After going through two pairs of Nike Frees, my husband was ready to try something new.  While his original pair of 7.0 Frees lasted for several years and were superb, his second pair of Frees began deteriorating (parts of the sole peeling away) after only a few months and they never really seemed to fit comfortably (despite getting them sized for him).  He was interested in the Vibrams and Inov8 shoes, but the designs were a little too much and they seemed to have as many supporters as opposers. He liked the New Balance Minimus line, but the MT10's seemed to have a lot of issues, particularly with the tight toe band.

Enter the MT20. He decided to take the plunge on this updated model, and has been thoroughly impressed since day one. Here is what he would like to share about the shoe:

1) Lightweight but sturdy: Out of the box the shoe is incredibly light and the Vibram sole construction is top notch. Despite being a minimal design, these feel sturdy and the attention to rugged construction is evident, which is typical of the New Balance brand.

2) Fit was accurate:  The fit ran true to his shoe size right out of the box, he did not need to go up or down or for the wider size (He's had problems with Nike and Adidas always being too narrow).

3) Comfort: They are probably the most comfortable pair of shoes he has owned to date. The heel cup padding in particular is excellent, and even without socks there hasn't been any irritation.

4) Performance: Performance wise, the Vibram soles are terrific. Not too springy, and not too pliable, they provide a perfect balance between a barefoot feel and providing protection from sharp rocks and glass. They give great traction on grass and dirt without a large tread profile that defeats their purpose. He chose the Trail model because he does 90% of his running on grass and dirt trails, but he's been able to put some road miles on these and confirm that they do just fine and would see no issues with putting a lot of pavement miles on these.

5) Color: The designs might not be to everyone's liking, but he thinks they look much better in person than they do in pictures and he receives a lot of positive questions about them when he wears them to the gym for a lifting workout (as a side note, these make great deadlifting shoes).

These shoes have exceeded expectations and are easily the best pair of running shoes he has owned right out of the box.  My husband would recommend anyone looking for a trail running minimal shoe to start here.