Review: New Balance Minimus Cross Trainer

I believe I’m finally ready to do my review of the New Balance Minimus Cross Trainer shoe. After many workouts I can honestly say I have used these shoes for every exercise you could possibly do at a gym.

Style:

The Minimus Cross Trainer is so stylish the design is screaming out for the attention of others. My pair is mainly black with the sole of the shoe bright red. The red sole is eye catching and adds flair to the shoe. I really love the colors. Since black is my favorite color to wear to the gym and red is my favorite outside of the gym, it was a no-brainer. My fiancée’s pair is grey and hot pink. Not my favorite colors in the world, but she likes it.

Durability:

It felt a little weird because I always try not to scuff my new shoes. However, since these were gym shoes I did a full workload on them! I haven’t noticed any changes in comfort or rips. The only thing that worries me is the right sole at the top of my shoe. It looks like it’s starting to peel. Compared to the left shoe it is noticeable.

Running:

I would not recommend running in this shoe. It is possible to do some light running to warm up before your workout, but I wouldn’t run more than one mile in this shoe. The package the shoe came in even warns owners that this shoe puts more pressure on your heel and Achilles tendon.

Weightlifting:

This is what this shoe was made for. I find that the Minimus is great for my leg workouts (squats and dead lifts). The shoe is so light it almost feels like you are not wearing any shoe at all. When putting on the NB Minimus the shoe almost locks the mid sole of your foot to the heel in place to restrict movement. this was extremely useful when I was squatting. The design of the shoe helped me push off my heels instead of my toes when doing my squats.

Conclusion:

The shoe is currently only about $100 retail. It is definitely worth the investment. I have owned the shoe for 4 months now and I couldn’t be happier. These shoes have improved my form when I squat and deadlift. I feel like my knees are under less stress when I use these shoes for heavy lifting. I would recommend the Minimus shoe to anyone who wants a affordable and stylish weightlifting shoe for the avid gym rat. If I had one piece of criticism, I wish they had more variety in color selection.