New Balance MT1010 Minimus Amp review

Bryon Powell is such a tease.  He runs irunfar.com and is always getting the scoop on new shoes.  When he posted pictures of the upcoming New Balance Minimus MT1010 Amp's I shot off an email to my contact at NB asking about them.  What I was told was it was built on the Minimus last with the same weight and fit as the MT110's, but with an extra layer of cushioning.



If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that the MT110 is one of my favorite shoes.  I have worn it for the first half of a few 100 mile races (70 at Leadville, 30 at The Bear, 50 at Bartram) and then I change into a more cushioned shoe as my feet start to feel pounded.  The idea of that shoe with more cushioning was extremely appealing.  I immediately began to beg...

No sockliner, for all you barefooters.

Since my foot is not the wear testing size I had to wait until the first size run of pre-production shoes were available.  It was torture, but my pair finally arrived last week. (note: I received these shoes no charge provided by New Balance). I have since used them twice (only 18 miles) and these are my initial impressions.  It is really not fair to review a shoe after so few miles, but I know a lot of people are excited about this one. I am going to use many comparisons to the MT110 as I believe that there are a lot of people like myself who love that shoe, but want a little bit "more" underfoot for long races.

8.65 oz.  for size 11. My MT110's in the same size weigh 8.5

Out of the box, I was immediately struck by how light they are, especially considering that they look much more substantial than the MT110.  A quick trip to my wifes cooking scale (shhh....) shows that NB lived up to their promise.  They are almost the exact same weight as my 110s.  Both are size 11.

The upper material is completely different than the 110.  It is a light mesh that breathes extremely well.  I have not waterlogged them yet, but when I did get them wet they dried extremely quickly.   Like the 110, there is no sockliner. NB addressed a major shortcoming in the 110's.  The tongue is now lasted to prevent dirt from entering.  Thats a good thing, unfortunately I think they used a little bit to much material and I find that it bunches up.  But the material is so light that it doesn't bother me.  I did find that they run a bit larger and have a larger toebox.  I had to tie the (very long) laces so tight that it deforms the shoe a bit.  Again, once I'm running I don't notice it.  Those of you with larger volume feet that find the 110 to narrow will enjoy the extra room.

MT110 fit

MT1010 Amp fit - notice extra width.  Both shoes size 11.

Once running in them I immediately could feel the extra cushioning.  They still very much feel like a "barefoot" shoe and are extremely flexible, but they have a nice level of softness that is much more forgiving on my feet than a 110 or MT00, etc.  I would describe them as half as cushy as a Brooks Pure Grit and twice as cushy as the 110's.  They are right between the two.

To get to the trails I have to run 1 mile of pavement.  In that short time I noticed a little pressure point under my midfoot.  One of the traction pods placement seems to feel a little bit higher to me than the others, or I just have weird feet.  My wife has said that I have a lot in common with the princess and the pea, so I might be over sensitive. Once on the trails, the pressure seemed to disappear.

Lots of traction

The traction on these shoes is awesome.  It's obvious when you look at the sole that they are going to dig in, and that is exactly what I found.  My trails have grass, steep loamy climbs, rocks and roots.  I have not tested them in mountain conditions yet, but everything I have used them in has been awesome.  I did find that small jagged rocks actually can poke into my feet where the exposed "rock plate" is.  I'm sure it's not easy making a protective shoe that still flexes like a barefoot shoe and perhaps these larger gaps are necessary, but I'd like to see them have more rubber here and less exposed plate.

One question everybody who has worn a 110 will ask is "Does it have the same raised lateral feel?".   I did not detect any of that feeling.  It does appear to me that it was reduced or eliminated.

Again, these are just my first impressions.  Since I have PF pretty badly I have been limiting my time wearing minimal shoes.  I am looking forward to putting more miles on them and will update my blog once I do.