Good times aboard the New Balance MT10 trail shoe

I've only spent a couple hours in the newly released New Balance Minimus trail shoes - a hilly 40 minute run in slush and snow at Mount Douglas, and a Crossfit workout tonight.
The Minimus is New Balance's shot at the minimalist market of running footwear. I'll cover "minimalist" running in detail in another post. The major premise is that of minimizing the cushioning, lift (height from ground) and drop (height of heel v. forefoot) and bulk of a running shoe to encourage a more "natural", mid or forefoot strike. The concept is old, actually going back to the true barefoot days of our ancestors, but the footwear market has only recently gone mainstream with what they call minimalist footwear. I have a lot to say about it actually, but I'll reserve it for another time.

Back to the Minimus trail shoe at hand. When you pick this shoe up, you immediately realize how light and uniquely shaped it is. It's a dedicated running shoe, but weighs little more than a slipper, and is shaped more like a cross trainer in the forefoot. This shape is designed to give room for your foot to spread as it makes contact with the ground. The shoe is designed to be worn with or without socks. There are few seams inside the shoe and the footbed is thin, soft and sewn into the insole. The outsole is Vibram rubber, with a dot-shaped tread pattern throughout. The midsole is very thin (little cushioning and lift) and the drop is next to zero. The upper uses a lot of light, airy mesh, and the shoe seems to be held together by a rubber exoskeleton that wraps the heel and forefoot.

My run at Mount Douglas left me absolutely impressed with this shoe. I took them out of the box, put them on without socks, drove to the trailhead, and ran for 45 minutes in a slushy, hilly, rocky and wet environment. I got soaked pretty quick, to say the least! But what a blast! I felt so connected with the ground in this shoe. I didn't worry about my footing as I usually do. Because you're sitting so low to the ground, you don't feel the risk of rolling an ankle. I've been forefoot strike running for a few years, so I didn't have an issue with the limited cushioning or lack of a heel lift.

The one issue I had was that when debris gets in your shoe and you're not wearing socks, it sucks. Obviously, wearing socks next time will fix this problem, and this was more a personal dissapointment with a piece of reality of trail running rather than an issue with the shoe's design.

The shoe was equally impressive at the gym. I performed a heavy three-rep front squat, and I felt confident and solid in the shoe. It felt close to going barefoot or wearing Vibram Five-Fingers, which are my usual choices. After the front squats we performed a workout that involved rowing, box jumps, and burpees. I didn't feel like I had to think about or worry about my footing at anytime. The shoe felt very natural on my foot in this environment.

I wore the shoes today for four hours at work. I gotta say, my feet are sore. These shoes are made for moving, not standing. My heels are sore and I was glad to take them off at the end of the day.

I love this shoe, but it's definitely for a certain person with certain activities in mind. If you're into trail running and have been or are interested in the minimalist shoe movement, this is a great pick up. If you're into the world of functional, full-body fitness, like Crossfit, this is also a great shoe, in my opinion.

I want to talk more about forefoot running down the road. It's one of my many interests, and I live it through my approach to fitness and my current occupation. For now, here's my score for the New Balance MT10 Minimus trail shoes:

Performance: 5/5

Comfort: 4.75/5

Value: 4/5 ($129.99) - Not a giveaway, considering many minimalist shoes/Vibram five fingers are in the $99-110 range.

Overall Rating: 4.6/5


Next review: a quick and dirty look at Finish Gelpacs dishwasher individual detergent packets.