New Balance MT10v4 Minimus

In recent years we have witnessed a re(e)evolution of minimalism that has made it one of the most controversial topics in the running world. Minimalism has always been there, as long as running has existed, but in the last decade (or rather in the last 5 years) it has become "front page news" and the central topic of countless discussions.
In fact, I would say that we owe the concept as such to these last years in which it seems that people's position has become very polarized. Brands, experts, scholars, mere users, ... most of them position themselves in a somewhat absolute and extremist way, in an "either with me or against me" that not only does not help but, in my opinion, leads to error, to the fruitless search for a supposed "Zapateril Holy Grail".

But that's another matter for other articles, since what we're talking about today are the MT10v4, the latest addition to New Balances Mininus range. The Mininus range has marked a before and after, not only in New Balance, but in the world of running shoes as it has been the first large family of a generalist brand focused purely on minimalism and natural running and was, despite some, a revolution, everyone wanted "a Minimus", they almost did not care which of the entire catalog, which era not small.

The purely minimalist companies have been very critical of this and have tried by all means to sink the American brand and remove it from the sector because it was overwhelming them (so much for the closed-mindedness of some, who do not see beyond their navel) when the reality has been very different because what New Balance achieved was to bring the minimalists to a generalist brand and this resulted in a clear increase in the number of users.

Now all this "fever" has passed and New Balance has "optimized" its catalog, leaving the necessary models to cover the main part of the minimalist spectrum, avoiding duplications or overlaps. Some people are criticizing New Balance for this supposed distancing (a paradoxical situation because this is done by those who consider themselves purists of minimalism and who used to accuse them of "intrusiveness") but I think that the Americans have simply focused on what now brings them the most and have left useless battles in the background because it's funny to see how they criticize models that are good but that, for some reason, have been vilified by the extremists.

But, let's focus, I'm going to the Cerros de ?beda. Let's go back to the MT10v4, renewal of a model that, although with some ups and downs throughout its history, seems to have found its raison d'être and has finally imposed itself as one of the most versatile within the Minimus range. Moreover, with a couple of tweaks to solve some small problems that we will talk about later, it could become one of the best in its segment and fight for a place of honor in the awards of "best of the year".

Midsole and Cushioning

New Balance usually uses a single block of RevLite in most of its minimalist shoes and has done so in the MT10v4.
It is a fairly thin block, which leaves the heel at 16 millimeters and the forefoot at 12 millimeters, which implies a drop of 4 millimeters and are immovable measures because the insole is integrated.

Depending on who values these measurements, they will be quite radical (if we ask someone not used to using minimalist shoes) or very moderate (that would be the answer of an established minimalist). Personally, I think they are very "juicy" and can be liked by everyone because they are quite close to minimalism but without being too radical and, with a little desire, they can be used progressively in the case of not being used to it and as a shoe for everything in the case of being used to it.

With that thickness, as you can imagine, they feel quite firm but it is not only because of the midsole itself but also because the sole hardens a lot the overall feel we perceive when running with them.

Needless to say that they are very flexible, both when bending and twisting them, you can do whatever you want with them. Obviously, they do not offer any type of support or correction of the footprint although this does not mean that they increase the possible defects that we have because they have a lot of base in the forefoot.

In terms of design, the midsole is simple, without curvatures or strange things, practically straight. They only rise a little in the inner part of the metatarsal (protection) and heel and arch (very light support and protection).

It stands up quite well to the passing of kilometers and does not shatter easily, partly because it does not receive many blows because it is thin.
It is a simple midsole but it does its job very well.

Outsole

Without a doubt, the strongest point of the MT10v4 is the outsole, it is where they stand out the most and where they have improved the most compared to previous versions.

And I'm not saying this because it's a Vibram outsole, because there are many of those (some predecessors without going any further) but because the compound chosen perfectly combines two opposing qualities such as grip and durability and because, having completely covered the outsole, it eliminates problems that were present in some of the three previous models, such as lug pull-out. Now it is a whole block, so it is materially impossible for a lug to come off by detachment; it may come off by the sole, but it will not be because it has come off.

The lugs are about three millimeters long, with a triangular shape and an arrangement that seeks multidirectional grip above all else. They appear to be somewhat anarchic, but a closer look reveals a few nods to grip or retention in key areas.

The mud behavior is good and thanks to their separation, the way they flex, the hardness of the material, etc., they hardly pick up mud and, if we get them in a muddy area, they release it very quickly and, as there are no nooks and crannies or stuck pieces, you can't get stuck either.
The sole is very curved at the edges to prevent them from getting in the way as little as possible, especially at the moment of support.

The sole is only slightly raised in the toe area, the rest of the sole remains flush. It would be good in some places to raise a little bit as we have already mentioned in the midsole section.

Upper and Last

The upper of the MT10v4 is beautiful, it almost looks like a Sneakers instead of a Running shoes, and it doesn't even remotely look like a trail running shoe.

I couldn't tell you what the base is like because it's a weird mesh, neither mesh, nor neoprene. On the midfoot and heel there is a layer of synthetic leather with triangles for breathability without losing resistance.

Perfect to wear without socks, very soft on the inside (even softer than on the outside), with antimicrobial fabric, they do not have an inner insole, but it is integrated although it does something strange at the toe, at the end, as if it were short (or that, or that the upper yields forward and gives the sensation of a short insole).

The toe cap has been protected with a kind of plastic that comes off easily (the right one came off on the third outing, I feel all of them smooth, without complicated terrain).

The rest is protected by that second synthetic layer that protects from friction but not from impacts.

The tongue is burrito type, of good dimensions and comfortable, although it makes a strange wrinkle when you tie them (it is impossible to avoid the wrinkle).

The collar closes a little more than usual at the front, but it is of a thin thickness, so it doesn't weigh you down and leaves a lot of freedom.

The heel counter is reminiscent of the "reconstructed" Vazee but with diamond structures, it can be broken in as if it didn't exist.

The last is the NL-1 which simulates the shape of the foot: narrow in the heel and very wide in the forefoot.

In the midfoot it is an intermediate fit between heel and toe, but leaving plenty of room without marking the arch at all.
In length, more or less standard, I would keep the usual size.

Dynamics

The behavior of the MT10v4 is stereotypical of a good minimalist shoe, with no surprises except for the sole where, in my opinion, they have a level of honor.

The sole is incredible, how they grip and how they last, qualities that are usually opposed to each other because, in order for them to last, a hard compound is usually needed, which is not usually noted for its grip. The collaboration with Vibram has borne very good fruit and is responsible for the fact that these shoes are so appreciated by so many people, minimalists or not, trail runners or asphalt runners.

It is a pleasure to run with them without thinking at any time about the state of the surface we are going to step on because they will not fail us in the dry or wet, on asphalt or dirt, ... We only have to worry about the fact that they are minimalist and we carry little underfoot, but that is another story that has nothing to do with the sole.

This would mainly affect the midsole, which, without being radical, is very light or, at least, for what most of us use them for. In fact, for many, the heel height is half that of their usual training shoes.

Having used RevLite, the feel is very nice, firm, true, but it wears very well because it's the typical one that greets you with a little bit of travel and then doesn't let the foot sink into a cloud but responds. In the MT10v4 this rebound is not so important for the fact that it gives a greater or lesser response, but for the fact that it helps to maintain the sensations of closeness to the ground, that it does not alter the tread, etc.

The last is perfect for this type of shoe and I would emphasize "perfect" because many times they make the mistake of designing excessively wide collars that make them lose a lot of fit and make the shoes comfortable only for those who want to go easy. The MT10v4 fit quite snugly around the ankle, hugging very well with the collar but leaving it low and not strangling it, so we could say that it keeps the best of them all. The forefoot has plenty of room for the foot to expand and also helps us to have a lot of base so we can step in and let the goals expand to their fullest.

They are very light and barely break the 200 grams barrier (they don't stay at "sub 200" by a little) which, to have so much weight (evaluating them as minimalist), is not bad at all and I think it's worth it not to make them thinner because I prefer that weight to leaving the sole with holes or taking away the strength of the upper just to shave a few grams off it.

PROs & CONs:

PROs:

• Minimalist but not radical.
• Flexible and lightweight.
• Suitable for trail and asphalt.
• Outsole with incredible performance.

CONS:

• Upper resistance.

• Peeling toe cap protection.

• Integrated insole.

Performance

• Lightweight: 9
• Cushioning: 5
• Flexibility: 9
• Responsiveness: 7
• Stability: 6
• Grip: 9