I like rockers

I like rockers. Not the living kind — though there are some rock stars that I admire — but shoes that have boat-shaped soles.

My first encounter with rockers was when a friend passed me a pair of MBT shoes to try. He knew that I had flat feet and thought it would help alleviate the pain of walking too much. The experience wasn’t that great because the sole was wobbly.

After a couple of days of trying, I returned the pair of shoes to him and totally forgot about it.

My first rockers
During a trip to the US, I was feeling the strain of walking while checking out the stores at Grove City Premium Outlets. I stepped into a Skechers shop and chanced upon its version of the rocker shoes, called Shape-Ups. As my ankles were aching then, I was pleasantly surprised when I tried on the shoes. Somehow, the well-padded shoes with the thickened middle sole eased the pressure on my feet.

I bought two pairs — it’s the usual buy one pair and get the second at 50 percent off deal.

Since then, I’ve sworn by rockers. They’re the best for flat-footers like me.

When my shoes wore out after a couple of years, I managed to get another pair from Amazon.

However, this year, I had difficulty searching for Shape-Ups — only odd sizes and designs were available either on Amazon or eBay. The official sites no longer listed those products.

Turned out that I was not well-informed as Skechers and a few others had to pull their products off the shelf because of a lawsuit for misinformation. They had claimed that the shoes offered health benefits, which unfortunately, was found to be untrue.

But, that did not deter me. It wasn’t those health benefits that I was seeking. I just found the shoes to be comfortable and they suited me fine.

So began a search for alternatives and the road led to MBT. I read numerous reviews and checked out forums and the overall views were generally good. It had better be because MBT shoes are costlier than Skechers’.

As the reviews all mentioned that it’s better to try the shoes to ensure the right fit before buying, I headed to one of the MBT outlets in Singapore.

After listening to my needs, the salesperson recommended a pair for me. Seems the shoes are designed for different uses — walking, casual running and serious running.

I was advised to take the one in between since I plan to use it for my travels. To match my wardrobe, which comprises mainly clothes in blue or black, I opted for a blue pair of the MBT GT 17 (I think the number indicate the year the model was launched).

Two months later and I can testify that the MBT shoes are really good and dare I say, even more comfortable than the Skechers, which I still own and wear. The sole is more solid and there’s a firmer feel all round.

If you have flat feet or just want good support for your ankles and feet, MBT shoes are a great choice. However, do note that it takes a little getting used to the rocking motion. But once you’re used to it, there’s no turning back.

You may get the same MBT shoes as mine at Amazon.