In production · trail · Trail · $120
New Balance MT10: 14 mm heel stack, 4 mm drop, 200 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for trail, at a target pace of 8:30–12:00 /mi on trail.
New Balance tuned this midsole very firm (1/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 14 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. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
The toe-box is wide, with space for the toes to spread late in long runs. It runs small; most runners size up a half. Expect roughly 300 miles from the outsole, about $0.40 per mile at $120.
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
204 g / 7.2 oz
71 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
14 mm
22 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
4 mm
2 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$120
40 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
1 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 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.
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.
Hoka Evo Jawz 2
210 g / 7.4 oz · 22 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $150
Sticky, aggressive short-course trail racer with huge grip.
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.
New Balance Minimus Trail
224 g / 7.9 oz · 20 mm · 4 mm drop · Rock · $140
New Balance Minimus Trail: 20 mm heel stack, 4 mm drop, 213 g — specs from independent lab testing.