New Balance Minimus Trail Shoe Review: First Impression, Heartbreak and Rekindled Love

I've been on this minimalist endeavor for a little over two months, and I have had significant ups and downs in my learning to run, or remembering how to run, as some put it. When I started trotting around in the Minimus they felt so much like regular shoes (from being used to my huraraches) that I threw all the caution of stretching and starting slow to the wind and embraced my inner minimalist runner. Oh, the joy of running better, learning to lift rather than push off- lovely. But like you will know if you have been doing this for any length of time, go slow, little baby steps are much better than nursing a too tight calf muscle or other injuries. So like I said, these are a dream to run in, and that dream ended quick because I was not cautious-I was in love.

They felt so good, so quickly that they gave me a false sense of security. I ran 2 miles at a time for the first couple days and then jumped right into 7 miles,5 miles the next day and 7 miles the day after- no rest, no stretching= no brains. I was the cause of my own demise. Since that last 7 mile trail run in my lovely NB Minimus- I have hobbled, hopped, ibuprofened and iced my way back to health. It only took two and a half very slow non-running weeks to do it. It isn't the fault of the shoes, it is that they feel so good and make you feel so free that you just can't stop!!

So my injury was all my fault, I didn't stretch my calves, I ran three longer-than-I-had-been-running runs in a row, and also ran with a fast runner and so could not concentrate on my stride and it was just the combo of all this silliness that reduced me to a limper (and non-runner) for the better of two and a half weeks.  How did it happen? Because of tight calves (a problem with many minimalist runners, especially the newbies), no stretching and daily running there was an inflammation of the bersa of the heel. I still don't completely understand what it is, but I know it can hurts!!! I initially thought the heel pain was from my over-striding and the impact of the landing on my feet, but as the swelling has gone down and the pain became more localized I could tell exactly where it was coming from and then I knew my problem. Since then I have really stretched and re-stretched and completely stretched again that calf area on both legs- each time I could literally feel the pain get better. Oh, the lessons we learn!!

This clip saved me!! (Thanks Jonah :) All minimalist and barefoot runners need to do these stretches, no excuse:

Back to the Minimus Trail shoe.  Since my recovery from this self-induced injury I have run in my Trail Minimus 3 times so far and  at a way quicker pace than I had been. I have been delighted with no pain, NONE. When I think "lift, lift, lift, lift" instead of "pound, pound, pound" while running I know I have way better form and this all combines to give me a run that I am ecstatic about each time. When I don't push off with my feet but think "lift" instead it feels like floating rather than running. And if I just make sure I stretch those calves and re-stretch them I know I will float on these shoes for months to come.

Final first month impression of my New Balance Minimus Trail shoes: they are da bomb! They are light, bend with my foot, are wide enough to fit my wider forefoot and fit snuggly at my narrow heel and I have no heel rub. The upper is very durable, I would know since I got lost in some thistles and walked through a wheat field in them and they are just as good as new). The interior does feel dreamy-so soft and comfy, BUT I recommend wearing socks if it is a pretty hot day because when you sweat in them along with the friction of your toes- you will end up with some pretty gnarly blisters. On cooler days where my feet won't drip sweat no socks has worked just fine. The soles are made of vibram rubber (yes the same material used on the Vibram Five fingers- minus the ape toe look!) so they are extremely durable. They even LOOK good! People stop me all the time to ask what they are and then want to buy them just for wearing with jeans! They come in really good colours so that would be easy to pull off. Personally I think they need to run in them, but that is just because they feel so good when I lace them up that it would be really hard for me not to.

FLEXIBLE SOLES AND UPPERS: Love it!

Lss <=> mor: so, so true!

Note: If you have never tried minimal running shoes before I would recommend starting in an even more minimalist shoe than this. I would recommend the huaraches for your first shoe so you can feel the wrong and right way to run and then go to these from there. If you run in these with poor form you can injure yourself, as you could with any minimalist shoe- purchase at your own risk, and remember STRETCH!!

Previous Minimal Running Posts:
*Huarache Running
*The Brutal Truth of Minimal Running and My Newbie Self 

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