New Balance Men's MR00 Minimus Road Running Shoe

Great for those who don't like big, bulky, running shoes. I have high arches. I use these for runs of 6 miles or less. Anyone who is used to running in minimalist shoes will like these. My only beef is the lacing system, I'd rather have traditional eyelets on both sides so that I can use elastic laces like I have on all my other running shoes. These have eyelets on one side and sewn on loops on the other. If you're a [NEW barefoot runner you may notice what you think is a heel/toe drop like I did; Months later now I think it was in my head, my mind thinks "I'm wearing shoes, I'd better land heel first"; I had to re-train my brain.] I've worn them both with and without socks and prefer to wear socks because the top of the shoe chafes my achilles area. I also like the tongue construction, it's really just a continuation of the shoe that folds over the top of your foot, so theres only one seam sewn area on the inside top of your foot instead of on both sides.[brackets indicate an edit] Update: So now that I've been wearing these almost exclusively since I bought them I can say, obviously, that they're my go to running shoe. I wore them for the Garmin Half Marathon and so far in my marathon training I've worn them on runs up to 15 miles. As you may read in a response to a question below you should be aware, if you're new to minimalist shoes, that there will be a transition period during which you will have to be careful to not overdo it because you run the risk of calf/achilles strain/injury. Running how you were "born to run" takes time to re-learn. If you currently put on your industry standard running shoes and can go out and log a 13.1 mile training run without batting an eye, then put these on and run 13.1 - I can almost guarantee that you're going to feel it. A friend of mine likened running in industry standard shoes to driving a car with spring instead of shock absorbers. Running in minimalist shoes will re-introduce you to what your calves were designed as - shock absorbers! But if they haven't been used for 40+ years (as in my case), there are going to be consequences for going on a cross country drive on 54 year old shock absorbers.I will say that I do have an issue with these that I wish NB would address - the lacing system. On all of my other shoes I put elastic laces so that I only have to slip them on. The lacing system on these is weird, weird enough that I can't wrap my head around any method of putting elastic laces on them! There are 4 eyelets on one side, and 4 loops on the other, and they're not parallel with each other. Not a BIG deal, but it confounds me and so I gnash my teeth at NB for that.

I have a very niche foot: Short, wide, and really high arches. I needed something wide, breathable, and zero drop.This shoe fits great! Bought them for triathlon and marathons. I typically would just go with my vibram fivefingers but I wanted something more durable and a bit more padding for endurance sports. This fits the bill perfectly. I have no problem with my toes needing breathing room, as these shoes have plenty. I would recomend buying a size smaller if you plan not to wear socks. And yes, the tongue of this shoe is amazing as it is comfortable. No rubbing areas anywhere. This is as close to barefoot as you can get with a real shoe and the protection is flawless. I would recomend the trail version for any gravel roads, but only for durability sake, not because your feet arent padded enough. Ive logged well over a hundred miles in these and besides a bit of dust there are no blemishes. The only reason they would appear not new is the front of my right shoe where the sole is glued to the top of the toe took a rock head on and came loose. Its barely noticable and was totally my fault. Most shoes once they have a single tear or something start to peel off, they completely fall apart with more use. Not these! Still, perfect shoe for road running, get the trail if you like going off road. Also, the MT00, should you chose it, is quite narrow. Keep that in mind.

SIZE UP 1/2; if you are ever concerned about width, get 2E. I normally wear 9.5; I went for a 10/2E in these and they were PERFECT. The heel felt SLIGHTLY loose, but I also think way too much about everything and can be super neurotic, so I wouldn't worry about it.Good shoes. Compare them to Merrells road glove (right?), or other NB minimus (MR10v2) shoes, MAYBE some INNOV8s. Except that the upper is a really nice and snug, but pliable, something synthetic. The sole is nice and cushioned, at least about as cushioned as I'd like on a minimalist shoe. The Vibram part of the sole is nice, I think, or maybe just a gimmick, though it does provide for a good feel on the ground at toe off. I won't say TOO much grip, because it's just a flat rubber sole, but it does the job well enough; I'd be happy to take them on a 10k right out of the box...And that's what I did. I got home at 10 pm, saw them outside my door, was excited, threw them on (I can't remember if I wore socks or not; I want to say no -that's important though), and went on a 4.5 mile run. I run about a 6' mile and these felt good for me with my shorter stride and midfoot impact at about 7' mile pace. I thought about them too much while running so I think I realized, unintentionally, or artificially, that they felt sluggish, as though the sole was too flexible; I like a slightly stiffer sole so I don't lose energy in toe off. Whatever though, the shoes are nice and fit well and will carry anyone for at least a 10k.