New Balance Minimus. Made for barefoot runners

What did I say?  A new evolution to running is coming on our way.  It seems that New Balance has been moved by the barefoot running movement as well.  You guessed it right.  They will be coming up with a new product line which will be made available by March 2011 dubbed as NB Minimus

From Meet NB Minimus: An interview with Katherine Petrecca

NB Minimus is a barefoot-inspired line of shoes created specifically for runners seeking a truly minimalist experience. It’s a cross-category collection, including road running, trail running, and wellness shoes. By 'wellness' we mean shoes designed for people seeking a more natural stance throughout the day, even when they're not exercising

What can we expect?  Here's some information  I pulled out from their site

Drop:  'Drop' is the difference between heel height and toe height. All NB Minimus shoes have a 4mm drop which provides a more neutral foot position than traditional shoes (which average a 12mm drop)

My thoughts.  Asics Piranha SP also provide a 4mm drop (14mm heel; 10mm forefoot)  In my opinion they should gunned for a ZERO drop similar to Vibram Five Fingers.  

Last:  The wider forefoot in NB Minimus allows your foot to expand naturally on impact

My thoughts.  Mimicking barefoot running should allow our toes to splay.  Wide toe box is the only way to go.  Good job NB!

Height:  To minimize distance from foot to ground, NB Minimus has no insert, minimal midsoles & outsoles, and is engineered to encourage a midfoot strike

My thoughts.  The thinner the better.  Since they've partnered with Vibram, I am expecting a 4mm sole.  which is good enough already.  Any thicker and they should not call this minimalist 

Weight:  Because NB Minimus contains only what is necessary, it's almost 50% lighter than traditional lightweight shoes

My thoughts. The traditional shoes weighs around 12 oz while the Minimus is expecting to hit as low as 7 oz.  Which is not bad at all. 

Here are some teaser photos