Customer Reviews

Mens New Balance Minimus 10 Road, Color:Blue/Lime, 12.5 D

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First thing I noticed when putting on these shoes was a bump in the middle-bottom side of my foot; it's a design to nudge or roll you onto your fore/mid-foot. It almost feels like it has a negative heel (it doesn't), but in spite of this the shoe is very comfortable. The shoe is low to the ground, light weight, and so far durable, so it seems these shoes are great for guiding someone into better running form and technique.

If you've already owned a pair of transition shoes, these may not feel minimalistic enough for you. These are great replacements for the Nike Free v5 that I ran my last marathon in, however these don't come close to the barefoot feel of the NB Minimus trail, or Fivefingers.

For crossfitters and anyone that cares out there, these shoes nudge you forward, even when trying to shift weight back onto your heels. These shoes are not intended for any kind of technical weightlifting. I'm pretty sure this is obvious to most people, but I got away with my Nike Frees during crossfit excercises; these shoes are more specialized than the frees in relation to running, which makes them not so great for other excercises, or at least in regards to weightlifting.

I've worn them for almost two weeks now, and plan to put them through their second 10k tomorrow. These are great running shoes, especially for those looking to transition into minimal running, but don't plan on breaking them in during non-running excercises. If I could afford it, I would have bought two pairs.

User: mid-range (half-marathons) male runner in his 40s. 175 lbs x 6'0". No experience in minimalist running, but plenty of training/PT focus on good form, stride and mid-sole striking.

Use: I took them out for the first time today on an 8 mile run just to get the feel. The surface was almost entirely asphalt with little or no camber.

Pros:
* feel the road and enforce good foot position
* light-weight

Cons: I don't have complaints about the shoe, per se, but did encounter a few problems that might be shoe related:
* chafing on one heel. I wear pretty low profile socks and the left one slide down enough that the shoe was rubbing directly against the skin on my achilles tendon, leading to a bit of rawness and bleeding. Easily solved, but not something that's ever been a problem for me with other shoes.
* slight tweaking in my right outside knee. My guess is that this is due more to my lapsing in PT exercises on weak abductor muscles. Since these shoes make it so unpleasant to have bad form, they do highlight other places where you might be compensating. (In my case the IT band, which has historically been a problem for me.) Time to get back to those clamshell exercises...
* The red die on in the inside of the tongue bled a bit and my socks picked up some of the red color. Doesn't bother me (and won't go on very long, I assume), but might bother some.

Net/net, these are great shoes to help constantly remind you just where to come down on your feet, because you'll really feel it if you heel strike. I've never tried full-on barefoot shoes, but based on comments in other reviews, these are a nice half-way point to start getting into it. My legs could definitely tell the difference of having less weight to drag around, so that was a cool sensation. I like to mix things up in order to avoid getting into a rut --- different shoes, different surfaces, different workouts. These will make a great addition to the rotation.

One sizing comment: I find that New Balance normally runs slightly small for me. In most brands, my shoe size is a 10, but for most New Balance shoes I buy a 10.5. This was not true in the Minimus --- a size 10 is a perfect fit. So if you are used to shifting sizes for New Balance, you might want to skip that for these.

I was caught up in the craze of barefoot running, so I bought these to see how I would like it. I cannot stress how much more I enjoy running now that I am running in them. After a few weeks to get my feet, ankles, and calves used to a different running style they have become the most comfortable pair of shoes that I own. I bought the MT101's two days ago because of how much I have enjoyed running in these shoes. Be wary that for a few weeks you might feel things while you run that you didn't feel before. That being said, I strongly recommend these running shoes.

I love these shoes, more importantly I love minimalist shoes in general. Finally the manufacturers have realized that the human body is designed to run and we don't need wooden planks on our feet to do it. These shoes are great as a transition into minimalist running and won't stress your calves and ankles too much. I have worn VFFs and Frees in the past and these are better by far than the Frees. I prefer the VFFs for serious barefoot style speed but more and more I focus on distance and the VFFs are not ideal for that (in my opinion, although they are starting to move toward a more stable design). If you are interested in running without fear of injury you should take a look at these shoes. Do the research, many people are not fit enough to slip on a pair of these and hit the road. It's just a fact of modern American life, I guarantee the majority of people who buy VFFs don't actually run in them, but if you are a runner and you are looking for a minimalist shoe definitely put these on your list. Not only do they encourage fore foot strikes they actually make it difficult to heel strike due to the design INSIDE the shoe. It's hard for me to explain it but there is a kind of hump that naturally keeps your feet moving...well, naturally I guess. I don't wear socks with mine as was advertised by NB but if you have tender feet you might want to wear socks. Finally, minimalist shoes that don't look ridiculous and work perfectly. Thanks NB!

First off, there's nothing really minimal about this shoe. It doesn't have a zero drop, it isn't especially light, it feels like a shoe. I have the MT10, the trail version of the minimus, and it's fantastic. Very light, sock-like feeling, the way a minimal shoe should feel. I figured I would use this for my long road runs, since I didn't think my legs were ready to go all out in my VFFs. I ran a mile in these yesterday before becoming so frustrated that I kicked them off and ran the rest of my run in my VFFs. Man was I happy I did. If you are into barefoot/minimalist running you will hate these. Stiff sole and too much material makes this shoe feel like a boat slapping on the ground. I'm going to try using my MT10s on the road, as I've read about some other runners who are doing that with success. These are going to be relegated to gym shoes. The reason I gave these an extra star, they look pretty neat. If you are a heel striker or new to proper running (forefoot/midfoot running) these may be a good introduction for you, as they are minimal relative to normal running shoes. Possibly a good transition shoe, but I honestly can't see spending $100 on a shoe like this, as you can get a pair of Vffs for about $20 less.

BEWARE OF SHOE MART! Don't use anything other than standard shipping. They don't tell you that their standard shipping is overnight and also free, so I went ahead and used the expedited shipping, which cost me $10 extra bucks while my shoes came 5 days after the pair I ordered with standard shipping. AND they would not refund my shipping costs. Very sleezy, will not be purchasing from them again.

It's a neat pair of shoes - great for running a couple miles every other day. I like it so much that I've bought a 2nd pair for my kid (at a discount of course!!!).

In order to get the right take on my review I have to tell you a little bit about me as a runner. I'm 56 years old. I've owned dozens of pairs of running shoes over the course of my running life. I had a hip replacement two years ago from a martial arts injury. Prior to that I used to run moderate distances of 3 miles or so a few times a week. I have never really been out of shape, but I'm no olympic athlete at this point either. I haven't run more than a half mile (at a time) in almost 9 years as a result of my bad hip.

After my hip replacement I felt much better but I was frankly too scared to run for fear of injuring the surgical hip. Well, now about the shoe, it's amazing! I have adjusted my running style to strike mid foot. I do not jump or get almost any air when I run. I run on treadmills exclusively now. With these shoes I can run almost silently on the treadmill and I'm able to "skim" my shoes to minimize impact. I wouldn't know if these are viable shoes for "real runners" but for me they are a revelation. I can run for 2 miles easily now. I have no joint pain whatsoever. I attribute almost all of this to the shoes. I think that you definitely need to adjust your running style in order to maximize what these shoes can do for you. It would seem to me if you insist on heel striking, these shoes are not for you.

Also, if you are an avid runner who puts in a lot of mileage, this might not be a shoe to use all the time. I find this shoe incredibly light (I am puzzled by other reviewers who claim it isn't) and I feel really nimble running in them. These two factors have helped to make me a much more efficient runner which has allowed me to run longer, faster and put a minimal degree of stress on my joints, the artificial one and the other ones that I was born with.

I think running is very personal. If you are a runner of any experience, I would surmise that you could, like me make the necessary adjustments in your style to get a lot out of these shoes. I recommend them wholeheartedly! I think they are fantastic!

This shoe is excellent lightweight, yet supportive and confortable, running shoe.

Specifically:
-The slightly U-shaped outer- and mid-sole provide sufficient support without adding unnecessary weight.
-The U-shape also stimulates a midfoot landing, making this shoe specially adequate for those wanting to transition from a heel landing.
-The inner lining is very confortable. I wear this shoe sockless for all types of runs(long, tempo, intervals...), and I haven't gotten any blisters or any other shoe-related pains.
-The toe box is very spacious (or conversely, the heel pocket is narrow). Personally, I like this feature because unlike your heel, your toes tend to spread during your strike. Thus the extra space at the front of the shoe is in line with what naturally happens during the stride.
-The aesthetic design of the shoe is very appealing. It rarely goes unnoticed.
-The only reason I didn't give this shoe 5 stars is sweat management. The uppor sole is just a little too dense, and doesn't breathe as well as it could. I train in hot and humid weather, and I can feel the sweat starting to accumulate inside the shoe after about an hour of training. If it rains, forget about it...

One additional note. Although this shoe is classified as a lightweight shoe (and it is one), it is not the lightest one out there. This isn't a good or a bad thing. It just depends on what you want the shoe to do for you. For example, if you have a perfect stride and are looking for your best 5k time, you're better off with a lighter racing flat. If you have a good stride, but want a little extra support for your training runs, then this shoe makes perfect sense.

Product arrived in good time. Had the right size. This is a shoe that you have to get used to running in.
It's not a traditional heel striker. Very light and comfortable shoe.

The vendor was great w/cust. svc!! the sneaks were a bigger size even though they sent me what I normally wear, I called them to explain and they overnighted the replacement pair at their cost and I returned them the following day, before a week was out they credited my acct back for the sneaks.
I just bought socks from another vendor and they said it was their policy to take 2-3 weeks to rec. their returns and longer for it to hit your acct, it was a good thing I didn't buy my sneaker from them and made me appreciate the vendor I did use.

The minimalist are fantastic, your feet are free, it feels like a kid running. I am training for my four marathon and just ran my 1st 18 miles in them and they were great.