New Balance Men's MX20v3 Minimus Cross-Training Shoe

These are my second minimalist shoe - I had the Saucony Hattori shoes previously. I am very happy with the switch. Actually, I was forced to switch because the Saucony shoes developed a tear in the heel and the heel strap ripped off with minimal use. It was a fine shoe but had very thin material on top and was not well constructed.The New Balance is a great minimal shoe for my uses – light jogging, walking, and for travel. It is very light, nearly neutral heel height, and excellent grip. I find it much better than the Saucony in terms of grip on hard surfaces (cement, asphalt, etc) but still get enough feel of the road. Without having to give up much in terms of read feel, you gain a lot in terms of stability and durability. I did switch out the laces for lock laces (elastic laces).The shoes travel very well also – the heel completely flattens against the top of the shoe and makes packing a breeze.

Update: I own a previous version of this shoe. The sole coloring/pattern in particular is different. My review may not be as relevant.I rated 4 stars as I think this is a great shoe, but I'd like to have a little little more traction. On surfaces such as basketball courts, laminate, or smooth finish concrete, I feel this shoe lacks a little grip. It seems like the tread pattern is alright, but that the compound or surface finish of the compound isn't as sticky as I might like. The shoe is very light and airy, and I think it has enough support for the movements I intend to do with it. It provides more lateral movement stability and control than fivefigers, which I was using before this shoe. The shoe seems to fit fairly true to size, and laces up snugly on my foot. I'm only a few workouts in, but it seems like the construction will hold up well to indoor use.Like: Weight, stability (for what the shoe is), minimal heel to toe drop, openness and breathability, looks, balance.Dislike: I might like additional grip from the tread.recommend for: crossfit, indoor gym workUpdate:I've put a ~3 months of weightlifting-centric crossfit on these shoes now. They've held up well. As an additional dislike, I'd say that I feel the inward angle of and extra room/material on the toe is a bit extreme. I'm not sure if I could claim that the shoe slows my sprints, but I don't think the sole outline is quite right for running, at least for my form. The top-down view of the shoe doesn't suggest the extreme angling, but the bottom-up view (showing the sole of the shoe) does. I wouldn't remove another star, but I would revise my purchase, having this experience.Update 2:After 9 months, I'd say the traction is only a concern on surfaces which would be slick for any shoe; it's not an issue on tractioned rubber (e.g. diamond plate patterned), astroturf, asphalt, or textured concrete (e.g. outside, or sidewalk). A stickier compound may still be an improvement. I still see the sole profile as a bit odd, though it's a 4-star shoe. I use this shoe in a hot, dry, often dusty environment.Update 3: After almost a year and a half, the shoe is holding up fine. No concerns over build quality / durability with appropriate use (I could see rope climbing and all-terrain work tearing the shoe up).

Just received them 5 minutes ago, here are my first impressions.Pros:CheapHavent used them yet but assuming they work fine. Ill have to update the performance later.Cons:My pair came with long human hairs intertwined throughout the shoe (multiple long hairs)The inside of the shoe is covered in hair and lintThere is glue residue on the surface of the shoe in many spots (some i can get off and some i cant)The seams are poorly constructed; visible glue in every seam, stitched seams have extra thread that hasn't been cut offOverall, i would suspect these shoes are cheap for a couple possible reasons. One, these shoes might not have pass quality inspection to be sold at major retailers. Or two, they were defective shoes sent back to the manufacturer to be fixed. Either way, the construction quality certainly isn't the same you'd find in a store. At least, that's the experience with my order.The big question; is the cost savings worth it ($60 vs $100)? If they don't fall apart, yes. If they do fall apart, no. This is still to be determined. However, i do feel Amazon needs to disclose the source of the shoe. If the consumer is buying a re-manufactured or not up to major retailer inspection shoe, then we should know that.

I've been running for 2+ years in minimal shoes and my feet have grown accustomed to a flat foot bed. I wear a size 13 2E. These shoes are light weight and minimal construction except the foot bed has a large ridge across the middle of the foot. I could probably deal with the ridge, but there are hard lumps on both sides of the shoe where the arch ridge is located. And the lumps make my feet hurt terribly when I stand and walk. These lumps press into my feet painfully even when I'm not standing. Running is out of the question in these shoes.I imagine these lumps are lateral arch supports, and probably a good thing for someone just starting out with a minimalist shoe. Or someone just looking for a lightweight shoe for indoor workouts. For me, they are unwearable and going straight back to Amazon. I've been a New Balance customer for years, but I've been bitten by them twice now. First with the toe strap debacle of the MT10v1 and now the unbearable lateral arch supports of the MX20v3.Looks like I need to find a shoe manufacturer that has a clearer idea of the needs of a minimalist shoe runner. New Balance has so many styles of minimalist shoe that their strategy seems to be to flood the market with every shoe style they can think of and hope some of them are hits.I'm not saying this is a bad shoe. It's just bad if you're used to a flat foot bed like me.