]
I’m sure you can fly in a Masai who will train on how to do the “Masai Walk” an entire town for next to nothing…maybe a business idea there…start crunching the numbers 🙂
The fact that this blog is under watu na viatu makes it easy for me to have my say. Only a ‘kiatu’ would pay for this kinda service!
Big up to our maasai’s though!
I want my cut of the money made.
I am also sick of us being used for all kinds of mess. Now if only we had a maasai lawyer amoungst us…. hmmmmm 🙂
why ponder without information when you can be informed and make an INTELLIGENT decision; your post and that of the responders is a waste of energy; there is information out there about the products and it can be easily had … then the responses would have value and reason rather than being simply uninformed opinions
i just got a pair of MBTs and they are the most amazing shoe i’ve ever worn … and worth every penny
if you wish to be informed, try reading http://www.mbt-uk.com … the medical and therapy section of the site will provide some information which may elevate your understanding of the product
you may still conclude that you don’t like the idea; but then at least it will be an INFORMED opinion rather than blather
Mama JunkYard Says: I appreciate you stopping by but what I do not appreciate is the tone and slighlt insulting nature of your comment. You are to my knowledge a first time visitor, yet you so brazenly imply that I and the rest of the commenters on this blog are unintelligent and misinformed. You also refer to our views as blather! I would like to point out that I am all for debate and for differing opinions what I shall not tolerate is disrespectful and rude behaviour, especially by a first time commenter. Whether those comments are addressed to me or to others, as the owner of this blog, I take offence. I shall not, on this occassion delete your comments, however the next time you come in here writing in block capitals and insulting people, I shall ensure that your comments do not see the light of day.
I bet the company must be making huge amount of profits at the expense of these poor Kenyans…Just a question? how much did these guys get paid to advertise? where are the shoes made? China and not Kenya…The company is lying to the consumers…..I don’t think that the shoes are a real solution to back pain..please understand that these maasais are always complaining of back pains…..Surely where are the fair trade campaigners?..poor africans are being used..this is slavery in the 21st century…..Susan Naipanoi Ole Sungu
I bought a pair of these last week after researching them for a few weeks and as a person who has suffered from a lot of back pain for the last 5 years these already are making a difference…
My posture is now near perfect and no i didnot not pay anyone to train me to wear them. If you go to a place from the mbt website they will show you at length how to walk on them… they reason why they want to show people is because each of us are different and can read the same piece of text differently. and no you dont pay them for showing you…in fact the person i bought them off told me the days she works and to call or email her if i was having trouble… you also get a video with them for extra information… I actually went to the shop several times (walking around in the trial pair for 20 minutes at a time to see if i liked them) – yes they are expensive but also yes they are worth it especially for people that have extermely bad posture which causes other pain…
I just bought my first pair and I’m delighted with these shoes! I have suffered from knee pain for ages and these shoes really help! It was difficult trying to find information about the shoes from a consumers viewpoint so I started a yahoogroup to discuss the shoes objectively and if any of you have tried the shoes, then please post here and let us know what you think about them.
i was googling MBT because a friend of mine just got a pair and told me that I wouldn’t believe how ugly they were. So I had to see them, and then I came across your blog. I just wanted to let you know that it looks – certainly from this bit of commentary on mbts – like a super blog. I had lots of good laughs and, by the end, I even was impressed at your response to Jessie, who took such offense about (the comments about) his/her new shoes.
But truthfully, I don’t think Jessie was as insulting as you made him/her out to be – he/she was just bummed and defensive that people were dissing his/her new (and very expensive, and also very ugly, but perhaps very therapeutic and wonderful, but also very culturally commoditizing and opportunistically marketed) shoes. Keep up the good blog.
I heard about this funky (and I mean smelly) via some magazine of women just a few days ago. I almost chipped at the fact that this aholes in the Western world decided to find yet another gimmick in exercise and let the Maasai be its scapegoat. Im sick to my stomach about this…BUT…..Kenya definately needs good exposure and we just might have that with this ridiculous discovery..ha ha…wacha tu!!!
If you need to study a video or a brochure to wear your shoes, gee… its a waist of time having into account the amount of time you need for your other gadgets you may have. however, having to attend a course and besides pay for it, after you have spent the money buying a pair of MTB, woaaoahhh, it seems to me that the product is too complicated and that you won’t get results of it unless you spend a lot upon what you already spent !