New Balance Minimus Trail 10 also called MT10 for men and WT10 for women (or men like me with narrow feet) is New Balance’s running shoe for trail running designed for those who prefer Natural Running or POSE running. The running style goes by many names and is now gaining ground among all serious producers of running shoes.
NB Minimus Trail 10 has a minimalistic design, and a smaller drop of 4mm from heel to forefoot. On the one hand, this means a bit of extra weight, but in return, you gain some non-negligible benefits for runners who are about to habituate to a natural running style. Even though it has “trail” in the name, it has its limitations when it comes to off-road use, nevertheless the MT10 also comes with a wide range of benefits, which I will discuss later on.
The many benefits of the NB Minimus Trail 10
I’m quite excited about the NB Minimus Trail 10.
The shock absorption is minimal, but the drop makes the shoe very suitable for long runs in the forest and on the road, when I become tired, and I see how my running technique now and then send my heel to the ground. The same applies for a number of intervals where fatigue has announced its arrival.
The forefoot of the shoe has a duck shape, which means that the shoe has a broad front in comparison to many other shoes. This construction is there for a reason; when you land on the forefoot, there must be room to spread your toes when you hit the ground. This has no negative influence on the fit. The shoe still sits well on the foot in all conditions. It should be emphasized that I have several minimalistic running shoes where the shoe has a traditional narrow build. I have never experienced that the narrow fit has been a problem.
Another thought behind the wide fit, is that by exploiting the natural spread of the toes in the landing you will achieve a better balance. It will probably require some detailed studies of my running style to say anything definite about this. However, from the designer’s point of view, it is theoretically a design I find appealing – especially when it does not influence the shoes comfort.
Did I mention that I use trail-shoes on the road as well? Well, I do! The buds on the New Balance Minimus Trail 10 is small and flat with a slight rough surface. They actually perform really well on a wet road. Even better than the New Balance Minimus Road, which we have tested.
Small buds?
If you are used to trail-shoes with buds the size of those found on football boots such as Inov-8 Talon, RocLite, Oroc and different models from Salomon etc. you will be disappointed.
The Minimus Trail is a nice shoe for dry trails and the wide forest roads in all kinds of weather, but… there is always a but. I slide around in the mud, slip on the steep hills and on loose surfaces.
The shoe does perform, but I would say that the name is slightly misleading. Had they called it a shoe for the forest and not the trails it would have been more appropriate. I love running in the forest with my New Balance Minimus Trail, just not the technical and muddy passages. On these surfaces, I would prefer other shoes.
The verdict; An awesome shoe, which I can only give my warmest recommendations. Nobody is perfect, but the Minimus Trail is a pretty great workout buddy.
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