Discontinued · trail · Trail / Tempo · $110
Barefoot-style trail shoe — minimal stack, maximum ground feel.
Built for trail, tempo, at a target pace of 8:00–11:00 /mi on trail.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is New Balance Summit Unknown v4.
New Balance tuned this midsole very firm (1/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is modest, so the ride feels protective and damp rather than springy. 16 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A low 4 mm drop encourages a midfoot landing and keeps the ankle working through a fuller range. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. The forefoot flexes easily, so the shoe adapts to slower, shorter strides. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is wide, with space for the toes to spread late in long runs. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 250 miles from the outsole, about $0.44 per mile at $110.
For the foams and plates New Balance uses across its line, read the New Balance brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
200 g / 7.1 oz
75 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
16 mm
20 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
4 mm
2 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$110
50 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
1 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~250 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the New Balance line it is lighter than the brand's median (278 g / 9.8 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
New Balance MT10
204 g / 7.2 oz · 14 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $120
New Balance MT10: 14 mm heel stack, 4 mm drop, 200 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Merrell Trail Glove 8
190 g / 6.7 oz · 14 mm · 0 mm drop · — · $130
Zero-drop barefoot trail shoe: pure ground feel, minimal stack.
Topo Athletic Connect
232 g / 8.2 oz · 11 mm · 0 mm drop · — · $130
Barefoot-style zero-drop shoe for road-to-trail ground feel.
Hoka Evo Jawz 2
210 g / 7.4 oz · 22 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $150
Sticky, aggressive short-course trail racer with huge grip.