MBT M. Walk Walking Shoe

I recently started working out again after a long hiatus. What? No, I’m not going to tell you how long. Let’s just say I had to throw out my spandex tights, off-the-shoulder sweatshirt, and headband. Ok, not really. I was still pretty young when Flashdance came out. But yeah, it’s been a while. You know the routine. You start with the best of intentions. You work out regularly for a while. Then something comes up one day and you can’t make it to the gym. That break feels kind of good, so the next day you think, “Nah, I’m fine if I skip another day. No biggie. I’ll go tomorrow.” Then the day after that, your boss schedules a meeting you can’t miss during your gym time. Next thing you know, it’s been several months—weeks! I mean weeks! Ahem. Anyway, before you realize what’s happening, it’s been so long since you were at the gym that now you’re afraid to show your face there without a really good reason about why you’ve been gone so long. So then you have to ask yourself, do I go get a fake cast and crutches and hobble into the gym, or so I suck it up and just get back to working out? Man, these crutches hurt my armpits. Just kidding. Maybe. Seriously, I figured since I’ve been off the workout schedule for a while, I’d start back slowly and just do some walking, so I went looking for walking shoes and ran across these MBT M. Walk Walking Shoes.

Yes, I know. They’re kind of funky looking. They’re not the usual walking shoes I’m used to seeing either. But their moon boot appearance got me curious, so I did a little reading. Apparently, if you’re going to buy walking shoes, these are the ones to get. They’re not made just for comfortable walking. MBT stands for “Masai Barefoot Technology.” From what I understand, these shoes are supposed to give you the feeling of walking barefoot, not having your feet constricted in a tight athletic shoe. The sole is not only curved, it’s multi-layered for superior cushioning and support. They say it feels like walking on springy moss, or on beach sand. Incidentally, walking on beach sand—the soft kind, not the hard packed stuff closer to the water—is not only good for your feet, it’s supposed to give your legs quite a workout as well. Not to mention the added benefit of natural exfoliation. Anyway, the MBT is also supposed to give you this same effect on your legs, thighs, butt, and even abs. And because you’re working so many more muscles while you walk, you’re also boosting your metabolism, making your body a more efficient fat burning machine. Heck, if I get some of these and just walk, I may not even need to get back on the circuit at the gym! If only they did something for my arms, too. And do I even need to mention how much I love the color accents on these babies? I didn’t think so. Yeah, they’re a little pricey, but for a full lower body workout, they sound worth it to me. Try them out for $244.95 at Endless.com. And if you do try them out, or if you have some already, leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

Budget Saving Alternative 1

So after I’ve gotten my workout groove back, and I feel like kicking things up a notch, I may want to get back into running. Let me just say, I hate running. Hate. It. But, it’s effective and makes me feel like I accomplished something when I’m done running that quarter mile. I mean, uh, mile. Yeah. I can run a whole mile. Totally. If I wanted to. Which I don’t. Did I mention I hate running? Still, I couldn’t help but run across some running shoes while I was checking out all the athletic footwear, and I stumbled upon the Mizuno Wave Precision running shoe. Why do I like it? Well, because it’s pink, of course! Duh. And not just pink—pink and gray, one of my favorite color combinations. Throw in the white accents, and this is one great looking shoe. Yeah, you’re gonna be working out, running, getting all sweaty, but your feet can still look fabulous, right? Right. This shoe is built specially for the neutral to under-pronating runner. Yeah, I wasn’t sure either, so I looked it up. It’s trademark AIRmesh upper give the shoe breathability, so no stinky feet after running. The sole is cushioned, and also contains another trademark of Mizuno’s, the Rubber Parallel Wave for high-arched runners. And that’s not all! It also has SmoothRide techonology, Dynamotion Fit Technology, and an X10 carbon rubber outsole, all of which make this a highly effective and comfortable running shoe. With all that extra technology, you’d think the Wave would cost a lot, but it’s actually not too bad at $90 from Piperlime.com.

Budget Saving Alternative 2

You can’t go wrong with good ol’ Reebok, right? And now, not only can you get your run on, you can support a charity with the Premier Road Pink Ribbon running shoe. The Premier has a little pink ribbon on the top of the tongue, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this shoe go to support the fight against breast cancer. Aside from that, it’s just a good shoe. Lots of cushioning for impact absorption, Reebok’s KineticFit System, which provides comfort, support, and flexibility, and beautiful colors. It’s mostly white, accented with what Reebok calls shark blue. Um, unless we’re talking about Jabberjaw, I’m pretty sure sharks are actually gray, but whatever. They’re doing something for charity, so I’ll cut them some slack. You can also save some money while you’re supporting a good cause. The Premier is usually $95, but it’s on sale right now for just $65.99 at Piperlime.com.