Monday 9 July 2012

MBT are in administration!!!!

MBT announced administration on 17th May this year after their parent company Masai Marketing & Trading AG filed for bankruptcy at the beginning of the month.  After appointing administrators Chris Laughton and Peter Godfrey-Evans of Mercer & Hole they announced that their administration coincided with a 4 week summer sale which should hopefully boost their sales (sorry guys I'm a bit behind and the sale has now ended), so far their website still states they are in administration and there has been no mention of a buyer for the company, 2 stores have been closed, 1 in Guilford and 1 in Tunbridge Wells however they say at the moment no more are planned for closing.  So what if MBT can't find a buyer!?! where do you go then for your fitness shoes, well with a small amount of research I have come up with some other fabulous alternatives.

1. Aetrex
Aetrex Bodyworks Mary Jane in Black


Fairly new to the UK market Aetrex were founded in 1946 with a mission to create the healthiest shoes on the market, they were originally known for the development of arch supports and medically orientated footcare.  They currently employ over 200 people at their Head Office in New Jersey, including fitness experts, designers, podiatrists and Certified Pedorthists to ensure Aetrex remain at the top of the medical based fitness market.  As well as making reasonably priced over the counter orthotics Aetrex make the 'Bodyworks' Range, Aetrex Bodyworks have been designed to help tone the lower body and promote proper body alignment and healthy midfoot walking.  Bodyworks have a double rocker sole which gives pressure distribution and stimulates the lower body whilst the perfectly positioned fulcrum point (in the middle of the sole) makes your foot have a natural roll whilst walking.  On top of all this they also have a moisture wicking lining and the icing on the cake a 'Mozaic Performance Insole'.  Aetrex specialise in the Mosaic insole, all you need to do is visit your local stockists who scan your feet on the Aetrex machine.  Once you have been scanned the machine works out where YOUR pressure points are on YOUR feet and tells the sales assistant which pieces of the Mosaic need to be removed.  The Mosaic means that these shoes are completely customised to you and your feet.  Fantastic!!!  So what's the difference between these and MBT who claim that other companies designs are cheaper, lesser quality and fake?? Well.....MBT were founded in 1996, Aetrex were founded in 1946, I'd say Aetrex have the edge of 50 years on the research and professionals in their arsenal.  Also as a previous wearer of MBT's myself and a relativity new wearer of Aetrex (about 3 months..ish) I have to say Aetrex are lighter, more stable (I did find that MBT can be too unstable sometimes) cheaper with no lack of quality and I still get the same benefits for my poor knee which the reason I first purchased MBT.


2. Skechers

Skechers Shape Up Sleek Fit Black



Skechers was founded in 1990 by a father and son duo in California.  Originally Skechers products were mainly utility style boots and skate shoes, however the range soon diversified into just about every type of shoe you could think of.  In more recent years they developed the Shape Up (which is pretty much their version of the MBT), Tone Ups (their version of FitFlops) and the Go ranges.  The Skechers Shape Up as previously mentioned is pretty much a copy of the MBT shoes and works with the same principles however I found their sole to be much squishier and unstable, almost to unstable for me and it squelches really loudly when they get wet wearing them in the rain, which is quite annoying.  So the original promises for a Shape Up were - they will improve posture, improve blood circulation, improve back strength, tighten abdominal muscles, tones and firms buttocks, tones and firms thigh areas, firms calf muscles, reduces knee joint stress.  I will agree that whilst wearing Shape Ups my legs certainly did tire quicker and there was a reduced impact on my knee joints however I personally have seen no toning benefits.  Unfortunately this year Skechers have agreed to settle a class action lawsuit in the US for $40 million due to an FTC complaint that they had mislead their customers with their Shape Ups ads :( Whilst I personally believe in Skechers as a brand and I love most of their shoes for me the Shape Ups just weren't up to the same standard as some of their competitors.


3. FitFlop
Rokkit Cosmic Purple....LUSHNESS!!



I LOVE FitFlop!!!! They are my favorite brand at the moment and I pretty much wear them solidly, literally I put them on when I get up and don't take them off till I'm going to bed.  As with other fitness brands FitFlop claim to activate bottom muscle activation by up to 30%, Increase hamstring muscle activation by up to 16%, reduce knee joint stress by up to 20%, reduce hip joint stress by up to 8% and reduce ankle joint force by up to 11%.  FitFlop have engineered their sole to have a Microwobbleboard, it is designed with 3 different densitys through the sole, the heel is high density to absorb shock in the lower legs and help relieve joint stress, the midsection is low density to create an instability to increase lower leg muscle activation and the toe is mid density to maintain speed and pace and increase stability.  OK so I have worn these ALOT pretty much daily for about 2 and half years, FitFlop flipflops in summer and boots in winter, I do wear my other trainer brands occasionally now but no where near as much as I used to, generally only when it's to hot for boots but to wet for flip flops.  Whilst they are the comfiest brand I own and one of the few that I can work in the shop, on my feet, for a full 9 hours and my feet and knee don't hurt by the end of it they do not really tone anything, I mean the amount of time I spend in these and other fitness brands I should have a models body by now surely :)  But I stand by my first comment, I LOVE FitFlop and they are seriously comfortable, I mean really, really comfortable and it does feel weird to wear anything else nowadays :)


So although MBT are in administration and as yet still have no buyer there are alternatives out there, each brand will always think they are the only ones that provide the best option but I think in the wider scheme of things they are all giving the same sort of option it just comes down to who we..as the customer prefer.  Either shopping for our favourite brand or just by style and comfort, so as a famous man (Bob Marley) said 'don't worry, be happy' :)


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