Training: New Balance Minimus 20 Cross-Trainer

The evolution of the cross-trainer as a shoe has undergone a lot of different stages, the first being that there was a shoe that was made to do multiple things in multiple exercise programs at all. There have been high-tops, straps, multi-directional soles, air, honeycombs, and everything else seemingly under the sun, but New Balance has chosen to do something different. With a new philosophy in giving the foot the bare minimum necessities to further strengthen the foundation of the body, New Balance introduced its Minimus initiative, as explained by the company itself:

Minimus is a whole new approach to footwear, a place on the spectrum from barefoot running to the traditional maximum-cushioning running shoe. Inspired by Good Form Running and designed to be worn with or without socks. With only a 4mm drop from heel to toe, as little as a third of that of a traditional running shoe, the Minimus collection holds a world of discovery for neutral runners as well as those with gait issues or chronic injury to conquer by learning better form.

With that said, the New Balance Minimus Cross-Trainer, or the MX20, is made for athletes who spend time doing strength training to gain a literal new balance when it comes to stability, balance, and a renewed strength. I tested the MX20 and was able to gather a lot of information over the length of my wears in the shoe.

Features

What makes the MX20 so special is that is very simple in nature. With the Minimus initiative in mind, several things are noteworthy about the shoe. First, the MX20 is only 7.8 oz. making it one of the lightest athletic shoes out on the market, and is also one of the lightest (if not the lightest) non-running training shoes on the market. The MX20 uses a more durable foam that what is more commonly found in other athletic shoes; it is an injection-molded ethyl vinyl acetate (IMEVA) foam that makes up the majority of the sole and acts as a combination midsole/outsole for intended lightweight durability. The shoe also has actual rubber insets on the bottom of the sole that acts as a regional outsole, only in the heel and forefoot. The MX20 is odor-resistant (which is handy for sans-socks workouts), has a uni-body construction that has nontraditional welded seams (to prevent chafing), and the entire upper is made predominately of mesh that makes the shoe very breathable. One of the biggest benefits of the shoe is that it has a very thickly padded collar, making the MX20 extremely comfortable and it helps to make the foot and ankle to be better aligned at all times, which keeps the shoe hugging the foot in the right places.

Comfort & Fit

With a great emphasis being placed on the barefoot feel in shoes among the top athletic shoe companies, New Balance has produced a cross-trainer that is as bare bones as you can get, which is great depending on a person’s foot type and foot strength.

In my opinion, the MX is the closest feeling to being barefoot of any shoe that I’ve ever worn (even more so than Nike’s Free models), and it’s a good thing, but it’s different. Because of the shoe’s neutrality with its low heel and practically-parallel sole stance to the ground, my feet literally felt as if in a barefoot position while they were housed within the shoes. The MX is literally an extension of the foot and is characterized by the shape of the shoe itself, particularly in the asymmetrical toebox that is proportioned to the angle that toes take at the top of a foot. The aforementioned collar gave a supreme feel around my own ankle and heel, while the same mesh upper kept my foot well-ventilated. The midsole/outsole was comfortable enough, just enough to satisfy my feel for the shoe underfoot; it’s not spongy or super-soft, but acts as a strong, capable barrier when it comes to the shock that my body absorbed when walking around the weight room in between exercises and also when I was baring weight on my feet as I executed certain moves.

Support

The MX zigs where much of the industry zags; particularly with this shoe, support (as we think of it in common athletic shoes) is almost nonexistent in the MX, but only in the traditional sense. Because of the welded support layers on top of the mesh upper of the shoe, it literally is geared for the foot to do much of the work, not unlike how the foot acts when shed of its outer footwear. The support of the shoe mainly comes from the snug fit from the collar, the lace support when tied and the durable foam compound of the MX, and I found all of these qualities to be sufficient.

The MX is purposely under-supportive so that the foot and leg do the vast majority of the work, as my own feet and legs did. The idea of this is that when the feet and legs are strengthened, the rest of the body is also strengthened incrementally. Because of this “under-support”, New Balance issues a legitimate caution tag with the shoes that plead for wearers to go slow in training with the MX. In my case, I was adapted to the fit of barefoot-inspired shoes, and my own feet are strong, but I still endured some very minor soreness in the arches and lower legs, which was nothing that dissuaded me from continuing on in the shoe. Still, I probably would’ve taken it a tad slower, but foot fatigue is inevitable in wearing the MX if you’re dedicated to the shoe, and it’s worth it because of the benefits of gaining a stronger base.

Performance & Overall Impression

In my numerous wears of the MX, I formed a very good opinion of the shoe. It’s one of the best trainers I’ve ever set my foot into. Because of my low arches and slender feet, I feel like I was made for the shoe personally, but it may not be great for everyone. People with high arches will likely not be right for the shoe, as the insole is very, very slight and minimal for the purpose of enhanced ground feel. The MX performed great, honestly, and never did I feel more secure when in a standing stance with the MX on my feet. My feet felt stable, there was no rubbing over the course of my workouts (the thin mesh tongue is very underrated as a feature of the shoe), and I felt like my body was very sound as I trained in the MX.

Of course, because it’s so minimal, the cushioning lacks as a trade-off, but of course, the goal of the shoe is to build a stronger set of feet, and it has just enough of everything to emphasize the lower legs and feet to flex their muscles, so I was more than okay with that and had some of my better workouts of recent time.

The MX is a great shoe, overall, but it’s a specialty shoe of sorts, which makes it unique and qualifies it for serious athletic wear. If you don’t like the MX as a training shoe, it’s okay because there are plenty of other shoes that New Balance supplies that are great for all foot types. I was looking for a shoe with a new purpose and a challenge of sorts, and not only did I enjoy the purpose, but the challenge of the MX to perform with less actually gave me more, and as is the case for the Minimus, less is more.


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