The MT101 is not a Barefoot Running Shoe

First things first,black reebok work shift shoes, the New Balance MT101 is not a barefoot running shoe as it has a substantial heel-to-toe drop (will go into this more below) and has a good bit of cushioning in the sole. However,reebok zigtech shoes white and black, the New Balance MT line has been a popular subject amongst minimalist runners — probably because Anton Krupicka has been helping New Balance shape this line and he's known for modding his shoes to make them more neutral/minimalist. Krupicka has been a key tester in developing New Balance's NB Minimus trail running shoe (which is a "barefoot running shoe").
A few minimalist runners have gone so far as to mod MT101s and MT100s (the predecessor to the New Balance MT101). Rockrunner,reebok work shoes, at the Minimalist Runner Google Group,reebok runtone shoes, zeroed out a pair of MT100s and extended the rock protection through the heel using a thin cutting board. The Rockstop™ protector appears to be made of similar material. Speaking of zeroing out MT100s,new reebok classic shoes, Tuck recently posted about having a cobbler zero out his MT100s and MT101s.
Anyway,reebok zigteck shoes, as I was looking for a trail running alternative to Trek Sports,reebok tennis shoes, I decided to "bug out" and get the MT101s for a bit of one-on-one testing. Below I'll talk about how they performed on the trails as well as get into details about the shoe design.