I had the original first generation NB Minimus, and these, the second. I LOVED these shoes and hiked and backpacked in them, in addition to running. They have all the wonderful features of a real minimalist shoe: zero drop, light weight, wide toe box, etc. And they have fantastic tread that grips the trail like a ninja. The following generations of the Minimus had all those great features- except the toothy tread. I continued to wear them because nothing fits my foot like these shoes do, but the tread they use now, while great for road running or nontechnical trails, is not good on snow, mud, shale, or packed clay. The traction is seriously lacking in the newer versions. But THESE wonderful shoes with their beefy tread will go anywhere. WHY doesnt New Balance make this kind of shoe anymore?? I was so excited to see this earlier version available on Amazon. Grab it while you can because as far as I know, you cant get these anywhere else.