Went into my local specialty running store (Bryn Mawr Running, Manayunk branch) to pick up some new shorts yesterday evening and there they were in all their lovely glory: orange, low, wide New Balance Minimus shoes, a few weeks ahead of the release schedule. Grabbed a pair on the spot (first buyer, I was told). Wore them around the house and to the grocery store just to check for anything obvious. Noticed the midfoot “band” seemed a bit tight on my left foot. For those who don’t know, these shoes are very minimal shoes. Think VFF’s with no per-toe pockets and 4mm of heel-toe drop.
Woke up this morning and decided to wear them instead of my NB MT-101’s for today’s 13-14 mile technical trail run. Used socks this time, just in case.
Bliss! The toebox is foot-shaped. The ground feel is less than VFF, but not much less and also not much less than a pair of huaraches. Traction is superb - as good as much more aggressive treads that I’ve worn. Plenty of mud on the run, and no more problems (and perhaps less) than I would have had in a “real” trail shoes. I had no issues with them during the entire run, which involved many very knarly uphills and downhills on rocks, dirt, roots and a little bit of snow and ice. My legs and feet felt good right afterwards, and now by evening, there’s no sign of any incipient soreness. Disclaimer: I’ve been running barefoot/huaraches/lowdrop for about 7 or 8 months now.
Totally love these shoes and will likely do the Hat Run (50K, March 19th) in them unless the weather is bad (then the MT101’s have a couple of things going for them). Yay for New Balance making the shoes I was waiting for, if not better.
I just bought a pair, I liked the fit. Very comfortable, lots of forefoot space.
They are very flexible, but they felt snug around the heel and arch, providing more lateral support than I would expect from a minimalist shoe. Also the cushioning was surprisingly good, enough for running on hard surfaces.
For any readers considering the NB, check out the Merrell Trail Glove. I got a pair a few runs ago and so far am very impressed after running/racing in Vibrams for the last 2 years.
From what I can tell, they’re similar to the NBs except there is a 0mm heel to toe drop.
update: its taken me several runs to be able to use the minimus on asphalt/concrete. once again, easy does it, and after about 4-5 road-only runs, i’m up to 7 or 8 miles in them without any calf issues at all. by contrast, i ran 21 miles in them on trails and never felt anything but joy. i love these shoes. that said, i still look forward to warmer weather and wearing huaraches again.
actually, once you have the lacing setup, they are about as fast as any shoe i’ve ever worn. i’ve never tried wearing a pair in a triathlon and i doubt that i ever will.
your edited version makes it more clear what you mean now. yes, i can see more or less no point whatsoever in the minimus road shoe. i don’t understand what NB was thinking with that. the trail, however, is an instant classic for me.
You sound like you have bought in to the minimalist running trend. Do you have any sites / reports / etc that you could send me to for research? I have read the ‘good running’ stuff on the New Balance site so far and am intrigued. I have tabletop flat feet and a history of stress fractures - would love to see if a different approach could improve my chances of running injury free.
(sorry if this constitutes a thread mini-hijack. I will post a new thread if you want me to)
I’ve been planning to get a pair for the upcoming trail race season. I live in a very rocky area, generally smaller protruding rocks - you think these have enough protection for that? When I’m going hard in a race, I may hit rocks here and there I wouldn’t hit in training and hope to find a light and low racer with some protection.
I have the Minimus Road. There is a “point” in using these shoes. I’ve been looking for a shoe that has little heel/toe drop, wide forefoot, AND some cushion. I am 6’1", 180 lbs. I under pronate. Most so called minimal shoes work well for me until about 12-15 miles into a run or more than about 50 miles in a week. At that point systems start to break down. The NB road shoe has filled a niche for me.
Other shoes I use are…
INOV8 X-Talon 190 - Great on crazy trails. A little narrow in the forefoot. Worthless on concrete.
VFF Bikila - 3 to 5 miles once a week on concrete. No problem.
Brooks Green Silence - My one time every day shoe. After adding up some miles on em, trouble started. Great for occasional change up. Not enough cushion for a “big” guy like me.
Newtons for a while but got tired of the $$. Might go back to those eventually. Not really a minimal shoe. Quite the opposite in fact.
Agree that the NB road will make over pronators REALLY over pronate.
I NEVER recommend minimal shoes to people. I simply tell people my situation and tell them to be very careful about this shoe category. I always hear of people running insane distances in minimal shoes or even barefoot, but all of those I’ve actually met have had injuries that would sideline most people. What people have to realize is that barefoot or minimal running is liberating, but also painful. This is undeniable. All you barefoot cultists out there know this to be true but will never admit it. I, on the other hand, have embraced the suffering. For to be truly rewarded one must suffer (IM racing comes to mind here). Also some people will never be able to go minimal. I’ve seen them passing me in marathons with their motion control shoes, practically landing on their ankles.
Having said that, it is my belief (no proof here) that the “injuries” suffered by minimalist running are more superficial and short lasting. You hurt yourself before the lasting damage can get done.