New Balance Men's MO20 Minimus Trail-Running Shoe

I am a 65 year old athlete with two artificial knees. These shoes will help you utilize your feet - which have more bones than all of the rest of your body - rather than your knees to walk, hike, and if you are so inclined, to run. Some weeks this past summer I hiked as much as 40 miles a week - often 4 hours at a time - in the foothills surrounding Santa Fe, NM. My knees and my legs have never been stronger - which I attribute to learning to stay in my core when I am moving, which is far easier to do by relying on my feet, the adductor muscles inside my thighs, and the NB Minimus shoes. I have six different pairs of these shoes which greatly help me stabilize my entire body by maximizing how I utilize my feet. And oh, the quality is superb!

I switched to a front-foot style to mid-foot style of running when I bought these last year. That took about a month to get used to and it really helped my joints and enjoyment of running (middle aged dude). These shoes have been used for running on treadmills to rocky trails. You can feel every texture on the trail but I never hurt my foot once stepping on pointed rocks (5'11 180lb). You usually pay more attention to your footing with them on at first but that becomes a natural instinct as time goes on which prevents you from stepping on hazardous spots. You simply become more in tune with the trail and I felt like I was channeling the spirits of ancient warriors who strode in moccasins around these Pacific NW mountains. These were even amazingly waterproof as I stepped into ankle deep mud water and they stayed dry inside on a rainy water soaked trail. I bought them a size larger (many recommendations for this but I think it is best to try them on at the NB store then buy them online) than my normal 8.5's and since they dont come in x2 wide I was hoping it would be OK and the 9.5's worked out perfectly. I just bought another pair since they are a bit beat up now (on the rubber sole only) but I will keep using the worn ones for many more miles I'm sure. Furthermore, I would never use heavy soled hiking boots again and would prefer these in almost any temperate hiking situation. I think they give you better feel, balance, and despite being softer material I think they are safer because walking on boulders and rocks with them is cake compared to using standard hiking boots. Too bad NB makes a whole bunch of other plastic-looking garish-colored models of the minimus line but that is the style now unfortunately. These grey/green ones on the other hand look awesome!

These shoes are just great! I saw a friend had a pair and liked the way they looked so thought I would try them. I've previously worn Vibram 5 fingers so minimalist shoes are no surprise to me. There really is no support but they are surprisingly comfortable. The quality of the make is great and the Vibram helps keep your feet dry in the rain. I've worn these shoes hiking and they were great for this. Just the right amount of feel when walking. Keep in mind, minimalist means there isn't a lot of cushion between you and the ground so be careful of the rocks and sticks! Sizing: I usually wear a true size 8 in mens shoes and that was too small. I went up a half size and they are almost perfect. I am hesitant to go up one more size as I feel that may be way too large. Highly recommend if you are looking for a shoe that looks great and will help keep your feet the way they are intended to be.

I don't run -- just wear these as shoes -- but so far these are a great experience. The feel is less structured than most shoes (even NB shoes, which are lighter than most). The sole is much less stiff, so your feet are liable to be a little sore for a while until the foot muscles build up, but if you like a light shoe that lets you feel the ground, this is a good choice. Though the sole is thin, it does afford more protection against rocks & sharp edges than, say, simple flats or "Mao slippers". It's a good compromise between a moccasin & a shoe, I'd say.Also, the fit is snug but it doesn't seem to be rubbing -- so I think it's possible that these would allow for a more snug fit than you'd normally get away with. Obviously pay attention to whether it chafes - but don't just assume that it will based on the initial fit, give it a bit of time/distance first.

I had a horrible ankle injury and I have a tendency to roll my ankle and sprain it. Besides having surgery my doctor recommend the minimalist shoes. It is almost impossible to sprain your ankle barefoot its what he told me. It seems to be true and these type of shoes help a great deal because your basically walking as true to barefoot as possible. I live in the country and these are my main outside shoe. I wear without socks and I have abused them! I have had now for 10 months and have had no issues. (Other then they stink a bit) Have held up well. I'm also a Scout leader and I have used on hikes.For tennis shoes I love the Nike Free run 4's. Same principal.These NB do run small.

[Update 2015 Oct] After about a year the toe area began to delaminate. I wore these infrequently, perhaps once every two weeks. The soles are still good. Shoes like these should never delaminate before the soles are worn. Took some stars away.At $69 these are an excellent value. While not the lightest of the NB mininmus shoes, the subdued color of the brown color gives it more utility as a casual walk-about shoe. I do always find the NB shoes 1/2 size small when compared with my dress shoes. I recommend buying 1/2 size larger. These shoes do not include insoles and are meant to be worn this way.