MBT have been available on the market since 1996. But practical proof of the effectiveness of this technology has been provided for thousands of years by the Masai, a semi-nomadic tribe from East Africa. Joint and back pain are mostly unknown among them, they enjoy stable health and remarkable athletic ability.

It was left to Swiss engineer Karl Muller to discover the secret of the Masai: the simple fact that walking barefoot on soft, natural ground means that they have to balance their bodies with each and every step.

Muller's discovery did not happen in Africa but during a residence in Korea. Whenever he suffered from back pain he walked barefoot over paddy fields - which quickly relieved his complaints. He tried to understand this perplexing observation - and stumbled across the secret of the Masai.

After his return to Switzerland Karl Muller began to develop a footwear technology that would make the natural instability of soft surfaces accessible to people forced to move on hard ground. Over many years of research and development "Masai Barefoot Technology" was perfected to the stage where it was ready to be introduced to the market.