Berkshire Partners LLC, a Boston-based private equity firm, today announced that they have made an investment in Masai Group International to help accelerate and support the next phase of the Company's growth. Masai Group International distributes shoes under the Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) brand. MBT is the leading global provider of physiological footwear. Current shareholders Klaus Heidegger, a former world-class skier and past owner of Kiehl's, and Hermann Oberschneider, a successful Austrian sports and tourism entrepreneur, have retained a majority stake in MBT.

Led by CEO Norbert Kraihamer and headquartered in Romanshorn, Switzerland, MBT designs athletic, casual and professional shoes and sandals that provide fitness and orthopedic benefits. MBT physiological footwear positively impacts the entire body and offers tangible benefits to health-conscious customers who are looking for improved posture and increased muscle activity during normal day-to-day wear as well as customers who suffer from back pain and muscle and joint problems.

Initially developed for orthopedic applications by Swiss engineer Karl Muller, MBT's shape and structure, with the elliptical section or "Masai Sensor" underneath the heel, creates a natural instability underfoot that stimulates and exercises the body's supporting muscle system.

Benefits of wearing MBTs include reduced impact on joints, better posture, increased caloric burn and muscle toning due to increased buttock, thigh and abdominal muscle activity, as well as a significant decrease of stress and pressure on the hip and knee joints.

The product is available in over 20 countries including Germany, the U.K. and the United States.

Source: B Wire