Several of my friends had some and said good things. So I thought, “why not, I’ll treat myself, it’s time for new shoes anyway.” So later that day, I went searching for my first pair of Nike Shox.
As someone who had an engineering background, I was impressed by the story of Nike Shox. Apparently it took 16 years of development, prototypes, changes, improvements, failures, restarts, and eventually success to launch the first pair of Nike Shox in 2000. The material to use in the “shock” was one of the biggest questions. They had a hard time finding a material that was both light and durable, and also provided the user with a spring-like experience. Nike claims that the Shox actually help propel the user forward.
So since those shoes, I’ve made a point to buy shoes that are as flat as possible, absolutely no heels. I’m considering trying some of those MBT shoes where the heel is actually lower than the toe (not the vertical training shoes for those of you who know what I’m talking about). By having the heel lower than the toe, it causes your pelvis to point upward and use your lower abs more. So I’m curious to hear if anyone of you have experiences with MBT shoes.
After going to a couple stores at the mall, and finding a combination of colors that I like, I invested in a (too expensive) pair of Nike Shox. I was also hoping that the extra cushioning in the heel of the Shox would also lessen my piriformis muscle pain.
Now I will say, almost everytime I get a new pair of shoes, my sciatic nerve pain seems to flare up. So I expected a little pain as my body became accustomed to the new shoe.
However, I did not expect the longevity of pain and worsening of my piriformis pain that the Nike Shox caused. After just a few months of light use, I had enough. I put them up on ebay and found a giddy buyer happy to invest in his first pair of Nike Shox.
So why did they make my piriformis syndrome worse? I later learned that wearing heels tends to make you rotate your pelvis downward, sticking your butt out more, and compressing your lower back. If you have Downward Poniting Pelvis, the most common of our structural disorders that cause sciatic nerve pain, then heels are your enemy. They make your disorder worse, tightening up the piriformis muscle even more, which leads to more and more pain.
So since those shoes, I’ve made a point to buy shoes that are as flat as possible, absolutely no heels. I’m considering trying some of those MBT shoes where the heel is actually lower than the toe (not the vertical training shoes for those of you who know what I’m talking about). By having the heel lower than the toe, it causes your pelvis to point upward and use your lower abs more. So I’m curious to hear if anyone of you have experiences with MBT shoes.- Bryan
Founder of the Back in Action Institute and 10-Minute Sciatica Relief Program
I am having Piriformus surgery and this was a good article
I wear Dansko shoes which help a ton for my periformus pain. Dansko has a similar sole design as the MBT, though not as pronounced. Shoes that are entirely flat make my pain much worse! Thank you for your unfortunate research, now I’ll know not to spend a lot on athletic shoes only to be disappointed and in more pain.
Has anyone had GOOD results for sciatica or performis syndrome with the Chung Shi shoes?
I bought a pair of MBT shoes hoping that they would help. Instead, they made my problems MUCH WORSE. Now I have a pair of VERY expensive shoes sitting in my closet. I, too, wear Dansko and Keenes.