Customer Reviews New Balance Minimus 20v7 Trainer

This shoe looks great. It's a lovely color for the spring. The construction is unlike anything I've seen before - the lines going up and down on the sides are backed with some kind of plastic, see-through material. I didn't like the tongue, which is attached to the sides of the shoe - it's stretchy but hard to pull on. Once on, the toe bed is extra wide on the side opposite the big toe, making the shoe and foot look somewhat deformed. It is so wide that my foot felt unprotected. I guess it would be perfect if you had this type of foot shape...

I am loving these. I was a minimalist sneaker wear that has worn Merrell's for the past 5 years. Merrell changed their lines and I was on a quest for new trainers. These fit the bill. They feel great and look great. There is a bit of metallic shimmer in the logo and on the shoe body that makes them look nicer than average. I have walked the dog in these, done cross fit class and ran on the treadmill - these sneakers passed the comfort test for all of these. If you are somebody that likes a lot of cushion in your shoes, these are not for you. They are mininmalist!

Horrible design! I have purchased other NB minimus shoes which I love. Unfortunately I had to pick a different style bc the old design aggravated my bunions. These don't have the extra material in the toe box which is exactly what I wanted. However, the entire shoe is designed to point in at the toe so the shape of the shoe doesn't fit my foot. I imagine a pigeon toed person may benefit from the shape but normal feet would not fit properly. Also, they connected the tongue of the shoe to the soles with large straps which you can feel on your feet. Feels like my socks are bunching. Terrible shoe. Wouldn't recommend to anyone.

I love these so much I bought a second pair and am considering a third to hold for the future. I'm Goldilocks with a wide foot, but not large ankles or large top of the foot, so few shoes fit length and width without being too tight or too loose. I wear 8.5 W. I walk 2-5 miles on paved surfaces in these and love the minimal effect. I'm 54 now and started having ankle and sole pain about two years ago. A trainer I respect suggested these and I did some research too. Once I started wearing these for walking I've had NO ankle or foot problems AT ALL! Can't say this will be true for every body and all aliments, but the idea is that you walk and move your foot/ankle more naturally in this style shoe, which strengthens the whole area. I can feel the movement and have grown to like that "grounded" sensation. I also have two herniated discs (periodic pain) and these don't aggravate my back either. If you haven't tried minimal shoes, you'll have to get used to the lack of cushy support, but there are good paybacks. Neither of my two pairs have completely worn out, but the first pair bought about 2 years ago took a beating on some really rough surfaces and getting worn wet and now don't look as nice, so I wear them for yard work, messy housekeeping jobs, etc. The second pair has been worn almost daily for exercise and general wear for a year and still look good. No holes or tears in the fabric of either pair after all the abuse. The Vibram soles are fabulous. I have always had high wear on the heels of soft soled shoes, but these are barely worn on the heels. I do have other trail shoes and hiking boots for traction and stability on rocky surfaces. These are fabric topped, so they don't protect against rain or anything hitting your foot, so they and aren't suitable for working with tools (heavy duty gardening, etc). The construction of the tongue (wrapping snuggly down the sides) gives these shoes lateral stability which is perfect for floor exercises. Once you've put them on a couple of time, it's no more trouble than any other shoe that ties. No, they're not slip-ons. Not supposed to be.

I wanted to love this shoe! However, it hit just a tad too high under my ankle bone, causing pain I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to ignore in my workouts. Had to return.

I love these shoes! I was looking for a light weight, minimal drop shoe for summer adventures, like music festivals, and for urban walking commute. Best features: super light, cute, comfy (after adding a plush insole), and plenty of room in the toe box in the wide size (I like Altras). Worst drawback: not very durable (pretty much because they're mesh). Compared to other meshy sneakers, these are structured like a shoe, not a sock, which I like.

ran a little small and had to order a half size up

I had to order three pairs to find the correct size, but shipping/returns were free. Order larger! There is a significant amount of room in the width in the toe box (as intended). However, the length of the shoe was much shorter than any other shoes I own in the same sizes. The mild arch support does hit in the wrong spot as other commenters have noted, but it is barely noticeable. Very comfortable. Will take time to gradually adjust to wear, as noted on the product tags.

I have no idea what these feel like because I could not get them on. The laces were so complicated to adjust that I gave up. I knew I would never take the 20 minutes it seems it would take on a regular basis to get these on because of the laces. There was no point in trying because I would never use shoes like these. If the same shoes used a velcro closure system, I might like these. Who knows? Too bad --because they seem to be the only minimalist shoe for woman that comes in wide.

These shoes are so comfortable and perfect for lifting and running indoors.

The New Balance Minimus 20v7 Trainer shoes is perfect for cross training. I've twisted my ankles several times by wearing athletic shoes that had way too much arch support. My personal strength trainer said it is better to workout without wearing any shoes. These shoes are pretty flat and allows me to really work on controlling my feet when working out. Not sure if these are good walking shoes yet cause I've only worn them in the gym for an hour at the most.

I don’t like these shoes as much as the Minimus sneaks I got from New Balance 3 years ago, but they are still way cuter than most sneakers. They are kind of delicate, which is why I like the minimal style. They still look ladylike with the support I need. I have high arches and need extra support so I got the Wides to ensure there was enough room. Still super cute.

Comfortable from the get go. Walked in them immediately, no prob!

I love these shoes for working out at the gym, traveling, and all-day summer activities where I've been on my feet all day/night. They are light-weigh, breathable and stylish. I like the minimalist footbed because I added my own insert for the padding and arch support that works for me. Also, this is my first wide pair of shoes (recovering from neuromas in both feet) and I feel like there's tons of room inside for my foot to splay during activities like crossfit.

never owned previous models of the minimus but this one is perfect. fits my foot shape exactly so it feels like a well fitted glove. ordered in wide width; my feet are wider than normal however most shoes esp sneakers i am able to wear BM width. they are extremely lightweight and great for box jumps and lunges

Loved the look and fit except it was way too wide in the toe box. Puckered up a lot on top when I tightened the shoestrings.

Great minimalist shoe. Many of the poor reviews seem to not understand that this is a vibram sole - vibram makes minimalist/barefoot shoe soles that are wide with zero drop. If you have weak feet, it will take a while for them to strengthen enough to run distance in these shoes - but if you are athletic and often wear flat sandals or barefoot shoes, you'll love them.

I don't usually wrote reviews at all. I just want to say I've been wearing New Balance sneakers for a few years and by far these are the best ones I've ever worn. I'm usually a size 7 but I ordered a 7 1/2 because of the reviews I read people were saying they ran small. I was going to order an 8 but I'm glad I didn't because the 7 1/2 fit perfect. I don't like having too much room in my sneakers. I love love love this sneaker!!! I almost want to order another pair just so when these are worn out I will have that other pair. They are also selling out quickly so maybe I should do that right after im done writing this review.

I only wear athletic shoes for athletics, so my review is specific to training in these shoes (gym workouts including kickboxing, strength training, HIIT), not walking the dog, etc. First, these are truly a minimal lightweight shoe, but still sturdy. Great for quick foot work. I would not run in these shoes other than gym sprints. I found the toe box is more spacious than most training shoes I have worn...thank you NB! The upper hugs my foot nicely through arch and heel--great for material movements. I LOVE the sticky Vibram sole! Also like the double lace holes at the ankle (more common in running shoes) to lock in the heel. The black/gray combo makes this a nice looking shoe. I generally wear a women's 8 street shoe, women's 8.5 running shoe, and women's 8 training shoe. I found the Women's 8 a perfect fit.

I ordered Wide and was happy with the width, especially in the toe box. These are the most comfortable minimalist shoes I own (and I've had a couple pairs of Vivobarefoot and Innov8).

I ordered 6.5 medium and wide because I can go either way depending on the shoe. The bad news is I received both in medium. The good news is the medium fit as long as I plan to wear them without socks. If I wanted to wear these with socks, I would have needed to go up in both length and width.

My personal trainer recommened I purchase a pair of shoes that are low to the ground for weight training. I ordered a 6 wide, wore them for weight training and they are great, helps keeps my feet stabilized. Won't wear these outdoors only at the gym as the sole is thinner.

wanted to like these but the arch is in the wrong place for my foot

I was so excited to try this New Balances, as I have been wearing 811's for a couple of years and wanted an actual cross training shoe, but these are TINY. I'm always a 7.5 in NB and these were definitely smaller than normal 7.5's. Additionally the toe box was not roomy at all. Super disappointed that I have to send them back.