Minimus vs. Maximus

Minimus vs. Maximus

It seems as if a line in the sand of the running world has been drawn: minimalists who want a barefoot feel from their running shoes, and traditionalists who still crave more cushion for the pushin’. We take a look at two new minimal running shoes and two new hyper-cushioned shoes.

Minimal

1. New Balance – Minimus Trail It’s more of a transitional barefoot shoe than the Vibram Five Fingers. The Minimus looks like a trail racer and has a 4mm drop from the heel to toe, as opposed to the coveted “zero drop” of most other barefoot shoes. But the Minimus Trail has no insert and a minimal midsole and outsole for a supremely flexible package. 7 ounces. $100; newbalance.com

 

2. Inov-8 – Bare-Grip 200 Long before Born to Run became a bestseller, Inov-8 was focused on simple, lightweight trail shoes. Their latest innovation, the Bare Grip 200, highlights the qualities that Inov-8 has always done best: low-profile simplicity and super-grippy traction. The Bare Grips have zero drop from heel to toe, and the knobby cleats grip the ground better than any trail shoe on the market. 7 ounces. $110; Inov-8.com

Cushioned

3. Montrail – Fairhaven This hyper-cushioned shoe has Montrail’s new FluidPost midsole that adjusts to the amount of pronation “on demand.” When you’re running on flat surfaces like roads, your foot strikes the softer center of the midsole. As you move to uneven trails, your foot occasionally strikes the edges of the midsole, where the foam is denser and offers more support. 11 ounces. $110; montrail.com

4. La Sportiva – Electron Another hyper-cushioned trail runner designed to provide a plush ride regardless of the surface, the Electron has a heel stabilizer for torsional rigidity  and a host of cushioning layers that work together to minimize impact. La Sportiva’s MorphoDynamic technology combines PU and EVA midsole and outsole designed to mold to the shape of the surface, absorbing the shock of trail features. The company spent two years developing the technology, which enables La Sportiva to increase the cushioning of the shoe without increasing the weight. 12 ounces. $120; lasportiva.com

The Wringer

5. Hoka – Mafate While most running shoe companies are busy stripping every ounce of cushioning from their kicks to appease the new minimalist movement, the Hoka Mafate is stuffed with more cushioning than any other shoe on the market. Ultra-phenom Karl Meltzer finished the Pony Express Trail wearing nothing but the Mafate.

The Mafate looks awesome in the way that a Vegas theme hotel looks awesome: big, bright, and a little bit ridiculous. The shoe is practically twice the size of most other trail runners, but lighter at the same time. The shoes are super springy; you literally bounce with every step and the exaggerated rocker design makes transitioning to the toe-off fast and effortless. The shoe’s broad platform and uber-cushioning provides stability even on technical terrain, particularly when running downhill. Think full suspension bike as opposed to a hard tail.

With all this cushion, it’s natural to worry about durability. The company claims the shoes will last twice as long as typical trail runners, and Meltzer says he got 600 miles out of his first pair.

These shoes aren’t for everyone, though. The 36 inches of cushion and bright colors will turn plenty of runners off. And the company claims all the super-cushioned design actually recreates the natural stride that’s made minimalist shoes so popular. Natural or not, the stride is comfortable. It’s fun. And isn’t that what running is supposed to be? 10.9 ounces. $169.95; hokaoneone.com

Watch a video of the Mafate in action here.