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.
Things I like
- Excellent grip without the lugs being too pronounced
- The Rock-Stop plate, provides protection without the expense of weight
- It is light weight
- Low to the ground
- 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.
Wish list for the shoe
- Create a neater lacing system
- Extend rock-stop to the mid-sole.
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