New Balance Minimus Zero Drop Review

Let’s get down to business: I have a new favorite pair of shoes. For the past two months, I’ve been wearing the New Balance Minimus Zero Drop road shoe, and they’re awesome. The latest creation in the Minimus line, these shoes are flat from the front to back, hence the ‘Zero Drop” designation.

Most minimalist footwear can become pretty rough on the feet, but that wasn’t the case with these at all. In fact, they’re one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I’ve ever word. If you’re not accustomed to them, ‘barefoot’ like shoes can sneak up on you; I’d suggest giving your feet some time to strengthen before you spend an entire day on your feet in them. Here’s a picture of them fresh out da box:

I typically go for brighter shoes, but these look awesome! They’re super light, vent out all of the sweat and funk your feet can muster, and look pretty damn good for a pair of running shoes. While this shoe is clearly labeled and marketed as a running shoe, I haven’t done very much, if any, running in them. I still prefer to run sprints in my Five Fingers (on grass), and I don’t do very much jogging. It’s either very fast, or standing in place. In terms of lifting, they feel awesome for trap bar and conventional deadlifts, as well as front squats and single leg work. As someone who loves sumo stance squatting and deadlifting, I’ must admit, they’re not the best shoe for when you’re going wide, but they still feel much better than most other sneakers. (Currently, I’m using my Minimus Trail as my go-to squat/deadlift shoe.)

Let’s let the good folks over at Peltz Shoes explain in a little bit more detail. Here’s their video review:

Looks pretty nice, right? If you’re interested, I’ll link to the New Balance site for the Minimus collection. If you’re still not convinced, read on for my final test.

I’m sure that you have your own set of tests that you put all of your new footwear through, and I have a final test that I like to put all of my footwear through before I truly commit to them. My final test has nothing to do with biomechanics or aesthetics, and it’s something I’ve been doing since the 4th grade. It’s the pedal test:

I’m a drummer, and I prefer to have sneakers that feel good in the weight room, on the streets, and on the pedals. It doesn’t happen very frequently, but the smooth, grippy Vibram sole does the trick. Bottom line? These shoes rock.