New Balance Minimus 10v2 Trail

After I retired my New Balance Ioinix's I decided to try New Balance again.  I was very pleased with the minimalist shoe I had just retired so I went into Brown's Shoe Fit Company here in Fort Dodge and stumbled upon the New Balance Minimus 10v2 Trail.  So far I have put about 20 miles in these shoes, so here is my review so far:

Compared to the New Balance Ionix these are true minimalist shoes (not quite barefoot but close).  The heel is still built up a bit so they are not quite a zero drop shoe (heel is not built up).  I have been pleased with the natural running form (midfoot/toe strike vs. heel strike), and this shoe really does promote that as it would be painful to heel strike in these shoes.  The bottoms of the shoes are made by Vibram so they will be durable, and the grip will be great.  I noticed that the bottom of the shoes are a little tougher after I ran on some gravel and was really pleased that I could not feel too many of the rocks, as opposed to the Ionix's.  The shoes are comfy and lightweight, which makes me feel fast when I am running in them.  There is a strap fastened to the front of the shoe, which I can only assume will prevent that area from tearing like my previous shoes.

Traditionally New Balance has not been known for style, but I like the look of these shoes.  You can never go wrong with black and gold (Go Hawks), but they do offer them in different colors for both men and women.  These shoes will take some getting used to, as they are a little more minimalist than the Ionix's and I noticed some foot soreness after the few runs I have done, nothing that will cause injury, just need to get used to the shoe and adjust my strike.  I have not had the chance to test these out on true trails so I am looking forward to getting out and testing them for their true purpose.  So far so good, I am pleased with my purchase, and for 90 dollars they are not too bad on the wallet.  My review is: I would recommend these shoes.

New Balance Ionix 3090V2

I bought my New Balance Ionix's at the beginning of August and just retired them after my ultra marathon.  I finished them off with a 34 mile run on trails filled with rocks, roots, mus, sand, dirt, and water.  It was hard giving them up and throwing them out.  Below is my review for this specific shoe:

The New Balance Ionix 3090V2 is a part of New Balance's Minimus collection.  I read Born to Run and decided I wanted to try out the whole minimalist running thing.  I saw these shoes at Foot Locker and decided to try them out.  Now most people work their way into minimalist shoes, but these shoes are not full fledged barefoot style shoes, so I went in and never looked back.  The heel is built up a little, but the shoe itself does not provide a lot of support, so be cautious if you are the type of person that is used to wearing over supportive and cushioned shoes.  I front of the shoes provides some cushion, but very little.  I noticed this the first time I ran on gravel and could definitely feel bigger rocks.  I noticed very quickly that I started to run more on my midfoot and toes vs. my heel, which is great for proper form.  My calves started to feel this, though, so soreness set in, but now after running in these my calves feel so much stronger.

Before these shoes I was running in Underarmour shoes and my knee would start to feel pain after 3 or more miles.  Once I switched to these shoes the pain went away and I was able to run faster for longer distances, pain free.  The shoes are not that durable, as I started to notice tears up front on the top from the bending at the ball of my feet.  Once I retired them the tops of each shoe were filled with tears.  I never experienced blisters except when I ran my first 50k through snow and ice, which was expected.  One of the great perks, they're cheap.  I bought my pair for 60.00.

Needless to say this shoe is awesome and I recommend it to anyone that is interested in transitioning into a more minimalist shoe, but not quite committed yet.  This shoe promotes a healthy, more natural, running form.  I put just under 1100 miles in the shoe and they were probably the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn and run in.  My review is simple: I would buy this shoe again and run in them.