New Balance Minimus Zero Trail Review and Giveaway

Before today's contest, a reminder that you've got less than one day left to submit photo entries for my Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS giveaway contest. Tick tock!

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In my Minimus Zero Road shoe review, I described how New Balance went back to the drawing board and completely revamped their Minimus lineup after collecting user and laboratory feedback about the first generation released last year. It’s especially telling that they did this with the Minimus Trail model, which proved to be one of the most popular shoes of 2011, and played a monumental role in introducing minimalism to the masses.

Or, to use another analogy: if you consider last season’s version an opening bid toward minimalism, think of this year’s Minimus Zero Trail as New Balance going all-in. It features several changes that purists will appreciate, and strips away every ounce of unnecessary construction to create an extremely lightweight, highly flexible trail runner that still provides decent protection for rugged or technical off-road conditions. Most – but maybe not all of - the upgrades from last year’s model are improvements, and with the finished product, New Balance pretty much sets a new standard for lightweight, high-performance minimalist trail shoes.

And if that isn’t enough to get you excited … you guessed it, we’re doing a giveaway! One male and one female winner will receive a pair of New Balance Minimus Zero Trail shoes to enjoy for his and herself – but in the meantime, let’s run through the standard review:

New Balance Minimus Zero Trail

Here’s what will probably happen when you take the Minimus Zero Trail out of the box: the first thought that comes to mind will be, Holy cow are these things light. And when you put them on your feet, you’ll have nearly the same reaction. Above all the other improvements, that will almost certainly be the hallmark of the Minimus Zero Trail: the shoe is almost incredibly light.

At a mere 4.4 oz, it feels like there’s almost nothing on my feet – and coming from an experienced barefoot and minimalist runner, that’s saying something. The Minimus Zero Trails weigh less than any of Vibram’s FiveFingers (including the bare-bones SeeYa), Soft Star’s RunAmoc, and virtually any other standard bearer for light and minimal footwear.

As the revamped name of these models implies, New Balance corrected the primary drawback of last year’s edition and created a completely flat platform from heel to toe. Stack height is approximately 10mm, which places it about halfway in between Vibram’s Spyridon LS and Merrell’s Trail Gloves.

From the medial view you can also see the synthetic suede overlays that help keep the foot stabilized on the insole. Because the upper material is so thin, these overlays are crucial to prevent movement inside the shoe …

… as is the lined insole, which combines with a traditional tongue and lace system to keep the foot securely in place. Unlike my complaint about the Minimus Zero Road, I haven’t experienced any problems with forefoot movement in the Zero Trail, even on steep hills or highly technical terrain.

I was initially disappointed that New Balance replaced the upper material on last year’s Minimus Trail, which had a true slipper-like feel and was one of the most comfortable shoes I tested all year. The updated upper is remarkably thin, paper-like and translucent, constructed from a durable nylon that resists scratches and abrasions quite well. It seems a bit more permeable to dust and fine grit than the previous model, and feels coarser and less supple against my skin. Perhaps that’s why …

Look at the left 4th toe ... or don't.

… the upper material gave me a nice little blister on the top of one toe after my first 8-miler. After a breaking-in period this issue resolved, and the rest of the Zero Trail’s interior is very comfortable for sockless use – however, I do stick with my custom of wearing socks for multi-hour runs in these.

Peek A Boo toes!

One more note about the upper: have I mentioned that they’re thin? Consequently, the Minimus Zero Trail may be more of a warm-weather shoe than an all-season trainer, because your toes will indeed get cold in them, comparable to the poor thermoregulation of most FiveFingers.

For this year’s Minimus Zero Trail, New Balance uses a new Vibram T-Lite outsole rubber (the green stuff) on top of a layer of proprietary ACTEVA midsole foam (the black stuff) that is lighter and more compression-resistant than most other midsole materials commonly used – at least, it’s supposedly more compression-resistant, as you’ll see. One cool indicator of the midsole flexibility is that when I take the shoe off my foot, it often bends in half from heel to toe just like my FiveFingers do.

I’ve been fortunate to have my test pair for several months now, meaning I’ve racked up well over 200 miles on my Minimus Zero Trails. To my eye, it seems that the ACTEVA material has deformed slightly underneath the higher density green pods at impact areas. Of course, minimalist runners don’t expect much in the way of structure anyway, but the wear pattern thus far suggests that overall durability may be slightly diminished compared to its predecessor.

Placement of the outsole rubber was designed after reviewing wear patterns of from the previous model. The new outsole is even more deeply lugged than the prior version, which was already very aggressive and grippy in practically all conditions, and I’ve really had no problems with traction anywhere, especially on wet rocks or mud. However, spacing of the lugs is so wide that there is room for smaller pointy rocks to jut between them – think of gravel fire roads - so if you’re not accustomed to minimalist running yet, your feet could feel a bit of bruising on highly rocky or technical terrain.

That speaks to a larger point that distinguishes the Minimus Zero Trail from its predecessor: it’s a no-apologies minimalist shoe for runners who are sure of their technique. If you’re not an experienced minimalist runner, start in small doses with this shoe just as you would with a pair of Vibrams. And if you’re still transitioning or still want some substance or structure from your shoes, the Minimus Zero Trail is probably more then you’re ready for.

So … are YOU ready for it? If so, let’s get our contest on. Same procedure for this one as for the road version: one male and one female winner will be chosen at random from the comments below. One entry for a plain ol’ comment, one extra for a Facebook or Twitter link, and a third for a blog link. Include links or URLs so I can verify, and let me know if you’re male or female if it’s not obvious from your username. Winners will be announced Saturday night, April 21.

If you’d rather not take your chance or wait that long, the New Balance Minimus Zero Trail retails for $109 from TravelCountry.com. Special thanks to New Balance for sponsoring this review and contest, and good luck to everyone!

*Product provided by New Balance. Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.
**If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.



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New Balance Minimus Zero Road Review and Giveaway

New Balance was the first major player in the running shoe industry to embrace the minimalist movement - and thanks to their slow-boil marketing campaign (aided at times by this website), their Minimus Road and Trail models were perhaps the highest-profile releases of 2011.

Unfortunately for purists like me, the shoes were just a’ight; they had some compelling features - especially the trail model, with one of the most comfortable upper materials ever – but also some fatal flaws such as a higher stack height than I’d like, and a 4mm heel to toe drop that I wasn’t wild about. From my standpoint, they were more properly categorized as transitional shoes than minimal – but apparently the name “Transitionus” isn’t as sexy as the one they already had.

To their credit, New Balance took all of that feedback and gave both their road and trail models a significant makeover – and I’m happy to report that they’ve addressed pretty much all of the drawbacks from last year’s models. The new versions aren’t entirely perfect, but they’re certainly minimalist in virtually every way that matters. New Balance even refined the name a bit, to Minimus Zero, with the “Zero” part reflecting that they’ve fixed that heel to toe drop that bothered me the first time around.

And now for the big news: four of my readers will have a chance to try a pair for free. I’m picking one male and one female winner to win a pair of New Balance Minimus Zero Roads after this review, and when we get to the Zero Trail review soon, we’ll do the same thing there as well. Yahoo!

New Balance Minimus Zero Road

So let’s get to today’s review, featuring the New Balance Minimus Zero Road shoe. It weighs in at 6.4 oz and has a similar fit and last as 2011’s Minimus Trail, which was definitely the more comfortable of New Balance’s two offerings last year.

New Balance even adopted the same dual-density mesh from last year’s Minimus Trail to this year’s Minimus Zero Road. This upper is extremely comfortable against the skin, breathes very well in warm weather, and sheds water quickly after becoming wet. The toe box is roomy enough for your toes to splay naturally on footstrike, and the length runs true to size.

The upper is most distinctive for its burrito-wrap closure in place of a standard tongue. A few other companies have tried this in the past (such as the Brooks Green Silence), and it typically involves a bit of a tradeoff between comfort and stability.

There’s no question that the burrito style is comfortable, and with one less seam running along the top of your foot, there’s less potential for skin irritation while running sockless. Between the material and the design, the Zero Road has one of the most comfortable uppers I’ve felt on a road shoe.

The downside of this design is that overall stability can be compromised, and in my testing I did note some movement of my foot inside the upper, especially when running at high speed (well … relatively high. You know what I mean.). The Zero Road uses varied fasteners to help customize the fit – standard oval-shaped eyelets on one side, and fabric loops on the other – but even with the laces cinched tightly I had a bit of lateral displacement while running, particularly in the forefoot area.

Another factor in the stability issue is the lack of significant overlays on the upper, which is great for decreasing weight and improving ventilation, but not so good for keeping the foot in place on top of the insole. Overall, the amount of movement wasn’t terrible, but it’s consistent enough and noticeable enough to be worth a caveat here.

As mentioned, most of my movement was in the forefoot; in contrast, the heel region of the Minimus Zero is dialed in for a great fit, with a thinly padded ankle collar and a low profile around the ankle bones. The lining of the heel and the entire interior surface is very comfortable against the skin, and I’ve had no problem at all in going sockless.

Midsole height of the Zero Road is a uniform 10mm from heel to toe, which combines with the outsole for a total standing height of roughly 12mm; this is comparable to Merrell’s Barefoot line, and much lower than Altra’s Instinct (and women’s Intuition) as well as recent releases from SKORA (reviews coming soon). Ground feel is noticeably better with the New Balance than with Merrell, because …

… outsole rubber is used very sparingly, similar to what Vibram does with its Bikila models. The red portions above are EVA foam which runs the length of the shoe, and the white is Vibram rubber. This particular rubber compound is softer than the Vibram outsole on Merrell shoes, so durability may be an issue after a few hundred miles (I currently have about 150 on mine, and there’s no problem yet). The outsole tread is fine for standard road use, but I’ve found that traction is somewhat lacking on slick asphalt, and especially on fire roads or gravel.

The predominance of EVA in the midsole also makes the shoe extremely flexible, as does the entire overall construction. From a natural running standpoint, New Balance has all the boxes checked: light weight, roomy toe box, flat and low platform, and freedom of foot movement in all directions.

Finally, if you’re scoring at home for a comparison between Merrell’s Road Glove and New Balance’s Minimus Zero Road, here’s a quick tale of the tape: the Road Glove is slightly heavier, with a better forefoot fit, and better for hybrid road/trail use; the Minimus Zero Road is lighter, with better ground feel on roads but worse traction overall. Both are very comfortable for extended mileage with or without socks. I tend to reach for the Zero Road when I’m doing a tempo run or other speed work, and the Road Glove when I’m looking to bang out a high-mileage morning while keeping the option of going off-road if the spirit leads me.

The New Balance Minimus Zero Road retails for $109 from TravelCountry.com. However …

… it’s giveaway time! New Balance has agreed to give away one pair of men’s shoes and one pair of women’s shoes to winners chosen randomly from the comments below. We’re doing our “major” contest rules here: you get one entry for any comment in the box, plus another for a link to this post from your blog, and a third for a link from Facebook or Twitter. When you enter, let me know how many entries you get, and please leave URLs so I can verify. Winners will be announced Saturday night, April 7th.

One more ground rule to keep things simple: if you’re a guy, you’re in the contest for the men’s shoes, and if you’re a girl, you’re in the contest for the women’s shoes. In other words, no “I’m entering for my spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend” on this one – you’re entering for YOURSELF. Also, please do me a favor if you have an androgynous name and let me know which contest I should drop you in.

Very big thanks to New Balance for sponsoring this contest, and good luck to everybody!


*Product provided by New Balance. Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.
**See other reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.



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The Keeper List: Running and Rambling Gear of the Year 2011

Before today’s post, an overdue announcement of sorts: over the holidays, I was pleased to see a small spike in sales of my running book. If you don’t recall my book, I can’t really fault you, because I do a lousy job of actually promoting or marketing the thing.

Each time a sale came in this month, I thought to myself, you know, I should announce some sort of reminder on the website about this – the book might make a good Christmas gift. And then in typical slacker fashion, I kept postponing or forgetting about doing so, until Christmas came and went and I completely missed the holiday shopping wave.

But since we still have a decent supply of books available, and since New Year’s is about doing the stuff you want to do rather than worrying about pleasing everybody else, I may as well mention it again here: Hey, I have a book for sale! It’s mainly geared toward novices and anyone who wants insight into life as a runner, but in my humble opinion there’s stuff that anybody will enjoy. And if you order from our website – where it’s less expensive than Amazon.com for some reason – we can autograph it or do any other special requests you’d like.

With that, I’ll stop the pandering – but today’s post is all about grabbing some additional stuff to make your running life more enjoyable.

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It won’t particularly come as a news flash to anyone when I say that I get a lot of gear to review. What might surprise some newer readers is that I review even more stuff than you see here on this website.

Most of my shoe reviews end up here, as minimalism has become a nice little niche I’ve settled into, but I also contribute to other websites and magazines after testing apparel or other trail running gear. The biggest portion of this extracurricular product testing goes to FeedTheHabit.com, with whom I’ve partnered for more than two years now.

I recognize that I’m in an enviable situation, so I pay my good fortune forward as often as possible by giving almost everything away. Running partners, family, and non-running friends have all been the recipients of gear from top (headlamps, hats) to bottom (socks, shoes) and everything in between (clothes, food, watches). They get free stuff, my wife gets her closet space back, and I feel good about sharing the wealth; it’s a winner for everyone involved.

Here’s my caveat, though: if there’s a piece of gear that I love, or one that I get a ton of great use out of, I keep it for myself. Accordingly, my Gear of the Year review should rightfully be called the Keeper List, because it’s all about the stuff that’s too awesome for me to give away.

However, my Keeper List differs from other annual ratings in one important way: the best gear isn’t necessarily from 2011. Rather, my list is a Jeopardy-style competition where the only way to become champion is to defeat the current champ. (Completely tangentially, it’s the same way I choose my wines.) Sure, the newer stuff will tend to be better – but if I have a Ken Jennings-like piece of equipment that crushes all potential challengers year after year, there’s no reason to take it off my Keeper List. And yes, there are a couple of those items included below.

Finally, before we proceed, a note on formatting: The first link of each entry will go to my original review of the product, and the second will go to a purchase link from Amazon.com or one of my other affiliate partners. Remember, affiliate sales support Running and Rambling, so, you know … help me help you, and all that. Now let’s get to the list; these are my keepers for 2011.


Part 1: Gear and Apparel

Headlamp for roads: Black Diamond Sprinter. A 68 lumen headlamp in front with a blinking red LED in back for an unbeatable combination of visibility and safety. The entire lamp weighs a mere 3.5 oz, and the lamps are completely rechargeable. Black Diamond is updating this product for 2012 (yes, I’ll have a review), but until then you can get the current version for $64 at Amazon.com – it’s the best investment you can make in your safety this winter.

Compact headlamp: Petzl Tikka XP2 with CORE rechargeable battery pack. There’s nothing better than a headlamp that’s bright enough to light the trail before dawn, and small enough to tuck in a pocket afterward. This category has stiff competition, most notably from Black Diamond’s Spot, which is a little bit brighter. However, what tips the scales for me is the rechargeable capacity of the XP2 with the CORE pack: it’s eco-friendly, easy to recharge, and saves a ton of money in the long run. The headlamp sells for $41 from Amazon.com, and the CORE pack sells separately for $39.

Headlamp for ultras: Black Diamond Icon with rechargeable NRG battery pack. I don’t think twice about it anymore: if I’m running through the night, the Icon is on my head. It’s relatively lightweight (6.6 oz), super bright (100 lumens), with enough battery life to burn high all the way to morning. Best of all, if you purchase an NRG battery pack, it’s completely rechargeable – and just to remind you, I love being green. Black Diamond is also updating this lamp next year, and I’m very curious to see if or how they can improve it. The current Icon is discounted to $55 from Amazon.com, and the NRG pack sells separately for $25.

Nightlife at Western States 2011: Black Diamond Icon, Nathan Endurance vest, and one very fast ultrarunner (hint: not me)

Jacket: Patagonia Nine Trails. You’ll see this name again further down the list as well; basically, 2011 was the year that Patagonia became my go-to ultrarunning brand. I wore the Nine Trails jacket at three ultras and during countless training miles last winter and spring; for lightweight weather-resistant insulation, there’s nothing better. Unfortunately, it’s not currently available on the Patagonia website, but TravelCountry.com has a closeout price of $60 on remaining stock.

Shorts: Patagonia Nine Trails. Are you sensing a theme yet? My first ultra in the Nine Trails shorts was the Miwok 100K in May, and I never looked back. Anytime I’m running for more than 4 hours, these are the shorts I’m wearing. Like the jacket, the shorts aren’t currently available from the company, but TravelCountry.com has a few pairs in size small available for $60.

Shirt: Patagonia Capilene Silkweight. I never reviewed this shirt, but here’s a true story: Back in the spring, when Soft Star offered to put their logo on any shirt I wanted to use for my upcoming ultra calendar, I told them to buy this Patagonia shirt. I have a couple other capilene shirts from past races; they’re not only the most comfortable items in my collection, but they’re remarkably durable after multiple runs and washings. So my official Team Soft Star kit this year featured Patagonia shorts, shirt, and jacket – a nearly clean sweep in the apparel department (the only exception was my socks). The shirt is available for $39 from the Patagonia website – and if you’d like your own Soft Star logo on it, I’m sure the Elves would be happy to oblige.

At the Tahoe Rim Trail 100: Patagonia shirt and shorts, Ultimate Direction Uno waist pack 

Gloves: Sugoi Firewall LT. Sorry, no review link on this one either: I did a glove comparison for Ultrarunning magazine this fall, and these ended up being my favorite from the bunch. It’s a nice upgrade from the previous Firewall gloves, with similar water resistance and slightly better insulation. $35 from Amazon.com.

Small hydration pack: Ultimate Direction Uno. I’ve had my current model for years – and before that, I used an older version for several years as well. It fits me well, I like the upright bottle position, and the separate pockets give surprisingly ample storage for such a small pack. I use it anytime I’m running between 90 minutes to 3 hours. $17 from Amazon.com.

Large hydration pack: Nathan HPL 020. How awesome is the 020? Not even Nathan can beat it. This year they released the Endurance, a similarly-designed and very strong vest that I wore while pacing at Western States (see WS photo above, and see my Endurance vest review here) – but when it comes to selecting one pack as my gold standard, I still prefer the 020. And when you consider that they’re available at the extreme discount price of $53 at Amazon.com, there’s no reason this vest shouldn’t be in every ultrarunner’s gear closet.

Break time in Zion National Park with the HPL 020

Tights: Salomon Trail III. Full disclosure: I don’t wear a lot of tights - fortunately in California, I don’t have to. So my list of contenders in this category isn’t huge, but these tights have been the most comfortable of those I’ve tried over last winter and this fall. Available for $69 at Amazon.com.

GPS: Soleus GPS 1.0. This review just posted a couple of weeks ago, so I don’t need to rehash things here, other than to say that I’m a big fan. It’s basic, high-quality, and extremely affordable at $87 from Amazon.com.

Socks: Drymax. This is the true Ken Jennings of the group: I’ve probably tested a dozen other brands over the past few years, and none compare to Drymax. I wear their lite trail model ($12 from Amazon.com) for training, and the max protection model ($31 from Amazon.com) for ultras. The Drymax reign continues.

After 50 rainy, muddy miles at Woodside in Soft Star RunAmocs and Drymax max protection socks 

Part 2: Footwear

As you might expect, my shoe list can be broken down into several categories – in this case, I went by primary use, starting with …

Minimalist road shoe: Vibram FiveFingers Bikila LS. Vibram came up huge this year with the advent of their LS models – laced versions of popular models that made the footwear easier to use and more accessible to a larger variety of people. From its inception, I’ve labeled the Bikila my gold standard for minimalist road running shoes, so you can imagine how impressed I was when the company managed to improve it this year without sacrificing anything that made it awesome in the first place. Right now they’re discounted to $70 at TravelCountry.com, so grab ‘em while you can.

At play in the Salinas Valley in Bikila LS

Minimalist all-purpose athletic shoe: Vibram FiveFingers KomodoSport LS. I’ve worn mine for running, basketball, tennis, floor workouts, and just plain goofing around. They’re getting very popular with CrossFit and Paleo workout enthusiasts as well. If you have multiple activities to do and only enough money for a single pair of Vibrams, this is the one. They’re currently discounted to $80 at TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist trail running: Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove. 2011 may well be remembered as the year Merrell triggered a seismic shift on the minimalist landscape with its Barefoot line of footwear. In my review I called this shoe minimalism for the masses, and since then I’ve recommended it to a lot of trail runners. They retail for $110 from TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist hybrid trail/road running: Altra Adam. They’re not the ultimate trail shoe, or the ultimate road shoe, but they’re a pretty solid combination of the two. They normally retail for $100 on the company website, but if you use this link you’ll get them for a 10% discount.

Minimalist hiking: Vibram FiveFingers Trek LS. My first-generation Treks had defeated all challengers as my favorite hiking shoes until Vibram topped itself with the Trek LS. Rugged leather, durable outsole, crazy comfort. They’re also nice enough to pass as dress shoes if you so choose (but I don’t – see below). They’re currently discounted to $112 from TravelCountry.com.

Rock scrambling at Lava Beds National Monument in Trek LS

Minimalist dress shoe: Merrell Barefoot Tough Glove. This shoe took out one former champion (the VIVOBAREFOOT Oak) in my collection, and has been an almost-everyday shoe since April. It looks sharp, it’s super comfortable, and it’s got all the right mechanics. It retails for $120 from TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist kids shoe: VIVOBAREFOOT Neo Kids. I was lucky enough to have several brands of shoes for my children to test, and the Neo Kids emerged victorious. Their minimalist construction is unbeatable, and the styling is ideal for kids to use like good old-fashioned sneakers. They retail for $75 from the VIVOBAREFOOT website.

Transitional trail shoe: New Balance Minimus Trail. Yes, it’s odd that the shoe with the most minimal-sounding name is actually the least minimal of the group mentioned here, but there’s no question that New Balance means business when it comes to cruising light and low to the ground. The Trail version of this shoe (also called the MT10) has a slipper-like feel, lightweight flexibile construction, and rugged traction underfoot. Its principal drawback to pure minimalists – the 4mm heel to toe drop – is precisely what makes it ideal for transitioning from a structured, supportive shoe to the minimalist end of the spectrum. The 2012 version will have a flat platform, but in the meantime you can get the 2011 Minimus for $100 from TravelCountry.com.

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Do you have enough items for your shopping list yet? I’m already waist-deep in reviews for 2012, which I’ll collectively preview sometime next week. There are some very strong offerings from most of the heavy hitters mentioned here; it will be interesting to see if any new products wrestle the title of “keepers” away from the current roster. Time (and miles) will tell, I suppose – so let’s meet back here again next year and I’ll let you know for sure.



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A Brighter (And Lighter, And More Comfortable) Geometry: New Balance Minimus 2012 Uppers

From the time the updated New Balance Minimus was first announced, much of the focus was on the revised platform. Instead of the 4mm heel-toe drop of the 2011 version, the 2012 Minimus will have a pure zero-drop platform – news that was met with much rejoicing from minimalist fans. (Random Monty Python-nerd link.)

However, the forthcoming shoe is more than just a low-rider version of its predecessor. There are top-to-bottom improvements based on user feedback and lessons learned from the initial Minimus trail and road models, as the latest installment of New Balance’s slow-boil marketing campaign demonstrates.

New Balance Minimus road upper

In the newest addition to the New Balance Minimus Zero website, Senior Designers Drew Nyssen and Chris Wawrousek explain the process of improving the comfort of the original Minimus line – which was already pretty great – while simultaneously decreasing the overall weight and maintaining the high-performance fit. There are also a handful of high-res photos to whet your appetite for the new models, which are scheduled for release in February.

Multiple colors of Minimus trail uppers

Among all the shoes I’ve tested this year, the New Balance Minimus trail version undoubtedly had the most comfortable upper – so if the company finds some way to improve upon that aspect, I’ll be duly impressed. Combine that with the flattened platform and the revamped outsoles, and the Minimus is very high on the list of shoes I’m looking forward to testing in 2012.

Translucent upper material

The new website content just went live this morning; check it out here for a longer glimpse of what’s to come, and I’ll continue to post updates as the company passes them along.



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New Balance Minimus Zero Sneak Peek; New Balance Good Form Running Video

I’m a little bit late in arriving to the latest New Balance party … but then again, we’ve all still got a lot of time to get there.

During the week I was camping on top of a volcano, I received an e-mail preview from my New Balance contact, directing me to a new photo essay on the upcoming Minimus Zero shoe. Just as they did last year, New Balance is doing a long, slow promotional build to this one, releasing information and photos in carefully measured doses in advance of the official launch next February. I finally got around to checking out the site this week, and when I got there, I stumbled across something else kind of cool, which follows at the end of this post.

Photos courtesy NewBalance.com

The photo essay features Chris Wawrousek, one of the lead New Balance engineers responsible for designing the outsole on Minimus footwear – in particular, how the outsole on the upcoming Minimus Zero line will differ from the (already pretty awesome) outsoles on the current Minimus collection. It’s an interesting glimpse of how research, imagination, and real-world feedback combine to produce a finished product that looks to be one of the coolest innovations in next season’s minimalist offerings.

Coincidentally, the essay also emphasizes something I touched on in my Vibram FiveFingers Trek LS review this week; namely, that Vibram seems overdue to upgrade the trail outsole on their FiveFingers models. Considering that the company makes the outsoles for both New Balance and Merrell’s minimalist trail shoes, it isn’t too much of a stretch to think they could “knob up” their own trail models. After all, the evolution of the Minimus outsole is as much a story about Vibram as it is about New Balance.

Vibram + New Balance = Awesome

Anyway, the essay is definitely worth a look if you have any interest in the Minimus Zero line this spring. Check it out at the following link:

Evolution of the New Balance Minimus Zero Sole

The other item that caught my eye on the NB site was video from a subsection of the NB website called Good Form Running, featuring former NCAA 1500m champion Grant Robison. The film itself isn’t anything remarkable: it’s a brief overview of proper natural running technique, which I confess is something that I still need reminders about. More importantly, it represents an important confirmation from a major shoe manufacturer that running is more dependent on what you do with your body than it is on the gadgets and technology underfoot.

(It also marks the second significant minimalist player – Merrell is the other one – to employ a high-profile amateur runner for a natural running video series. Needless to say, I like this development; keep this in mind if you ever see me in an instructional film for Soft Star someday.)

The clip is short and sweet – all of one minute long – but it’s a nice refresher for anyone who sometimes overlooks the basics of proper minimalist form. And knowing that New Balance is fully onboard the natural running train makes me quite eager to test the Minimus Zero line in the near future.

“Good Form Running” by New Balance (click to play):





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New Balance Minimus Trail Shoe Giveaway Winner; Random Shots of Beauty

It’s a good thing for me that this New Balance Minimus contest is coming to a close, because I was getting overwhelmed – in a completely wonderful way, of course – with the response to the shoe and the giveaway offer. So before announcing the winner, let me just say to everyone who stopped by: thank you very much for your enthusiasm over the Minimus Trail shoe. Clearly New Balance has something truly buzz-worthy on their hands, and the review and contest from last week were a terrific sight to behold for the company (to see such great customer feedback) and me personally (to draw in so many new blog readers).

And for one person, this post will be an extra terrific sight to behold – so without further ado … Dax (from San Diego): congratulations! You’re the winner of a new pair of New Balance Minimus Trail shoes. E-mail me your address and shoe size so I can forward it to my NB rep.

To everybody else: the New Balance Minimus Trail shoe is now available for $100 from TravelCountry.com, with the women's version available as well.

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This weekend’s Random Shot of Beauty comes from the beginning of the week in Salinas:


The local community college pool where I go swimming, in a photo taken less than 24 hours after returning from our brief winter family vacation.

I mean, I know some people get a kick out of the snow and winter activities … but come on now. Is there really any better sight than a sparkling outdoor pool under blue California skies on yet another delightfully warm day in the middle of winter? Not in my book, there isn’t.

Needless to say, it felt good to be home.

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New Balance Minimus Trail Review and Giveaway Contest

Admin note: Remember how I said this review was going to be awesome? Well, by now you’ve figured out from the title of this post what I was referring to. Yes, there’s a giveaway, and I wouldn’t be nearly as stoked about it if I wasn’t so impressed with the shoe … but for details on that, you’ll have to read on.

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In my review for New Balance’s forthcoming Minimus Road shoe last week, I expressed my disappointment that the shoe wasn’t more minimal; rather, it’s intended as a transitional shoe, targeting folks who want to leave standard footwear behind but aren’t quite ready to commit to completely minimal footwear. Since I run almost exclusively in true minimalist footwear, its utility was sort of lost on me.

See, if I were designing a transitional shoe, I’d do something more dramatic. I’d strip the overall weight of the shoe down as much as possible and make the uppers feel like there’s barely anything there. I’d make the midsole low to the ground, with a very marginal slope from heel to toe to promote flat foot strike, but leaving just enough protection in the heel area to accommodate the occasional inadvertent heel strike. I’d make it amazingly comfortable but durable enough to be worn for endless miles in any imaginable conditions.

In other words, I’d make the New Balance Minimus trail shoe.

New Balance Minimus trail version

I suspect that the classification of this shoe will differ between longtime minimalist runners and traditional footwear users. New Balance promotes this as their true minimalist model, and if you’re trying the Minimus in comparison to standard running shoes, the barefoot sensation will be quite remarkable. Pure barefoot runners, on the other hand, will find some of the structural elements unfavorable, and will think of this (as I do) mainly as a transitional shoe. Fortunately, the Minimus is so thoughtfully designed and so well-constructed that it has something tangible to offer both of these groups.

Here are the vital specs for the Minimus Trail: overall weight is 7.1 oz, with a midsole height of 15mm in the heel and 11mm in the forefoot, resulting in a 4mm slope from heel to toe. Considering that most minimalist footwear is completely flat and less than 8mm thick, you can appreciate how barefooters would be apprehensive. Furthermore, the specs aren’t dramatically different than New Balance’s own MT101, which checks in at 7.8 oz and 18mm/8mm heel to toe. So the forefoot of the Minimus is actually higher off the ground than on the 101, but with a much flatter slope.

Accordingly, I consider the Minimus not quite minimal, but it’s the last stop before reaching that destination. And after logging a couple hundred miles on mine, I’ve come to believe that this will be one of the most attractive trail shoes on the market in 2011. It complements my minimalist running quite nicely without feeling like I’m returning to traditional footwear, and has several innovative design features that make it one of the best high-performance trail runners of any variety currently on the market. So let’s take a look at those from the top down.

Lightweight mesh upper; stability strap across forefoot

Two types of mesh comprise the Minimus upper: a wide-open ventilated top layer, with a very thin, finely woven base layer underneath to keep grit away from your toes. Like the road version, the Minimus Trail is made to be worn without socks, and the comfort of the interior lining against bare skin is super comfortable. Its tongue is similar to the MT101, consisting of little more than a thin fabric layer. The fabric of the tongue and top of the toe box is different than the majority of the upper, but is still very light and has minimal structure to it. Standard shoelaces provide nice even tension across the top of the foot.

Sockless liner; heelcups with light padding

Construction of the entire upper is so lightweight and comfortable that your foot feels like it’s inside a soft slipper. It lets water in relatively easily, but also dries very rapidly, making it ideal for stream crossings. There is plenty of room in the toe box for foot splay, and the contour of the last and upper fit my foot like a hand sliding into a glove. (Or maybe a mitten. You get the point.) Fit around the heel is secure without feeling tight, and the ankle collar is cut low to allow full range of motion, with a modest lining on top for improved comfort without added bulk.

Stability straps around heelcup; 15mm heel midsole

Perhaps the most noticeable innovation on the upper are two strips of synthetic leather: one across the top of the foot at the base of the toes, and one that wraps around the heel. The heel strap is similar in appearance to the back of a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, and maintains stability of the lightweight upper around the heelcup. The forefoot strap is anchored by a raised shark fin-shaped portion of the outsole on each side.

Shark-fin outsole overlay; contrasting mesh fabrics of midfoot and toe box

When you first put the shoe on, this forefoot strip feels a bit constricting, but as soon as you start running you can appreciate its purpose. On irregular terrain, it prevents excess lateral movement inside the upper, and when you’re running downhill, the strap prevents your toes from sliding forward into the toebox. If the shoe is sized appropriately (for me, they run true to size), even the steepest hills won’t mash the tips of your toes; this innovation alone deserves some kind of special recognition from veteran trail runners.

The midsole of the Minimus is where New Balance will probably draw the most contention from the barefoot crowd. No, it’s not a zero drop shoe, and yes, 15mm in the heel is fairly substantial. However, I also think this design element will attract one particular group of runners who have thus far been reluctant to try minimalist running: those looking to hammer the pace, especially on hilly trail courses. In fact, one of the first thoughts I had when running in the Minimus was that this shoe is the perfect marriage of minimalism and speed.

Here’s what I mean: despite all the barefoot miles I’ve logged over the past couple of years, and despite being able to tolerate ultra distances in minimalist shoes, there’s one aspect of trail running that remains a huge challenge for me: running fast on steep descents. When I’m really pushing for downhill speed, especially on tricky terrain, it’s extremely difficult to maintain a forefoot strike and prevent my heel from contacting the ground with impact. With the Minimus, you can blast the downhills, and the bolstered heel gives you a small margin of protection before resuming your smooth forefoot stride when the trail levels out.

Yeah ... it's flexible enough

Thickness of the midsole is greater than typical minimalist footwear, but the Minimus maintains pretty decent ground feel, especially through the forefoot area which is only 11mm thick. The entire midsole is flexible in all directions, allowing your foot to contour around trail irregularities just as it would in Vibrams or moccasins. I’ve found the added thickness to be ideal for providing solid, reliable protection from roots and rocks without having to sight the trail as actively as you do in minimalist footwear – which is another feature that’s valuable to hardcore racers.

Vibram high-performance outsole

More innovations are apparent in the Minimus outsole, which was developed by Vibram. It features grippy circular lugs with deep grooves in between for minimal weight and maximal flexibility. The outsole is slightly contoured in the arch area, similar to a pair of FiveFingers but not quite as snug.

Traction of the outsole is truly outstanding, and the Minimus has become my first choice when trail conditions are sloppy. They hold firmly in slippery mud, steady on wet rocks and stream crossings, and securely on loose gravel. Best of all, since the lugs are more circular than knobby, the ride remains fairly smooth even on asphalt – always a nice feature when you have to run a mile or two to reach the trailhead.

Circular lugs with deep cutouts

Across all conditions, the Minimus trail outsole is a dramatic improvement over any minimalist shoes I’ve tested – including Vibram’s KSO Trek and Trek Sport, which I had ranked highest to this point – and are nearly comparable with the most rugged trail outsoles like La Sportiva’s Crosslite and Salomon’s SpeedCross 2. I’d love to see Vibram incorporate this design on a FiveFingers model someday, since the outsole’s flexibility is perfectly comparable to the best minimalist shoes on the market.

In case it isn’t already obvious, I’m extremely impressed by the Minimus trail shoe, and I think it will turn out to be one of the most groundbreaking products of 2011. New Balance doesn’t call it a transitional shoe, and barefooters won’t call it a minimalist shoe, but its exceptional comfort and extensive high-performance features are likely to win fans from both of those camps.

And here’s the part that I’m most excited about of all: in conjunction with this review, New Balance has generously offered one pair of Minimus trail shoes as a contest prize for one of my readers. To enter, leave a comment below this post, and I’ll award extra entries for either a blog link or sharing this page via Facebook – so when you comment below, let me know how many entries you’ve earned (and I reserve the right to verify). Also, if your profile doesn’t have an address attached to it, leave me your e-mail so I have some way to reach you if you win.

I’m leaving the window of opportunity on this contest open for an extended period of time for two reasons: 1) To give as many people as possible a chance to win, and 2) Because the Minimus becomes available for purchase on March 1st, so if you don’t win the contest you can still grab one pretty quickly afterward. The winner will be announced on Saturday, March 5th, so good luck to everybody, and very special thanks to New Balance for sponsoring this contest.

*** UPDATED: The contest is OVER as of 3/5/11! You can purchase the NB Minimus Trail here from TravelCountry.com, or here for the women's version.


*Product provided by New Balance
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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New Balance Minimus Road Shoe Review

Remember how New Balance doled out information about its Minimus shoes in very small increments over last summer and fall, only releasing partial photos and snippets of information in an effort to create buzz about the products and initiate a slow boil of customer demand? Well, with the release date nearly upon us – they’re officially available on March 1st – I’m taking a cue from New Balance in the way I review their shoes.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’m hoping to build some excitement around this line of shoes - and trust me, by the time we get to the end, there’s something very cool that’s gonna happen. But it’s going to be a slow boil – at first just generating a small amount of heat with a shoe that I’m basically kind of lukewarm on, before moving onto a model next week that I think might be one of the hottest products of 2011. And we’ll cap it all off with … well, you’ll just have to wait and see when we get there.

New Balance Minimus Road

We’re kicking things off with the Minimus Road version, about which I’ve already sort of tipped my hand a bit. It’s not that it's a bad shoe … it’s just not a minimalist shoe. New Balance categorizes it as a transitional shoe, targeting the same market who would be interested in the Newton Gravity, Brooks Green Silence, or Saucony Kinvara: runners who are seeking barefoot biomechanics without giving up the familiar features of a traditional training shoe.

However, since I scolded Saucony for disingenuous marketing in calling the Kinvara a minimalist shoe, I’d be remiss if I didn’t direct the same criticism toward New Balance with this shoe. Most likely, I’m getting hung up on the name; if something’s called Minimus, I expect it to be, you know … minimal. So maybe they just need a more accurate name. Like Medius, perhaps. Or Transitionus. You get the idea ... but I’m starting to digress.

So here’s what you get with the New Balance Minimus Road version: a transitional trainer with 16mm of midsole in the heel and 12mm in the forefoot, resulting in a nearly-flat 4mm drop. At just 8oz, it’s fairly lightweight compared to traditional trainers, and actually equal to some true minimalist shoes such as the Terra Plana Evo. It’s extremely well-constructed - as you’d expect from New Balance – and has a handful of subtle design elements that give you a feel for the biomechanics of running naturally. We’ll look at those from the top down.

Mesh upper with wide toe box

The Minimus Road’s upper looks like a classic running shoe, and actually brings to mind some of New Balance’s old-school looks from the 1970s. Its mesh upper has decent ventilation, but probably runs a bit hotter than Saucony’s Kinvara, and isn’t nearly as airy as Newton’s Gravity. The toe box is nice and roomy, providing plenty of space for foot splay, which is a great departure from classic running shoes. The heel area is built like a standard trainer (at least on the upper – more on this soon), with a fabric liner and a small amount of padding around the collar.

Traditional heel structure with padded collar

One really cool aspect of the upper is that New Balance designed it to be worn without socks – so the sockliner fabric extends throughout the interior of the shoe, and is sewn directly onto the midsole, without any insole to mess around with (see next photo).


I thought this was a nifty touch as well: Less is more – get it? It’s not only a sweet slogan, but it looks like the shoes are texting me. Just like all the cool kids do.

Below the upper, the Minimus Road has a relatively firm midsole with a very slight arch support built into it. Given the thicknesses of heel and forefoot, there really isn’t any ground feel to speak of, but there also isn’t any of the cushiness that you experience in traditional running shoes (or for that matter, even in some transitional shoes). The midsole will hold form pretty well if you land with a midfoot strike, but will also absorb shock if you regress back to a heelstrike pattern as you fatigue.

Undercut heel area in profile

However, one intriguing aspect of the midsole seems to promote midfoot strike just by its shape. Looking at the heel area from the side, you can see that the midsole material is undercut and doesn’t actually contact the ground along the last few centimeters in the back of the shoe. In practice, this makes it far easier to land more forward on your foot – and if you’re already accustomed to midfoot running, the Minimus is made to order for you.

Ndurance rubber outsole with honeycomb pattern

Underneath the midsole, New Balance uses a proprietary rubber called Ndurance that is cut into a honeycomb pattern, with small cutout areas for decreased weight and increased flexibility. The heel area has a more traditional-looking tread, but the remainder of the outsole is relatively smooth, and honestly doesn’t provide great traction in any sort of off-road use. They also get a little bit slick on wet surfaces, but the only times I found this to be a limitation were on excessively steep roads.

Cutout areas in outsole, smooth overall tread pattern

Like other transitional shoes, the Minimus Road version targets a very specific demographic: road runners who are looking to move very gradually towards minimalist running, or who just want something a little lighter, flatter, and firmer than what they’re accustomed to. The barefoot-specific design elements definitely distinguish this shoe from traditional running shoes and effectively promote the mechanics of natural running.

Compared to the minimalist footwear market, the number of quality entries in the transitional space is relatively limited; of those, the Minimus is a fairly strong option. However, if you’re looking for a true minimalist shoe from New Balance, you’re going to have to wait for the next review. Trust me – both the shoe and the review are going to be worth waiting for.


*Product provided by New Balance
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com

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