With summer arriving, I have invested in two new pairs of minimalist, zero-drop running shoes. One, the New Balance Minimus MR00, is a road shoe. The other, the Vivobarefoot Breatho Trail, is for off-road running. My hope is that both will be appropriate for the warmer weather.

Vivobarefoot Breatho Trail: first impressions

Vivobarefoot Breatho Trails

My rational for buying the Breathos is simple. I have a pair of Vivobarefoot Neo Trails which I like very much. As with most of the Vivobarefoot shoes I own, the fit works for me and I’m impressed by the quality of the manufacture. For the summer, I thought a cooler, more light-weight version of the Neo Trails would be a nice option when heading out on the trails. The lugged sole is the same across both shoes so I’m confident the Breathos will do the necessary on slippy, technical trails whilst offering a high level of ground-feel. The upper of the Breatho is rather different to that of the Neo and that was a feature that interested me.

Breatho - lace and mesh detail

Out of the box, the Breathos felt great! The stretchy, lightweight mesh of the upper fit comfortably around my foot and the wide toe-box meant I didn’t feel restricted in any way. The fabric is soft, smooth and designed in such a way that it feels like one seamless piece. In actuality, the tongue is attached to the mesh with a flat-lock seam. An elasticated lacing system helps keep things from moving around. So far, I taken them on a couple of 6 milers across varied terrain. They performed well on some wet downhills and felt comfortable on everything except roads where, just like my Neo Trails, the lugs were noticeable through the sole. In my enthusiasm to give them a try I forgot to remove the insoles for the first run and these did slip about a little. My preference is for no insole in any case and the shoes felt good on the second run with them removed.

New Balance Minimus Road (MR00): first impressions

New Balance MR00s

Choosing the New Balance MR00s was a harder decision to make. They are the first non-Vivobarefoot shoes I have owned since I began running almost two years ago. Buying them was a bit of a gamble but they sported enough interesting features to make the risk worth taking. For example, they have a very different sole construction and are much lighter compared with my usual road runners, the Vivobarefoot Evo. Also, like the Breatho trails, they boast a breathable and apparently seamless upper. Trying them on for the first time they felt much too tight across the mid-foot and restrictive in the toe-box. I needed to go up a half-size from what I’m used to with my Vivobarefoot shoes so that the New Balance’s could accommodate the width of my foot and allow my toes to spread. On the plus side, they felt feather-light in my hand.

MR00 - upper detail

On their first test run, a very gentle 3 miles around the streets, I found that I was very aware of the MR00s on my feet despite their low grammage. This, I think, was partly due to the fact they were just different to what I’ve been used to. I was a bit tentative as I was two days away from running a marathon and didn’t want to risk any last minute sore spots caused by these unfamiliar shoes rubbing. I even wore thin socks, just in case.

Post marathon, I ran a relaxed 5 miler, this time without socks – the MR00s do feel nice against the skin – and, after some adjustments to the laces, I became more used to the way they make contact with the foot. They were still quite snug at the mid-foot but not in a way that felt restrictive. By the end of the run, I’d almost forgotten they were there.

More recently, I ran a 10 mile tempo in the MR00s, testing out the shoes more thoroughly over varied terrain. Again, the upper felt good without socks and my feet remained cool. The sole is ever so slightly cushioned but, in spite of this, retains a fair degree of ground-feel. What New Balance have done is use Vibram rubber for the areas that are bound to get more wear, and a very light foam in the areas that come into contact with the ground less. This obviously helps with the weight of the shoe. But it also meant that when I took a hit from a nasty rock (happens most runs) the impact was lessened – the spongy foam dissipating the blow somewhat. I was able to maintain good natural form throughout and all was well with the world until, alas, right at the end of the run – under a mile from home – I was disappointed to feel a hotspot on my right pinky toe. On closer inspection, there is a strengthening piece of fabric across the inside of the toe box. I don’t know if it was the edge of this that rubbed or a tiny piece of grit had gotten in somehow. So, let’s see whether or not this is a recurring problem.

Much cooler than breathable shoes …

Summer is the season for sole seasoning!

Yes indeed, folks. A “breathable mesh upper” is one thing but my third pair of summer runners are the most warm-weather-friendly of all. They are, of course, my own two feet. One of my current aims is to increase my sole endurance and be able to run greater distances barefoot. So, I’m widening the range of my barefoot routes to take in more trail and longer stretches of the “tough stuff”: chip-seal, broken tarmac, cinder. This is going well despite some of my favourite routes presenting a whole different challenge when attempted barefoot.

There will still be plenty of occasions I want to run further or faster than running unshod currently allows. For those days I’m hoping these new shoes will work out and I’ll keep you updated as to how that goes as I continue to put miles on both the Breathos and the MR00s.