The last few years have seen a huge growth in the number of people moving away from more traditional running shoes and transitioning to more minimalist designs. Minimalists shoes offer flatter profiles, far less cushioning on the whole, and a design that encourage a mid-foot strike and enhanced ground feel, minimalist shoes arguable foster a more efficient running form. It’s a movement that has gained widespread acceptance in the past year prompting multitudes of runners to consider making the transition.
With a heritage of design and innovation spanning over 100 years, New Balance has established itself as a player in the minimalist market crafting an extensive lineup of minimalist shoes for both the road and trail. This award-winning, closer-to-barefoot line of footwear features the New Balance MR10. A minimal road running shoe that combines barefoot running benefits with traditional trainer protection.
Moving forward in our quest to highlight some of the best-performance running shoes available, New Balance was generous enough to send a pair of their Minimus Road (MR10) shoes for our testers to review. This post will walk you through our initial impressions of the shoe. Once our team has thoroughly taken the MR10 through its paces, we will post a full review focusing more on the performance aspects of the shoe.
Initial Impressions …
One of the great joys of product testing is that moment when you first open the box and behold the wonders of the goodness that lies within. In this instance the reveal was a little sweeter as the sleek lines and subtle copper highlights of the the grey/orange color scheme blew our field team away.
A synthetic mesh upper and “no-sew” forefoot make the MR10 airy light and offer a supportive glove-like fit that any runner is sure to appreciate, especially in the midst of those long weekend runs.
The MR10 also features a more anatomically correct “natural” last with a wider forefoot to allow for expansion of the forefoot arches. Despite this more anatomically correct shape we did feel the forefoot on the Minimus Road cut across the outside toes a little more than expected. However, we believe the issue will be resolved with the wider- fit model.
The MR10 offers a 4mm heel-toe drop that brings the runner into closer contact with the ground to aid in mid-foot/forefoot striking while enhancing ground feel and control. If you’re a traditionally shod runner you will immediately notice the difference as the 4mm heel-toe differential drops your foot closer to the ground. On the flip side, zero-drop runners will undoubtedly notice the slightly elevated heel.
Designed to be worn with or without socks the interior of the MR10 is completely unlined yet abrasion free thanks to minimal seams and no-sew front. And don’t worry, New Balance has treated the interior with an anti-microbial treatment so there’s no need to fear the funk.
The outsole is composed of a unique geometric pattern with strategically placed cutouts. According to New Balance, the lightweight blown-rubber outsole provides greater bounce while the honeycomb pattern allows for greater flexibility.
Bottom Line …
All in all, it’s a job well done by the New Balance design team. The simple straightforward look of the shoe belies the massive effort New Balance has put into the crafting a shoe that is lightweight and comfortable yet designed to endure the endless miles of pavement stretched out before you. Check back in the coming weeks to see if these shoes perform as good as they look.