Everyone’s got a new lightweight and minimalist-inspired running shoe here at the show. But after looking at dozens and dozens, we’re pretty confident that New Balance’s Minimus Hi-Rez road shoe is the most innovative design we’ve seen yet. For years, New Balance has been trying to construct a shoe that’s ultralight and fluid-feeling, but still provides a decent amount of cushioning. The Hi Rez just might be ticket. Instead of a traditional outsole with lugs, New Balance figured out a way to bond 42 rubber pods directly to a piece of durable fabric that serves as the shoe’s defacto midsole. The result is a shoe that’s remarkably light (4.2 ounces) and flexible (each pod moves independently; you can literally scrunch the shoe up in a ball), but still provides moderate protection. If they’re as fast as they look and feel, we can’t wait to take ’em for a spin later this summer.
