Best Trail Running Shoes of Summer Outdoor Retailer 2011
August 15, 2011 by Bryon Powell · 53 Comments
Every August, Salt Lake City sees the announcement of the vast majority of the following year’s top trail running shoes at the Outdoor Retailer show. This year was no exception. From barebones minimalist to comfy zero drop shoes, from everyday hybrid trail runners to sleek new racing shoes, I saw a closet’s worth of shoe-lust worthy trail running shoes. Here’s a look at some of my favorite models. Additional photos of many models can be found in iRunFar’s Facebook album for the show.
For easier navigation, we’ve added links that jump down directly to the following previews:
- New Balance Minimus Trail Zero – MT00
- Brooks PureGrit
- Montrail Rogue Fly
- The North Face Hayasa
- Altra Lone Peak
- Brooks Cascadia 7
- Hoka One One Stinson B Evo
- Merrell Glove Line Extensions
- New Balance Minimus Road Zero – MR00
- Salomon XR Mission
- SCARPA Spark
- Vasque Velocity 2.0
- Vibram Spiridon LS
- La Sportiva Vertical K
- Montrail Bajada
- New Balance MT110
New Balance Minimus Trail Zero – MT00 ($100 – February 2012)
[Update: We now have a full review of the New Balance Minimus Trail Zero.]
The NB Minimus Trail has been a big hit and New Balance is ready to take the next step with the MT00, aka the Minimus Trail Zero. (Don’t worry Minimus fans, both the current Minimus Trail and Minimus Road, with their 4 mm drops, will remain in the line.) To start, the Minimus Trail Zero gets its namesake feature in a zero drop platform. This minimalist approach has been extended from the midsole into the outsole where New Balance looked at couple dozen pairs of used standard Minimus Trails to determine the 10 most worn lugs. NB then used that data to selectively cover only the most worn lugs with outsole rubber while leaving the midsole exposed. In addition, the Minimus Trail outsole was also reduced by coring out the outsole rubber down to the midsole in the hollows between the lugs.
New Balance Minimus Zero Trail outsole
The upper is radically different. It’s primarily made from one piece of a fabric that seems more like nylon than running shoe mesh. That material is thin enough that you can see your toes through the upper. That upper is fleshed out by one piece of overlay; very small reinforcements at the toe, eyelets, and heel; and slight padding in the ankle collar and heel. There’s a soft, single-layer synthetic tongue with flat laces to reduce lace bite. The eyerow has been reduced from 6 to 5 eyelets. The lasting is similar to the current Minimus Trail… but with a zero drop.
New Balance Minimus Zero Trail upper MT00
All of these changes yield a 4.4 ounce shoe!
New Balance Minimus Zero Trail
Here are 9 things you should know about the Minimus Zero straight from New Balance.
New Balance Minimus Trail Zero – MT00 ($100 – October 1, 2011)
[Update: We now have a full review of the Brooks PureGrit.]
There’s been quite a bit of chatter in the trail running ranks about Brooks’ PureProject and, particularly, the trail-specific shoe in the project, the PureGrit. That buzz isn’t surprising considering the historic popularity of the Brooks Cascadia and the current trend toward minimalism. Brooks’ goal with the PureProject line is to “promote your natural stride.”
Brooks PureGrit
So what’s the Brooks PureGrit? An 8.4 (or is it 8.9) ounce (US men’s 9, 7.6 oz for women’s 7) low to the ground (15 mm heel, 11 mm toe) 4 mm drop trail specific shoe designed, like the Cascadia, with input from Scott Jurek.
According to Brooks, the five main tech features of the PureGrit:
- Ideal heel – An extremely curved heel that prevents you from landing behind the center of the heel/ankle joint.
- Nav Band – An elastic band across the laces to create a more secure fit.
- Toe Flex – The sole and upper surrounding the big toe are separate from the other toes allowing for better ground feel and response.
- Midsole Foam – Brooks has blended in its DNA midsole compound throughout the midsole to respond to a runner’s need.
- Anatomical Last – A different last than used for the Cascadia that has a more curved, foot-like shape.
The shoe has a generally convex outsole that provides great feel and allows 2-4mm of splay in the outsole to provide additional traction. There’s no rockplate, but an aggressive outsole that runs the length of the shoe (i.e., no cut outs) for protection. Brooks added a center strike zone “pod” to inform the foot where the center of the shoe is. The highly permeable light-mesh upper that lets water in… but let’s it right back out. The tongue is padded only in the center, which I like as it saves weight without losing function or sacrificing comfort.
The outsole of the Brooks PureGrit
Montrail Rogue Fly ($120 – February 1, 2012)
What happens when you strip down the already lean Montrail Rogue Racer? You get the Montrail Rogue Fly! Both models use exactly the same outsole, midsole, and rockplate, but at 7.6 ounces for a US men’s, the Rogue Fly is 13% (1.2 ounces) lighter than the Rogue Racer. All that weight savings comes from stripping the already light Rogue Racer upper down ever further. The upper consists of two pieces of mesh and a tongue. That’s just about it. There aren’t any overlays with the exception of a small heel overlay for structure nor is there any under webbing across the metarsals from the midsole to the eyelets. While this is a racing shoe, it’s not meant to be run in sockless. The Rogue Fly has a 10 mm drop with 18mm at the heel and 8 mm at the forefoot, just like the Rogue Racer.
Montrail Rogue Fly
The North Face Hayasa ($110 – Spring 2012)
Last year, The North Face created a great trail running platform in the Single-Track. If TNF beefed up Single-Track into the Double-Track this year, then next year it’s putting its flagship model on a diet in the form of the Hayasa
The North Face Hayasa
This shoe excited me when I first was it in January at winter OR and I’m even more excited now that I’ve had a chance to slip it on my foot. The Hayasa is a giant leap forward for The North Face.
Additional Shoes
I’d originally intended to intended the following to be briefer previews of a larger set of sweet new shoes I saw at summer OR. So much for briefer! Read on for another dozen shoe previews!
Altra Lone Peak ($99 in specialty running stores/$105 online – November 2011)
[Update: We now have full review of the Altra Lone Peak.]
At this point, you might think you’ve seen every iteration of zero-drop trail running shoe… but that’s not true unless you’ve send the Altra Lone Peak. The shoe (along with its roady cousin, the Instinct) was designed by long-time runners and running store employees along Utah’s Wasatch Front who were “zeroing” shoes by detaching outsoles, grinding down midsoles, and reattaching the outsoles well before others were talking about drop, let along zero drop. Anyway, these guys have created a line of fully cushioned zero drop running shoes with a rockplate inset into the midsole layers and a “mud rudder” rear outrigger a la the early 90s Adidas Trail Response. They claim that the 9.9 ounce Lone Peak has the same protection as a Brooks Cascadia while running like a New Balance MT101 or Montrail Rogue Racer.
Altra Lone Peak
Brooks Cascadia 7 ($110 – February 1, 2012)
[Update: We now have a full review of the Brooks Cascadia 7.]
It’s safe to say that I’ve never been more excited about the seventh iteration of a shoe. The Cascadia 4 may still be my favorite trail shoe of all time, while the Cascadia 6 didn’t live up to my admittedly very high expectations. I still love the Cascadia 6 on nearly all terrain, so please don’t think I dislike the shoe. It’s still on the top row of my shoe rack. My primary concern with the Cascadia 6 was reserved for steep or technical downhills during which the upper would let my foot shift forward. I was far from the only one to note this. It’s my belief that the two “floating” medial (instep) eyelets did their job in relieving pressure on the top of the foot a little too well. Fortunately, those eyelets are now secure and I’ll be psyched to get into the Cascadia 7.
Brooks Cascadia 7
… and the rest of the scoop on the Cascadia 7? It uses the same rockplate and the same midsole, including the BioMoGo DNA material, at the Cascadia 6, but the outsole has been updated. Brooks was getting feedback about outsole wear, so they’ve replaced the 6′s circular saw lugs with a more durable lug configuration. In the end, the weight (12.2 oz for US men’s 9) will be very similar to that of Cascadia 6, with the weight of the upper being reduced and that of the outsole being increased.
Hoka One One Stinson B Evo ($170 – February 2012)
Out on the trail all Hokas might look the same, but the models are quite a bit different. With its forthcoming Stinson B Evo takes many of its lessons from the Mafate and Bondi B to make, what I think, is a much improved shoe. The outsole shape is somewhere between the Mafate and Bondi B, but the bit changes come with the outsole details and midsole structure. First off, the lug height on the Stinson B has been increased and, therefore, so has the shoe’s traction. A combination of new flex grooves in the outsole and a change in the midsole compound give the shoe more flex making it much more responsive than previous models.
Hoka One One Stinson B Evo
The Stinson comes with a speed lacing system as well as traditional laces. In addition, the shoe will come with both a thin and think insole. In addition, the Stinson B is designed to be “tuned” by individual runners by drilling thin holes in the particular areas of the midsole where they would like the shoe to be softer such that the foot will travel more in that direction.
Merrell Glove Line Extensions
I believe I overheard at the show that the Merrell Trail Glove is currently the top selling trail shoe in America. Whether or not that’s true, the Merrell Glove line has jumped out of the gate and continues to barrel along. Here are some updates to the line.
Merrell Road Glove and Bare Access
Merrell Trail Glove
Merrell will be adding widths to its popular Trail Gloves.
Merrell Road Glove ($110 – February 2012)
Merrell will be adding a road shoe fittingly coined the Road Glove. Both the men’s and women’s specific models will have a wider forefoot than the Trail Glove to allow for more toe splay. Unsurprisingly, Merrell took out its 1 mm rockplate, thus allowing for more flex and greater ground feel, and incorporated a smoother outsole.
Merrell Bare Access ($90 – February 2012)
For those looking for a more comfortable transition to barefoot or minimalist running, Merrell’s releasing a cushioned zero drop shoe, the Merrell Bare Access with 8 mm of cushioning.
New Balance Minimus Road Zero – MR00 ($110 – February 2012)
[Update: We now have a full review of the New Balance Minimus Road Zero.]
New Balance will also be releasing a 6.4 ounce, zero drop road shoe in the Minimus Road Zero or MR0o. This shoe has a rubber outsole covering 50-60% of the shoe’s bottom (according to my highly unscientific eyeball measurement) that accommodates a midfoot strike. This will be the first New Balance road runner with a Vibram outsole, which has softer rubber and greater flexibility. There are low, flat lugs and, just as in the MR10, a Revlite midsole. The one piece upper is more substantial than the MT00, but still includes minimal overlays. There’s a “burrito tongue” wrapped from the medial (instep) side. The eyelets have been reduced from 6 in the MR10 to 4 in the MR00.
Salomon XR Mission ($110 – February 1, 2012)
Salomon continues to expand its trail running line with the XR Mission
, a door-to-trail shoe in the vein of this year’s XR Crossmax. The XR Mission is ever so slightly lower to the ground than the Crossmax (20mm-10mm vs 21mm-10mm) and is intended as more of a workout shoe whereas the Crossmax would be an everyday trainer. Unlike the Crossmax, there is one version rather than one neutral and one guidance version. However, the men’s and women’s models are distinctly different based on Salomon lab testing. The women’s shoe has deeper flex grooves, different heels to accommodate a woman’s Q angle, and different Sensiflex panels in response to the fact that a woman’s foot changes shape 20% more than a man’s during running.
Salomon XR Mission - women's
Saucony Peregrine 2 ($100 – March 1, 2012)
Earlier this year, we reviewed the Saucony Peregrine. Next year, Saucony is releasing the Peregrine 2 and they’re not messing too much with a good thing. The shoe remains the trail version of the company’s popular Kinvara model. Weighing in at 9.9 ounces for a US men’s 9 (down from 10.1 ounces), the main theme of the update is a reduced upper, which will feature fewer seams, fewer overlays, and, therefore, fewer pressure points, including the removal of the center seam over the toes. Word is they also improved the ankle collar lining.
Saucony Peregrine 2
SCARPA Spark ($115 – Spring 2012)
Next spring, SCARPA is releasing its lightest ever trail running shoe, the Spark. At 9.5 ounces, SCARPA considers this a race ready shoe that embodies its “mountain minimal” concept, which seeks to reduce shoes to their basics while still providing adequate protection. The shoe features a high tensile fabric forefoot for push through protection and either a 6 or 8 mm drop.
SCARPA Spark
Vasque Velocity 2.0 ($120/$150 with GORE-TEX – January 15, 2012)
A full decade ago, Vasque released the Velocity, which was a major step forward in runnability for trail runners. With recent trends, the Velocity has gone from being classified as a trail runner to a light hiking shoe. The Vasque Velocity 2.0 stays true to its heritage while bringing the model back to the running scene. The shoe still has a full-length protective shank and a very aggressive outsole. However, the upper was greatly reduced by removing overlays and using more mesh and the medial post was removed making this a more neutral shoe. The shoe’s also lower to the ground with the heel dropping 3 mm and the forefoot dropping 2 mm.
The Vasque Velocity 2.0 in front of the original Vasque Velocity
Vibram Spiridon LS ($120 – February 1, 2012)
Admittedly, I’m neither a barefoot nor a barefoot-style runner, but I thought many of you would want to hear about Vibram’s first dedicated FiveFinger trail running shoe. This 6.8 ounce (US men’s 9; 5.1 ounce US women’s 7) shoe has a 6 mm stack height throughout with a 3.5 mm outsole. There are more lugs than other Vibram running models and these lugs are both more textured and include more edging to improve bite into the ground. The Spiridon LS features a “3D Cocoon,” a very strong nylon textile that’s baked into the sole to disrupt impact. The 3D Cocoon runs the length of the shoe. The shoe includes a slightly beefier upper that includes significant toe bumpers. The Spiridon LS is a lace up rather than velcro model.
Vibram Spiridon LS
In addition, Vibram will also be releasing the SeeYa, a 4.8 ounce “performance model” for dedicated minimalist runners. It’s got a significantly reduced upper as well as a Bikila informed outsole with the midfoot and some other portions cut away. Even the velcro straps have cutouts to reduce weight. I’ll assume that all those interested will have seen this model in the barefooting corners of the internet.
Vibram SeeYa
Previously Previewed Spring/Summer 2012 Models
La Sportiva Vertical K ($115 – Spring 2012)
We’ve already previewed the La Sportiva Vertical K, the sweet new 6.5 ounce racing shoe born in the Italian Dolomites. Sportiva has paired an minimal yet supportive upper with its light, highly absorbent MorphoDynamic midsole/outsole system. The result? A highly flexible, protective, ultralight mountain racing shoe.
La Sportiva Vertical K
Montrail Bajada ($115 – Spring 2012)
[Update: Here's our review on the Montrail Bajada. We liked the Bajada enough that we're selling it.]
Montrail’s forthcoming Bajada is my favorite trail running shoe to come along in the past couple years. Why? It’s a real, supportive, protective trail shoe that weighs in at only 10 ounces even. For me, that’s in my everyday as well as my 100 miler sweet spot. I wore these for the final 80 miles at Western States and plan to run The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in them.
Montrail Bajada
New Balance MT110 ($85 – January 2012)
[Update: We've now published a technical preview, a full review, and a "The Making of" story (including interviews with Anton Krupicka and Erik Skaggs) for the New Balance MT110.
The New Balance MT110 is the follow up to the company's popular MT101 model. However, this is no minor update like the transition from the MT100 to MT101 was. With the MT110, New Balance lowered the heel-toe drop from 10mm to 4mm. That's a big change, but so are the redesigned outsole (grippier) and upper (shinier).
New Balance MT110
Call for Comments
Not sure I even have to call for comments here, but … ready, set, have at it!
(Ps. What spring/summer 2012 trail running shoe are you most excited about?!)
Related articles:
- New Balance Minimus Amp (MT1010) Preview A sneak speak of New Balance's Minimus Amp (MT1010) minimalist, low-drop trail running shoe....
- Best Trail Running Shoes of Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2012 A look at the best trail running shoes of the 2012 winter Outdoor Retailer show....
- Best Trail Running Shoes of Outdoor Retailer Summer 2012 A look at the best new trail shoes of the 2012 summer Outdoor Retailer show....
Filed under Shoes ·
Bryon Powell is the Editor-in-Chief of iRunFar.com, which he founded five years ago. Also the author of Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons and a contributing editor at Trail Runner magazine, he's quickly approaching 10 years as an ultrarunner and 20 years as a trail runner. These days he calls Park City, Utah and its trails home.
All posts by Bryon Powell
Brooks, wanna get ahold of both pair. The “grit” for maybe a training shoe?? Excited to try them. Also considering the Bajada just cuz your selling them so well.
The grits have bad traction on the trails. I LOVE the fit, but they are super slippery on muddy, rooty, wet rock sort of terrain. They are even slippery on the road when it has been raining. I switched to the Saucony Peregrin. Much better traction and minimal feel. I really hope Brooks fixes that traction issue because I love everything else about the shoe.
I suspect that you’ll see Brooks PureGrit with improved traction on down the trail.
bugger, just bought a pair of these, however after reading reviews on the grip I think I will return them – £90 for a pair of trail shoes that wont grip on typical trail surfaces seems a bit ridiculous!
I love the PureGrit – Why don’t you try them on first rather than send them back based on anothers opinion!? They have very good grip, admittedly in wet sloppy conditions this falls down but as with most other shoes unless you were spikes. Ultra comfortable and have lasted well over many ultras. Give them a go and make your own decision – we are all different
I used the Grit for the initial two of three loops at a very wet and muddy Rocky Raccoon last weekend. I found the traction was no worse than the Peregrines I used on that final loop.
I did keep the pure grits (only because I couldnt find the NB in my width). I have worn the grits twice. The first time was on a very icy trail and the second time was on a slow night run (with head torch). While the shoe is comforable it is hard to comment on the grip under those conditions.
I found the insole a bit thick and spungy, so I just took it out – its worth trying in order to connect more with the ground.
Lots o’ color … not since the 90s have I seen so much neon :-)
Those Sportiva’s look…amazing.
Spectacular photos from the show. The sole of the Minimus is by far my favorite. What a great compilation. Thanks for sharing.
The Brooks PureGrit looks like a lot of fun.
I’ve been running in Cascadias since #2 and love them. Is the Cascadia 7 really going to be 10.2oz? That’s a pretty significant trim. (The 6 is 12.4oz.)
Nope… my bad, they’re not going to be 10.2 ounces… I only wish. That’s the weight of a women’s 7. The men’s will tip the scales at 12.2 ounces. Sorry!
Montrail keeps delivering right across their range…Bajada will definitely be top of my shopping list along with the updated Masochist.
I wanna try those See Ya’s
Why make a ‘minimal’ trail shoe without a rock plate. It makes no sense to me. We are not skipping through grassy meadows here.
Sign me up for the Altras and the MT110s.
I second that!
I have tried the Pure grit on all surfaces and frankly no rock plate makes no difference – if anything it makes them more responsive and you get far better sense of the trail as far as i’m concerned. A great minimalist shoe – they make you feel like you are skipping through grassy meadows though – that’s the beauty of them!!
I saw a pair of MT110s on a guy in Millcreek yesterday. I yelled out, “MT110s!” and he yelled back “You got it!”.
Then he ran away extremely quickly!
I went to the show. All of your reviews were right on, really cool stuff!!!
Would have been nice to touch them?!?!
I can honestly say I have never meet a bigger group of Pricks in all my life. New Balance at the top of the list…ASSHOLES sorry MASSHOLES (keeping that phrase true).
I would enter a booth and it was like I was a drug dealer at a kindergarten.
I don’t sell drugs I run.
Who are you with?
What do you do?
Who are you?
I am Jacob I run a lot and was just checking your stuff out…Fuck you get out!!!???
The Outdoor Industry is FUCKED!!! And since I already said it…FUCK YOU NB!!! I loved your stuff right up till you through me out of your booth for not being a dealer. I am not a dealer I am the guy giving you money buying your shoes, and I hate you now, great work…MASSHOLES!!!
FUCK YOU!!!
Hard feelings aside I really like irunfar!
I had a roughly similar experience at OR.
Granted, I totally understand that OR is for dealers and product makers to get together and work out distribution deals. That’s the whole purpose of the event, which is fine by me. I didn’t really expect to be treated like a customer because, for the purposes of the event, I wasn’t one.
That said, there are now a few companies which I will not buy products from ever again because of the attitude their staff held. I didn’t want to try on, photograph, or even touch the products from anybody. I just wanted to have a look and see what might be interesting to buy when the time came. Regardless, I was actually rudely thrown out of one booth from a major company and also quite rudely escorted from another and told to make an appointment and come back if I wanted to look at anything.
I should also point out that the folks at Altra Running were extremely nice and genuinely wanted to demonstrate their products. They were passionate and you could just tell that they meant business when it came to making great shoes. I can’t say for certain whether their products are great, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be buying a pair when they come out. Same thing for the folks at Ultraspire and I’ll be buying their products despite having more water bottles than I could ever possibly need.
I’ve run the Western States and Vermont 100 in the Altra Instincts (their road shoe). They are a great group of guys and the shoes are awesome. As long as your not running in snow, the Instincts work very well for off road too. There is enough protection that I haven’t missed not having a rockplate.
Ditto on the lameness at OR. A few companies can be sure that neither I, nor anyone i know, will continue to buy from them.
On a positive note, as Jacob pointed out, the folks at Alta were awesome. Will likely give their product a trial solely based on their enthusiasm for all aspects of their product and for their willingness to take the time to treat me like a person.
I have a pair of the Cascadia 7 and love them! Only shoe I’ve worn for races (50k up to 100k). A huge improvement on the 6 for sure. However, their staff at OR were only slightly less lame then some of the others mentioned. Based on that I’ll certainly be open to switching brands if I can find something comparable – may the new Montrail Bajada’s…?
Mike totally agree about the smaller brands respecting PEOPLE, Altra was great to me also.
I just have a big problem with the big brands being assholes? I own 10+ pairs of NBs(some pretty old) and I can honestly say I will never buy another pair.
I would understand if they were inventing the next iphone but there making running shoes, and to be truthful they were just another light shoe, nothing special.
I say if you are so high on what you just made don’t show it, don’t go to the show. If you are that cool then why do you need a show?
I understand we are not there buying shoes and dealers are, but a little respect would be nice?!?!?
Yeah, I hear you.
I didn’t want to take anybody’s time, since again, I wasn’t there to be a product dealer. Still, a “Thanks for coming by, let us know if you have any questions” would have at least shown that they respected the end-customer and would have prevented them from losing some business.
I’d go out on a limb and say that if the founders of some of those companies knew how their employees were treating customers who just wanted to see their product lines, they’d probably have a thing or two to say about it.
Oh well. It makes my future buying decisions that much easier, I suppose. :] Again, props to the companies that took the time to be nice without any regard for who I was or what I wanted. I look forward to rewarding their kindness with my business.
To guys who attented OR:
Let’s spread the word and remind those big companies that ordinary people still matter and have some power (passion and money) and know how to make good use of it. Thus, make two lists: to buy and not to buy from.
hate to disagree with everyone ( or at least the few who have complained about OR. I was there as a retailer and doing my best to find the best shoes to get out to my customers but it seemed that this year there were more “guests” and other people like those above that were there to look for themselves instead of being there for the true reason of the show. I spent more time trying to fight through crowds and waiting for reps that were busy talking to “guests” that i was not able to get to see every brand and shoe that I wanted. I work for a shoe retailer so this is what I do so I expect to be able to get to see everything and the wholesalers that were there paying A LOT of money to exhibit want me to be able to see their product.
I understand everyone wanting to see the latest stuff. i dream about getting to go to Interbike and check out the newest bike stuff but i realize that although I could probably find a way in, it would not be fair to the people who need to be there.
Everyone out there that reads this site is lucky that we have Bryon because he legitimately gets out there and does most of the looking for us.
All of the companies you listed as being ones that you will not buy from are big companies that have to do a lot of business at OR in order to keep doing what they do. All of the companies that you said you would buy from because they were nice were very small companies that were probably pretty happy someone wanted to talk to them. Believe me that although I have as much buying power as almost any one of the buyers at the show, there are brands that won’t let me in their booth. I don’t hate them for that, I just need to find a way to change their minds in the future.
stlnate, I hear what you are saying, and I’ve been to OR on the manufacturer as well as the retailer side of the equation and I’ll disagree with you on one front. If your sales rep (and the big-company they work on behalf of) really wants your business, they should get their ass in your store and show you the product and learn more about your business directly by seeing what your environment looks like.
kevin, believe me that 99% of the selling to me is done in my office. OR is just to see new stuff and to see the brands I currently don’t do business with.
woohoo go saucony. save me some peregrine 2′s!
-bt
I didn’t see any mention of Luna Sandals? There will be at least a few people wearing them at Leadville next week.
Sorry, can’t say I saw the Luna Sandal booth during my harried days at the show. Best I leave them to the barefoot experts anyway. :-)
Do you know if New Balance will be discontinuing the MT101′s when the 110s are released?
Yes, the MT101 will be discontinued when the MT110 is released.
I almost feel like something of a minority now, but I’m glad to see some “traditional” shoes, complete with heel lifts and cushioned midsoles. I enjoy barefoot (or close to it) running for short jaunts, but for any real running, I’ll take the foot coffins, thanks.
Word. We’re in the same foot coffin tribe. I’ll cheer most loudly for 10 ounce or less SHOES. That’s why I love my Bajada and, on the roads, New Balance 890s.
That rogue fly is without question the sickest shoe the market has seen in a long long time. I got to run in a pair a few months ago, and I have never fallen so instantly in love with a shoe. Here is a fun fact: The guy who designed the rogue fly, crafted it after the Jasari. There is without question, no better inspiration for a shoe.
Given that I love my NB Trail Minimus I am really happy they’re releasing the zero drop version! Sad to see their customer service wasn’t great from what I read in the comments section as I tend to boycott for things like that and I really don’t want to have to boycott New Balance.
I honestly have to say I really would like to try out those Hoka One One’s. But I can’t find anywhere to try them on and that’s a pretty penny on a blind shot.. It’s such a confliction from my ever-more-minimal recent past but they make sense to me also. I have read a ton of positive reviews from happy customers and a bunch of negative comments from judge-by-the-cover types. Karl Meltzer did run the 2000+ miles of the Pony Express trail in them. Plus the idea of drilling thin holes in the soles of my shoes like that had never occurred to me and a few pairs are in for testing as we speak :)
Thanks for another great article!
Really looking forward to the MT110s…
I’m a UK runner but picked up a pair of 101s when in the US last October and I love them. Have spent the last spring and summer thrashing them on some intense English Fells, Bogs and Mountain trails… And with this in mind I still prefer the US sole pattern to the European version! Will be sad to see the 101s discontinued, but role on the 110s…
As a product manager at New Balance that worked on these shoes, I apologize to those who feel they were rudely escorted from our Outdoor Retailer booth. Unfortunately, over the last few shows we have had an increasing number of incidents where attendees have taken a little too much liberty with the open layout and causal environment of our booth. We do our best to keep the new product that we are promoting at the front and on the aisles so that everyone has access to it. We even brought in an interactive Microsoft Surface platform with in-depth information on Minimus and the 110 that was right out front and open for all to use. However, there are other parts of the booth that we try to keep a little more private for purposes of account meetings, prototype reviews and other business. These are the areas from which samples have gone missing, meetings have been interrupted and photos have been taken of projects that are still in development. It can be difficult to determine who is a retailer, a competitor or just a fan when people start walking into rooms that are meant to be private. Nonetheless, the actions of a few do not excuse rude behavior on our part especially to those that are supportive of the work we have done to date. For this, I apologize.
If anyone has questions about the above products or anything in our line, please let me know. I spend a lot of time with Bryon at the show to make sure he has the information that he needs but I am always happy to provide more detail about product creation, development and insight into why we do what we do.
Thank you.
Bryan Gothie
NB Product Manager – Trail Running
Has anyone else noticed the significant price jump in shoes? It’s getting so I can’t afford retail anymore. I like to support local running stores but prices are reaching a breaking point for me. This year I’ll be shopping online for discounts.
Jeff,
That jump is real. In my opinion, two things caused. First, is a jump in both commodities and labor pricing, which squeezed companies margins. Second, companies held the sub-$100 line for a loooong time. A few companies priced their shoes higher and many companies had a high end model above $100, but the meat and potato models were all in the $90-95 range. Once the margin crunch hit, a few more companies tiptoed over the $100 line… followed very quickly by a flood of others. Once that $100 ceiling was broken, anything $130 or under became fair game for most shoes.
Just my two cents. Not trying to justify it, just to give my take.
You got it Bryon, just look at the price of crude oil, and oil drives this planet(which totally sucks!!!). So if its $3.50+(location based) and the, boats, trucks, etc. moving these goods are paying that the price will naturally go up. Additionally crude oil is used in the manufacturing of many foams and synthetic materials that go into footwear so thats another slap in the face.
I try to fallow raw goods prices in general and I can tell you the price of cotton has gone up huge amounts, and leather has done the same. These may not be used a ton in running footwear but its a good example of whats going.
Additionally with China booming like no country before labor cost are booming, China is still the main exporter of footwear as far as I know(and pretty much everything else) so like oil they are driving the planet in the manufacturing arena(which again kind of sucks).
Regarding the $100 mark I totally agree, it was only a matter of time, and once your in 3 digits what the heck and 10 or 20 bucks here.
I guess a good way of looking at it is for a long time we didn’t pay that much for running shoes?
Like Bob said, “These Times They Are A Changin.”
You guys raise some good points. I’m sure most of the reasons for increased prices is beyond the shoe manufactures control.
Bryon,
On comparing the Salomon Mission and Crossmax could you elaborate on what you mean by the former being more of a workout shoe than a daily trainer for the latter. Just curious, hoping to pick your brain a bit here.
yes, i have the same question and can’t quite figure out what this means. i just received my missions and i’m dying to take them out but curious if i should have got the crossmax instead as i start building up to 50k distance in april. thanks!
My totally unscientific, subjective feeling about the Mission vs. Crossmax (neutral) is that they feel exactly the same. I found both to be too stiff and structured for my needs. I gave my Crossmax to a friend, since I had only run in them 4-5 times. I recently purchased the Mission hoping it would be different. I only wore them around the house and knew right away that this was just the same shoe as Crossmax. I returned them. Just for perspective you should know that my preferred shoes for various ultrarunning training are Salomon Speedcross, La Sportiva Crosslite, NB 110′s & Minimus and Saucony Peregrine.
Bryon,
Of the trail shoes you’ve seen, have you found any that follow the sorta-minimal-but-not-truly-minimalist approach of Nike’s Free 5.0/Free Run shoes? It seems like trail shoes these days are engineered to be either tanks or one step more protective than latex gloves.
Hi Byron,
Well, well, a lot of unhappy campers here and I can’t blame them at all. Being thrown out of a booth for being interested in your passion really does suck big time. The companies like NB and others should be concerned about how their employees treat potential and already customers, whether or not they are retailers or not. It is true that the action of a few bad employees can do a lot of damage to even the best manufacturers. This is 2011, shouldn’t customer service be top priority ? I say to NB, take a no nonsense approach, round up the bad sale reps, fire the buggars, and hire people who are a mirror of your passion, understand the runner’s mind and you’ll be better of for it. Do you really need employees who will ultimitely ruin all your hard work. I don’t think so. Do the right thing and right that kind of bad publicity. Runners aren’t thieves, they are committed to the sport and love it. Maybe now is the time to check out that new company who treated people with respect. Altra, keep up the great customer relations. Like training, you’ll be on the trail longer when you do it right. Sincerely, JK.
A little late to the party.
The new Hokas look amazing. Combining the best of both worlds (Mafete & Bondi b’s) I love the new look and lacing system. I only hope the shoebox isn’t the blister maker the mafetes are. Crazy to see 50+% of the runners at Wasatch 100 were wearing Hokas.
Amazing review, thanks. Although being in the uk il have to wait even longer to get any. I’m excited about the nb minimus, trail gloves and trail vibrams. I did an extensive review of the old models at http://www.caveman-clarke.blogspot.com and found the trail gloves to be best. Price and grip let the vibrams down!
Anyway, excellent stuff here, well done x
CavemanClarke
A brief Vertical K impression: I’ve been using the MT110 & Peregrine1 for 50k-50M races, but excited by the ‘Hoka-Lite’ design of the VK’s, wore them for this weekend’s Quad Rock 25. I’m a slower, heavier (185lbs) runner, and a couple short jogs beforehand revealed an extreme flexibility in these shoes that stressed my plantars enough to make me insert Superfeet Black insoles for the race. I haven’t used insoles since transitioning to minimal shoes early last year.
I’m glad I did, as I had no plantar issues during the race. The grip to me seemed fine, and the cushion, ah the cushion! Directly comparing them to the MT110, size 13US MT110 vs size 47.5EU, both are 9oz (VK’s 10oz w/insole), both shoes are equally nimble, but the VKs absorb much more impact shock, and do not punish you for heelstrikes as the MT110s do. I’m very impressed.
Be aware! The VK’s run very small! My feet measure between 11-12US, I wear a 13US in the MT110, but my longer right foot — which has a hammertoe as well — butts right up against the end of the largest VK size offered, 47.5EU. The flexible slipper-like upper and liberal lube application kept this from being a problem during the race for me, but LASportiva needs to offer larger sizes.
I would also repeat my caution about going long with the VK before being accustomed to their extreme flexibility, and since large portions of the sole have only a very thin EVA, poke-through is a real concern, another reason for me to wear stiff insoles. But I fully intend to start with them again at an upcoming 50miler.