Sacramento Running News

Mizuno Wave Ascend 7

Some have theorized that there is a perfect trail running shoe. Is this possible? They would be nimble yet sturdy, soft and grippy in the mud but stiff enough to protect from the assaults of sharp rocks.

It would be a miracle to find all this in one shoe, and that is probably why I keep several in rotation.

I have kept a pair of the Wave Riders on hand for the past year or so, but I was unfamiliar with what Mizuno has to offer for the trails. I was recently offered a free pair of Mizuno shoes through their Mezamashii  Project, so I decided to try something I hadn’t run in before—like the Wave Ascend 7.

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The Minimus Road in garish blue and yellow. (Go Bears?)

Until now, I couldn’t imagine finding a running shoe that I ever felt was worth writing home about. I always enjoy getting new running shoes, but for me shoes are by nature a utilitarian purchase, something not typically freighted with emotion.

But, there is something different about these particular running shoes.

Dear Mom and Dad,

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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.

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