Sacramento Running News

NB Minimus Trail

The New Balance Minimus Trail is another in the growing herd of “minimal” style trail running shoes. It was designed with the assistance of bearded ultra-runner phenom Anton Krupicka.

When you pick up the Minimus, the first thing you’ll notice about the shoe is that it is amazingly light in weight. The shoe weighs in at a measly 7.1 ounces–2.5 ounces lighter than my current light-weight trail favorites: the Saucony Peregrine!

Other details you’ll notice upon closer inspection are the lack of a removable insole, a rather thin and flexible sole, and a set of stretchy stability straps wrapping the forefoot and back of the heel. The heel-toe drop is a slight 4 mm, going from 15 mm in the heel to 11 mm in the forefoot. This is the same drop as the Kinvara or Peregrine, but in the Minimus you’ll feel considerably lower to the ground.

I find the shoe, in the colors I purchased at least, to be a pretty nice looking shoe. While wearing them to the grocery store one evening, I even received a random compliment from a total stranger on my “nice looking gym shoes.”

When I put them on, the Minimus felt fast and very stable. Probably owing to the thinness of the sole, they do not feel very cushy. The shoe is designed to be worn with or without socks, but I have been wearing them with a thin sock (Injinji tetrasox).

The toe box is wide and the shoe fits with a very sock-like snugness, with no tight spots on any specific part of the foot when laced up snugly. Mine fit me fine in the size I normally purchase (11.5 US).

Since purchasing these shoes, I’ve only had the opportunity for a couple of runs in them. The first was in Land Park, where I ran a mix of smooth, decomposed granite paths, grass, and pavement.

While the shoe is “minimal”, it is not a “barefoot” shoe. There is a bit of structure to the shoe and your feet do feel reasonably protected. During this first run, I ran a couple of miles on pavement, and while it was tolerable, I didn’t enjoy the ride all that much. Even though I am a mid-foot to forefoot striker, the pavement felt a bit too hard beneath my feet.

On the smooth trail and grass, the ride was beautiful. The light-weight and snug, comfortable fit made me want to go fast. The ride felt very natural and very stable.

The Minimus Trail features a thin and supple sole, with stiffer rubber bumps for traction.

The following weekend, I found myself in Charlottesville, Virginia, near the Rivanna Trail. This trail is pretty non-technical but rooty. The section I was on meandered along a stream bed and up and over fallen trees and other debris. The trail was soft from recent rain but not too boggy.

Here, the shoes truly excelled. Sadly, I only had a little more than an hour to enjoy myself. The trail was fun and the shoes felt quick and light. Traction was decent in the muddy bits, but I think a deeper lug sole would be helpful if you were running through a lot of slop.

One interesting thing about these shoes is that they are strangely comfy just to kick around in. I wore mine while walking all day around Washington D.C. and enjoyed them all day. A friend of mine says he likes to wear his around the house. I can’t think of another running shoe that I found myself wanting to put on and wear, just because they are nice to wear.

This past weekend, I ran the American River 50 and struggled to decide which shoe to run in. I settled on the Peregrine, since I had more miles in those shoes, but I’m looking forward to some longer runs in the NB Minimus in the weeks to come.

For your added pleasure, here’s a video of Anton Krupicka loving the shoes, and blinking at the camera. Enjoy! (Do I really need to warn you that the shoes will not allow you to run as relentlessly fast as Krupicka?)