New Balance Men's MX20v3 Minimus Cross-Training Shoe

Yeah, yeah, I know these are for a "barefoot running" experience not for everyday wear, but I love their ultra light weight and compact packing dimensions for travel, and they do make a great work out shoe both here and on the road. Not too shabby for walking, because the heel is actually better cushioned than my deck shoes, lol.But like deck shoes it's hard to wear these with most pants selected for regular heel height shoes. My pants which just come down to the start of my heel on other shoes (like regular running shoes with normal heels) will drag with these. If I select travel pants that are short enough not to drag, they look too short with my dress shoes.Oh well. I guess the Innov8 F-Lite 230 free running shoes, with a higher heel, remain better for travel, but here's my list of what's right about the Minimus:+ It's actually made for running. Barefoot style running (these emulate that experience while preserving your soles from rocks, glass, etc. plus giving you a better grip on most surfaces) requires some conditioning-up time, but once you are used to them you can run. The Innov8 F-Lite 230's are free running shoes - great grip, stability, fit like a glove, great for floor workouts - but they are NOT running shoes per se.+ Style. All black, except for the tiny Vibram logo on the outside sole edge, is great.+ Well ventilated - the mesh is highly breathable. Honeycomb reinforcements add strength. Keep in mind the mesh will let water and dust in, but so will all highly breathable running shoes.+ Rubberized front toe box for wear and toe stub protection.+ Sole wraps up over tip of toe box for same reasons.+ Laces are plenty long for big feet but not so long the ends flop on the ground even when tips and loops are equal length, which is a problem for me on some of my other shoes due to my flat feet.+ Bendable heel - no stiffener in it - you can either stuff socks in the shoe for efficiency in traveling, or flatten the heel down without damaging it for a really flat profile.+ Glove-like fit is stable for hotel room or gym workouts which involve lateral movements.+ Really sticky grip (thank you Vibram for the great honeycomb traction grip, and sticky rubber).The only big negative besides the "long pants too long" issue (which goes completely away, of course, with shorts)?These are so snug and minimalist in terms of materials it almost looks like you just have socks on. This is one of the lowest profile shoes I have, and make my feet look like I have no shoes on.Don't underestimate the importance of the sticky grip. I have almost slipped on some wet concrete and tile surfaces during travel. Safety cone/soapy floors standards aren't always the same overseas as here. Also, slick concrete similar smooth walkways can get pretty slick in the rain.Based on my experience with New Balance trail running shoes, and my expectation that the Minimus is designed for thin running socks or bare feet, I ordered EE instead of D so I could wear with gym-thickness socks (not hiking thickness, but thicker than typical running socks). Fit was perfect for me by going wider and wearing gym socks, with ample but not oversized toe-box and snug, but not tight, fit over my instep and at the heel. I ordered my normal length, but I am a "low 10" - just too long for a good 9.5 fit, while most 10's give me more length than I actually need. Such was the case with the Minimus as well.

I've worn plenty of training shoes of the last few years, but these take the cake as the best training shoes I've ever worn. They are extremely lightweight and versatile; they don't fall apart when doing various lifts and can probably hold up pretty well for short sprints. I wouldn't recommend wearing these for any long distance running simply because they aren't exactly made for that. They are extremely breathable and are truly minimalist shoes. Great for crossfit or circuit trainingI ordered a size 12 but could probably fit into 11.5 as the 12 are a tiny bit large, although the fit is still excellent. I went to the NB website and you input your old shoe size and make and they'll recommend a size. They recommended 12 but I think 11.5 would fit even better; maybe go half a size smaller than what you think you are/what NB recommends.UPDATE 12/11/13: I've worn these shoes on exactly 3 distance runs and it didn't feel like the shoes could hold up a few more of these. It became uncomfortable around the heel area - the mesh in the back felt like it was going to rip (it didn't yet). Other than running, the holes the laces go through are starting to get frayedUPDATE: 8/19/14: I've had these almost a year and they are still going strong! I've started to move a lot more in the gym beyond basic lifts. Hold well for burpees and other high-intensity conditioning and have for the last 5 months. Shoe is still held together very well; only fray is still in a single lacehole. I'm probably going to retire these come October but I will be looking to stick with New Balance. though probably not the exact same shoe.

Update: I own a previous version of this shoe. The sole coloring/pattern in particular is different. My review may not be as relevant.I rated 4 stars as I think this is a great shoe, but I'd like to have a little little more traction. On surfaces such as basketball courts, laminate, or smooth finish concrete, I feel this shoe lacks a little grip. It seems like the tread pattern is alright, but that the compound or surface finish of the compound isn't as sticky as I might like. The shoe is very light and airy, and I think it has enough support for the movements I intend to do with it. It provides more lateral movement stability and control than fivefigers, which I was using before this shoe. The shoe seems to fit fairly true to size, and laces up snugly on my foot. I'm only a few workouts in, but it seems like the construction will hold up well to indoor use.Like: Weight, stability (for what the shoe is), minimal heel to toe drop, openness and breathability, looks, balance.Dislike: I might like additional grip from the tread.recommend for: crossfit, indoor gym workUpdate:I've put a ~3 months of weightlifting-centric crossfit on these shoes now. They've held up well. As an additional dislike, I'd say that I feel the inward angle of and extra room/material on the toe is a bit extreme. I'm not sure if I could claim that the shoe slows my sprints, but I don't think the sole outline is quite right for running, at least for my form. The top-down view of the shoe doesn't suggest the extreme angling, but the bottom-up view (showing the sole of the shoe) does. I wouldn't remove another star, but I would revise my purchase, having this experience.Update 2:After 9 months, I'd say the traction is only a concern on surfaces which would be slick for any shoe; it's not an issue on tractioned rubber (e.g. diamond plate patterned), astroturf, asphalt, or textured concrete (e.g. outside, or sidewalk). A stickier compound may still be an improvement. I still see the sole profile as a bit odd, though it's a 4-star shoe. I use this shoe in a hot, dry, often dusty environment.Update 3: After almost a year and a half, the shoe is holding up fine. No concerns over build quality / durability with appropriate use (I could see rope climbing and all-terrain work tearing the shoe up).

Ich bin sehr zufrieden mit dem Schuh. Ich hatte vorher gute 2 Jahre lang den NewBalance Minimus Road 00. Der hat seine Dienste perfekt geleistet, ist jetzt aber mittlerweile auch ganz schön abgenutzt. Deswegen musste ein neuer her. Die Größe 42 war genau richtig für mich. Passt wie eine zweite Haut. Der Schuh ist superleicht. Ich hab keine Blasen, keine Schweißfüße...Fazit: Es könnte nicht besser sein. Ich persönlich nutze den Schuh für alle sportlichen Aktivitäten, sei es Fitness, Basketball und sogar auch Volleyball. Er gibt im Bereich der Ferse viel mehr Halt als der Minimus Road 00 und hat durch die minimale Sprengung auch etwas bessere Dämpfungseigenschaften. Ich will aber beim Sport ein gutes Gefühl für den Boden haben und das ist mit dicken Sohlen wie bei Schuhen von Asics und Co. nur schwer möglich.Für mich der perfekte Schuh mit absoluter Weiterempfehlung

A falta de salir correr con ellas las zapatillas prometen. Pequeñas y muy ligeras. La suela rígida y flexible, no tendré problemas al pisar piedras por senderos.Hoy ha sido mi primer día corriendo. 8,5km a 3'50" el km. La zapatilla derecha todo correcto pero la izquierda me ha hecho llaga el tendón de aquiles. Supongo que habrá que ablandarlas un poco y paciencia.Edito: 9 de enero de 2016Despues de 3 meses de uso intenso, saliendo 3 veces por semana y a veces 4, con uan media de unos 40km semanales, debo decir que estoy muy contento con ellas en lo eferente a sesnsaciones pero no a la calidad de la construccion del producto. Me explico: Positivo--Voy muy comodo y aunque son finas siento menos las piedras que con otras zapatillas "normales". Negativisimo--La zapatilla derecha empieza ha romperse la tela de la parte de arriba y en la franja lateral derecha. No se si en normal debido a la intensidad de uso o deberian estar aun como nuevas. Considero que las zapatillas normales que he usaso antes de estas no se rompieron tan rapido. Quiza se deba a que me estaban un poco apretadas al principio y quiza necesitaba medio numero mas, no lo se....y eso ha llevado a que sufran mas de la cuenta al tener que haberse adaptado a mi pie.Actualizado a 12 de enero de 2016:La zapatilla derecha esta cada vez mas rota por diversos puntos. Es una perdida de dinero obviamente. No compensa gastarte 50 euros para que te duren 3 o 4 meses. Probare a comprar otra marca como merrell a ver como funionan.Si no hubiese sido por estas roturas le habria dado 5 estrellas.De todas formas recomendabes por el precio que tienen. Creo que es necesario correr lo mas plano posible, y no solo eso, or todo el dia lo mas plano posible, ya sea en el trabajo o paseando porque considero en el futuro, a 10 o 20 años vista estas cosas se pueden pagar en salud.

Depuis un an, je me suis mis au "minimaliste" . Cela convient bien mieux à mes pieds plats, et à des sensations et perceptions quand on marche ou cours. Je ne trouve que des MERKEL Gloves à la rigueur des News Balance Minimus. Ces mimus sont légère et succincte, pas épaisse, pas de Drop, pas semelles internet, pas chère 50 euros.

Bought these trainers for use in the gym and small amounts of running and couldn't have asked for a better pair! I previously owned a pair of New Balance Bare foot trail running trainers which I loved and when they ripped, after months of shopping around, i thought i was never going to be able to replace them. Eventually i came across these and thought i'd give them ago as they were a reasonable price. I couldn't have asked for a better shoe, the size is perfect and they probably fit better then my previous pair, they are very light weight and perfect for weight lifting and X-training. Overall i couldn't recommend these any higher.

These suckers fit like a glove and are pretty much weightless. Being used to do capoeira barefoot these are a dream. I run (I like minimalist running) and do all sorts of sports with these (Crossfit, HIIT, you name it) and these are just perfect. They give your feet the safety and comfort of a sole, and the lightness and flexibility of being barefoot. Pretty certain I'll be purchasing these for the rest of my life!