The Masai Shoe

I had never, repeat never, considered plunking down $225 on a pair of sneakers, much less anything as ugly as what I was holding. Yet here I was seriously contemplating the possibility of buying these magical shoes that improve posture, increase abdominal muscle activity, reduce stress on hip and knee joints by -19%, and are beneficial to your health because of their design(http://www.swissmasaius.com/).
The Masai Barefoot Technology "shoe" bills itself as the "Anti Shoe", and it is inspired by an African tribe (Masai) whose members suffer from no back problems. It is believed their barefoot step on soft sand is to be credited with their excellent back health. Whether true or not, MBT is to be credited for entering a very crowded category, and creating a differentiated and plausibly believable positioning with a premium price point. There is a clear benefit (better back health) with a rational reason to believe (designed to "roll" like a bare foot on sand), and an edgy attitude (the Anti Shoe) reminiscent of the un-cola approach of 7 UP many years back. In the consumer world we need more of these products that attempt to provide us with meaningful benefits, and less of undifferentiated sneakers peddled by already over-paid athletes. Way to go MBT!