I am looking for a low heal-to-toe drop shoe that's not zero drop or 12mm but somewhere in between. I've narrowed it down to the Brooks PureFlow or the New Balance minimus road. I am wondering which is the better shoe.
I love NB and their products have always fit and lasted but I've not had a lot of experience owning Brooks shoes.
Try them on and decide. Order them both from RunningWarehouse, try them on in your house, and then send back any you don't like.
Also, you're looking at purely minimalist advertised shoes. If you expand your search to include popular tried and true racing flats you'll open your options up a lot.
Brooks Pure Flow. NB Minimus Road is garbage. Really stiff but hardly any cushion.
I love the NB Minimus. Nice low ride. Plenty of room in the forefoot and toebox. I think they are more than flexible enough. My 2 cents.
Jacob
D-Train wrote:
I am looking for a low heal-to-toe drop shoe that's not zero drop or 12mm but somewhere in between. I've narrowed it down to the Brooks PureFlow or the New Balance minimus road. I am wondering which is the better shoe.
I love NB and their products have always fit and lasted but I've not had a lot of experience owning Brooks shoes.
You really should try them both on. Although they share some similar characteristics, they feel very different to me. The Minimus feels very firm, while the PureFlow feels really soft and almost squishy. The fit is different, as well.
You said you've narrowed your search down to these two shoes, so I'm assuming you've tried the Kinvara and the Mirage. I'm curious as to why you crossed them off your list. To me, they feel like they fall somewhere in between the Minimus and the PureFlow.
Nutella1 wrote:
Brooks Pure Flow. NB Minimus Road is garbage. Really stiff but hardly any cushion.
Interesting, that's the reason I like the shoe. Not garbage at all, just two very different shoes. And it's definitely not stiff, it's just not soft. The midsole itself actually flexes quite a bit.
OP, do you want something cushy and soft? Go with the PureFlow. Want something more responsive, or something that feels more like a racing flat? Go with the Minimus.
themanontherun wrote:
OP, do you want something cushy and soft? Go with the PureFlow. Want something more responsive, or something that feels more like a racing flat? Go with the Minimus.
I am not disagreeing here. The Brooks Pure Flow is not a racing shoe. It is a comfy boat in which you can log a lot of miles. That said, it's hardly a heavy shoe...
EDIT: the Brooks Pure Connect is a bit faster. Incredible lightweight, still a significant amount of cushion. And really, really flexible.
Pures are really nice.
1400 would be a nicer option than the Minimus road.
chauncey wrote:
D-Train wrote:I am looking for a low heal-to-toe drop shoe that's not zero drop or 12mm but somewhere in between. I've narrowed it down to the Brooks PureFlow or the New Balance minimus road. I am wondering which is the better shoe.
I love NB and their products have always fit and lasted but I've not had a lot of experience owning Brooks shoes.
You really should try them both on. Although they share some similar characteristics, they feel very different to me. The Minimus feels very firm, while the PureFlow feels really soft and almost squishy. The fit is different, as well.
You said you've narrowed your search down to these two shoes, so I'm assuming you've tried the Kinvara and the Mirage. I'm curious as to why you crossed them off your list. To me, they feel like they fall somewhere in between the Minimus and the PureFlow.
I haven't looked into the Kinvara yet. I've never owned a Saucony shoe. Perhaps I should give them a try. I think I will look around a bit before I try some out.