New Balance MT 100 Review
This shoe has been out for sometime now already. It was first released in 2012 and I am already three pairs down the line. This is and has been my favourite overall trail running shoe. It
is the Bruce Lee of shoes - lean and mean. Aesthetically it is very different from other shoe offerings out there and initially I shied away from it because of its shiny patent plastic look.
The genealogy of the shoe is apparent if you look at previous New Balance trail models, however this shoe is a giant leap forward. The MT110 is a minimalist shoe. It has a 4mm drop and weighs in at 219 grams (US 12). The entire upper is plastic and is its most striking feature, giving it an almost football boot appearance. Despite this, the upper is very well ventilated and does not have bulges and seams where other shoes might have where the upper and mesh are sewn together. This provides a very comfortable fit and it is a shoe that I am happy to run sockless in.
The tread is aggressive with counter facing directional lugs for the forefoot and heel. Despite being a minimalist shoe it offers excellent protection due to the RockStop plate in the feel and forefoot. The mid section is a softer rubber compound that has less protection but ensures the shoe’s flexibility. The heel fits closely. It has also been designed with a lower instep and a roomier forefoot area. The result is well fitted shoe that gives you the space in the front when you need it. In short it feels like a racing flat with teeth.
It is not a flashy shoe by any means. In many ways this shoe is refined simplicity, perfectly designed for purpose. What I appreciate most about this shoe is that New Balance made a shoe just for running. Hold up most running shoes, with the exception of fell running shoes or racing flats and you find many features that just don’t help you move forward. Flashy logo, over engineered lacing eyelets, extraneous padding and all sorts of other bits and bobs that have been added to help make the shoe stand out. Not so with the NB MT100. This is the kind of shoe that has everything you need and nothing you don’t.
The tread in the forefoot and heel is very durable. The tread on the softer rubber the midsole wears away almost immediately, but it is part of the shoe design.
Excellent grip without the lugs being too pronounced
The Rock-Stop plate, provides protection without the expense of weight
I like that the inner sole is sewn into the shoe
The mirrored imprint “KEEP UP” on the sole
Things I don’t like but probably don’t matter
The mid-sole. It is made up of a softer rubber compound and the tread wears away quickly. That in itself is hardly a problem. It is also the soft underbelly of the shoe. The rock-plate does not extend to that area. Another thing I am not too fond of is that the soft rubber does not grip well. However, the instances of you needing the midsole to provide grip are minimal.
The laces. There is nothing wrong with the laces, but the rest of the shoe is sleek, without any ridges, these are the only thing that will snag if you run through brush of any sort. They are also a magnet for catching burrs and in Springtime I always end up with an impressive collection of the local flora’s seeds attached.
Create a neater lacing system
Extend rock-stop to the mid-sole.