In a "Sail" Colorway, New Balance’s Barefoot Shoe Has Never Been Cleaner
New Balance’s barefoot Minimus sneaker line is expanding. The trail shoe turned fashionable slim sneaker is welcoming its latest addition.
The New Balance M10L features a wild mix of textures and trail-ready features including a thick diamond mesh base providing the shoe ample texture. Meanwhile, up front, a three-layer toe guard and rugged AT TREAD outsole hold it down when the terrain gets difficult.
But all this tech is packaged in a clean beige look (akin to Nike’s signature “Sail” colorway) that makes the busy shoe appear somewhat minimal.
Releasing on May 21 for $130, this isn’t the first time New Balance has played such a trick. This newest M10L follows hot on the heels of a similarly pared-back, all-black counterpart.
This duo of New Balance M10L sneakers, the first non-collaboration models to hit shop floors, has promptly brought the slim shoe further into the limelight. But they didn’t just appear out of nowhere.
It’s the latest evolution of the brand’s Minimus line, which first dropped in the early 2010s as a line of slim-shaped silhouettes, natural foot splays, and Vibram soles. The original Minimus was New Balance’s understated answer to the barefoot movement, less weird than FiveFingers, more wearable than most of the barefoot niche.
Now, more than a decade later, the M10L arrives a modern rendition of the original Minimus Trail 10. And it’s a timely return, given that shoes are quickly becoming slimmer than ever.
