Sports Trader reports back : New Balance footwear launch

From left: John Andrews, Keaton Oddy, Katherine Tromp of New Balance and footwear analyst Julian Greenstein. Front: Justin Stevens.

The latest New Balance Minimus Road and RevLite running shoe ranges were recently launched to the press, sport stores and footwear specialists at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA) in Cape Town. Prof. Tim Noakes gave a fascinating overview of the barefoot movement and why scientists believe that humans have evolved into runners capable of running at different speeds during the midday heat. John Andrews, product manager of New Balance, introduced the Minimus and RevLite ranges to attendees and footwear tester Julian Greenstein gave his review. Though launched simultaneously in Cape Town, the RevLite and Minimus are by no means similar shoes.

Prof. Tim Noakes showing the 'History of running shoes'.

The neutral RevLite consists of a midsole foam compound with the durability of foams that are 30% heavier and is recommended for runners looking to move towards a more lightweight running shoe. The shoe allows for a bi-lateral flexing of the forefoot which allows the left metatarsals to move separately from the right.

The Minimus Road shoe features a 4mm heel-toe (11mm heel - 7mm toe) drop and is recommended for runners who wish to train on the road in minimal shoes, as it facilitates a forefoot strike.

The Minimus Road, family of the Minimus Trail and Minimus Life, is reminiscent of the shoes produced during the 70’s and 80’s before manufacturers started producing shoes with greater cushioning and support. Though not a 100% barefoot (zero drop) shoe, it’s an ideal ‘forefoot-strike’ transitional shoe. Whilst the Minimus Trail shoe would require less cushioning than the road shoe due to the terrain it will be worn in, it offers more stability than the Minimus Road.

After the presentation, attendees were asked to run a few kilometres in the Minimus Road shoes. Quinten Fontyn of Model Sports (who will now be providing retail store-within-a-store concepts in De Jager’s Sports and other retailers), Sportsman’s Warehouse’s Sam Wright, Wouter Burger, Tarah Childes and Vikki Quarmby and Totalsports’ Megan Davis and Nicole Marais, as well as other press and footwear specialists, attended the launch.