New Balance Minimus sighting on ebay

yes they are due out in march. any idea on how they compare to other minimalist shoes?

This is a good review:

http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/2010/11/17/new-balance-minimus-trail-review/

I'm gonna try them out. I think the idea of them is awesome! I think they are the best option besides vibrams out there for a barefoot feel.

I tested them out for New Balance and I run in the exclusively now. Both are great shoes. I liked the Minimus trail for trails much more for trails...as the title says but they aren't bad for the roads either. The minimus road is a solid shoe as well. It's a little thicker but still a great minimal shoe.

They are due out in March but some (mine included) New Balance Stores have already recieved them. They have done well and people are very interested in them.

I would tell you...

DONT buy these without trying them on. They have a unique fit (they seem to fit a multitude of foot types) and the models are very diffrent. Dont think your going to get the MT10 trail and run on the road (Note: I got a pair of MT10's 4 weeksn ago and have been walking around in them, doing a little trail running and did a track workout...the hard surface of the track was even to much). You could I guess but you would spend all your time trying to convince yourself they feel good. They are for the trail so Use them for that.

The road is much softer but still forces a midfoot plant. If you think your going to throw these on and run on the heal your dead wrong and will get dead injured.

As Anton has said these are not a Magic Pill...they will not all the sudden drop 30 sec. off your 5k. But used the right way...they can add to your workouts and get you one step closer to you goal.

Its a great product and along with the 890 Revlight trainer New Balance has burst back into the running room. I have worked with every company and used every shoe...the new 890 is one of my top 3 all time favorites and MAKES THE NIKE LUNAR FOAM LOOK THOUGHTLESS AND OLD.

Happy Running

I'm normally a size 10 and would recommend staying the same for the minimus road and the minimus trail but the minimus life i sized down by 1/2 a size.

the real blahhh wrote:

Its a great product and along with the 890 Revlight trainer New Balance has burst back into the running room. I have worked with every company and used every shoe...the new 890 is one of my top 3 all time favorites and MAKES THE NIKE LUNAR FOAM LOOK THOUGHTLESS AND OLD.

Happy Running

the 890 is a poor man's brooks launch. there, i said it!

Don't know anything about the shoe, but one of my local running stores just tweeted that they have it.

The Nike Lunar Foam has always been a joke. does anyone actually think it is one of the best midsole foams out there?

I ran in the Launch and the 890 and they are not the same at all. The 890 provides a bit more cushioning and has a more responsive midsole.

And the 890 looks WAY better.

saucony just relased a new shoe called mirage. its like the kinvara but with some support for pronation.

what i'm curious about is will new balance release a minimus shoe with some support. like an 890 but with a lil support like the mirage.

Word is the Minimus road feels a lot like some of the awesome pre-Phil Knight lameness shoes of the 1970s. Firm, flexible, fast. Can't wait to try them.

All 3 LRS's (within 10 miles) have all of the Minimus models in stock but for some reason, the New Balance store doesn't......Got the trail yesterday and ran a couple miles yeasterday...I know it's kind of a cliche but I do think the trails are one of if not the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn...As to performance, we'll have to see as a couple miles doesn't really give much of an answer...Wearing them at work and I can definately feel it in the calves just walking around....

Like another guy who already responded, I tested the trail version for NB. I love them. I was sore for a few days after my first 5-6 run, but after my calf and soleus muscles adapted, I've had no physical problems with them. Some of my best runs have taken place in these shoes. I always feel great when I wear them.

I will report the opposite of what someone else reported - I typically wear a 9.5, but the 9.5's I have are a little tight in the toes. I'd probably get a 10 if I were to order another pair. The only other problem is I never wear shoes without socks, but was told to do so with these shoes. I have no problems with that, but even after only ~150 miles, they really smell bad. Small problem to call out, but worth noting.

NB Minimus are available in 1 of 3 of the better LRS's near me in Nor Cal as of yesterday. Three models, "Life" "Road" and "Trail".

The three models are clearly different in more than marketing. They each feel very different to run in. For sure all three are more minimalist than 890s.

The road MR 10 has the most cushioning and support. That is, relative to the other two. To me, still less support, less tortional control than most of the other minimalist shoes out there. More control than the Free 3, though. They weren't a great fit for me (as has always been true for me and NBs) in that I felt a little too much arch support.

The trail was more "minimalist" than the road.

I ended up buying a pair of "Life" MW 10. They are clearly the most minimalist of the three models and I would call them the closest thing to Vibram Five Fingers (VFR) in a regular shoe I have tried. They are so minimal, there is nothing to "not fit" right about them. I am size 8 1/2 US in Asics and most street shoes and I got an 8 in these. They have no laces, they are a slip-on shoe. I bought them to use occasionally and to continue to improve on my form and reduce my dependency on motion control shoes - which has been paramount to resolving years of chronic Achilles issues starting at age 48. NB web site seems to market these as casual shoes or cross train shoes rather than running shoes.

The trail was more "minimalist" than the road.

For comparisons, I have been running in Free 5's (a little) and now through my last 2 pairs of Asics Gel Bandito racing flats (a lot) since I gave up motion control shoes 23 months ago.