In production · trail · Trail · $140
New Balance Minimus Trail: 20 mm heel stack, 4 mm drop, 213 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for trail, at a target pace of 8:30–12:00 /mi on trail.
The midsole is FuelCell, tuned very firm (1/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. 20 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as snappy at 4/5 responsiveness.
A rock plate sits between the foam and the outsole to spread the load of sharp stones and roots. It is protection, not propulsion — it does not add pop, but it keeps the underfoot bruising out of long days on technical ground.
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. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It runs small; most runners size up a half. Expect roughly 300 miles from the outsole, about $0.47 per mile at $140.
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
224 g / 7.9 oz
51 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
20 mm
16 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
4 mm
2 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$140
20 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
1 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~300 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.
On Cloudventure Peak 3
240 g / 8.5 oz · 28 mm · 4 mm drop · Rock · $170
Light trail racer for fast, technical mountain days.
Hoka Evo Jawz 2
210 g / 7.4 oz · 22 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $150
Sticky, aggressive short-course trail racer with huge grip.
Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 Matryx
200 g / 7.1 oz · 25 mm · 6 mm drop · Rock · $220
Featherweight Matryx racer for vertical and short technical racing.
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.