Based on some pretty positive comments from Leisureguy, I decided to look out for a pair of MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) shoes on this trip to Florida. While cruising one of the mega malls indigenous to God’s Waiting Room, I accidentally came upon a store that stocks them. I tried on a pair of Chapa style (a cross between a running and hiking shoe) and immediately felt the effect of their unique “rocking” design. I felt taller, and each step had a powerful forward lunge to it from the thick foam sole. I bought two pair, the second a black dress shoe to replace my recently “holy” Eccos.

Reviews I’ve read talk about how expensive these shoes are at around $250. Is that a lot? I guess so if you are used to replacing your shoes every six months or walking in perpetual agony. But I learned long ago that you should invest the most money you can afford into the two places where you will spend the most time….your mattress….and your shoes.

My last pair of Eccos lasted five years of fairly regular wear (but never two days in a row…that’s the trick to making leather shoes last for years…give them a chance to dry and keep them in shoe-trees to preserve their shape).

I’ll post a more detailed review of these shoes later in the week, as I have a chance to wear them for an extended period.