Michelle Weber
What if you could just walk your way to a better body? The makers of some new footwear promise an easier way to get lovely legs. The Nightteam's Christa Delcamp--puts these "cellulite sneakers" to the test.
They are the newest shoes on a star's must-have list, but you won't see them on the red carpet.
Kerry O'Day, Bliss Spa, NYC
"Yes, we've had some, I will say A-list celebrities, that have ordered these."
The draw isn't fashion but fitness with claims that these shoes remove cellulite with each step.
Dr. Leroy Perry, International Sports Medicine Institute
"It is the best walking shoe you'll ever find."
They're called MBT's for Masai Barefoot Technology. The design is based on the gait of the Masai Tribe in Africa, who walk barefoot or wear light sandals.
Dr. Leroy Perry, International Sports Medicine Institute
"These people have such nice vertical posture and different type of movement, they had a lot of spring in their step.
Company consultant Dr. Leroy Perry says that while they're being touted as an "anti-cellulite" shoe, he has seen other benefits: better alignment, improved posture, muscle strengthening and improved circulation even weight loss...
Noel Christoforo, Wears MBT Shoes
"I've lost seven pounds, my gait has improved, my balance has improved, my posture has improved."
MBT's secret is in its sole. They're curved thicker and higher in the middle, like a rocker and designers say that this forces your legs to work harder with each step.
Dr. Leroy Perry, International Sports Medicine Institute
"The MBT shoe duplicates walking in the sand."Kerry O'Day, Bliss Spa, NYC
"They're almost like an invisible personal trainer."
MBT's have been the rage in Europe and Bliss, a spa based in NYC, was one of first U.S. retailers to carry them with an exclusive design.
Kerry O'Day, Bliss Spa, NYC
"Sold out within two days, and since then we're sold over 8,000 pairs of the sneakers, 2,000 people were put on the waiting list."
So 7News decided to put them to the test. We gave a pair to Holly Shuman of Brookline...
Holly Shuman, MBT Shoe Tester
"I hear that Heidi Klum has a pair, so I feel very special to have my own."
And another to Stacie Minihane of Boston...
Stacie Minihane, MBT ShoeTester
"I'm very excited… They were better looking than I thought they were going to be."
Although the styles were different, the challenges were the same, learning how to walk in the new-fangled footwear.
Holly Shuman, MBT Shoe Tester
"I fell up the stairs laughs not down."Stacie Minihane, MBT ShoeTester
"You can't drag your feet in these at all because you would trip."
Once they got it down, they took sauntering in the streets...
Holly Shuman, MBT Shoe Tester
"I feel a little bit of energy through the back of my legs."Stacie Minihane, MBT ShoeTester
"They put a spring in your step. You feel like you're being lifted when you're walking."
And three weeks later we check in to see about results.
Holly says biggest difference she found was the way she felt while wearing them...
Holly Shuman, MBT Shoe Tester
"Definitely standing up taller, I feel like my hips and my shoulders are a little more aligned, I feel like my posture has improved."
As for Stacie, it's the comfort that keeps her glide in stride...
Stacie Minihane, MBT ShoeTester
"You feel like you are working out a little bit with them on. I give them a big thumbs up."
They both admit they haven't seen a big change in the look of their legs, but plan on sticking with their walking workout.
MBT's run about $230. When it comes to destroying dimples, some experts are skeptical because they say cellulite is almost impossible to get rid of.
For more information:
SwissMasai U.S. LLC
P.O. Box 727
Hailey, Idaho 83333
208-788-0883
www.swissmasaius.com
www.mbt-uk.comBliss
19 E 57th St
3rd Floor
NYC NY 10022
212-219-8970
www.blissworld.com
Dave & Jacqueline Lapic
Foot Solutions
Hitchcock Plaza
185 Boston Post Road
Orange, CT 06477
203-799-FOOT (3668)
www.connecticutfootsolutions.comDr. Leroy Perry
International Sports Medicine Institute
3283 Motor Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
310-559-6900
www.drleroyperry.com
