Brent Pendergrass is a new contributor to Benosh. Brent brings a wealth of experience and education to the team and is leading the charge to get us all functionally fit with our partner, CrossFit Bellator here in Oklahoma. Brent had the chance to review New Balance’s Minimus 20s (on sale for $70 as of this writing), and here are his thoughts:

I have been in Crossfit for two years strong, and I have been through many shoes that did good in one area of Crossfit but not all. When New Balance came out with their Minimus line of shoes, I was interested to try them. I have heard the New Balance Minimus was exploding through the Crossfit boxes—and they were cool enough to jump on board with Benosh.

The first day I tired the Minimus 20s we did snatches and a 400 meter run for five rounds.  I was nervous to run in minimal shoes due to the fact I have had horrible experiences before. I was pleasantly surprised!

These shoes were the most comfortable minimalist shoes I have ever worn! Going through about three weeks of five Crossfit workouts a week, I have been through box jumps, one mile runs, power lifts and many other functional movements–and the Minimus 20s have held up. The shoe is extremely lightweight and flexible, and it is padded in the right areas of how your foot moves.

I have been blessed to workout with Crossfit Bellator during this time, and they have put me and the New Balances to the test. The shoes have even held up to the test where most shoes fail, and that is the rope climb. The shoes have a strong side and rubber edges for the inside of the ball of your foot, giving it extra grip on the rope.

The Minimus 20s have held up also in areas where most minimal shoes have failed—landing on the ground from a high drop. The shock of the impact is displaced throughout the foot instead of up the shins to the jaw, which usually results in the jarring effect. The only negative takeaway so far for the shoes is that they do make your calves a little sore and they run a bit small. All in all, this is a fantastic Crossfit shoe (or for anything else, including getting off the trail), and I am looking forward to seeing how they hold up to the next Crossfit challenge.

Best of all, the Minimus 20s are on sale right now for $70 (normally $100) on New Balance’s website—hurry and snatch some while they last!

 

Brent has his BS in Exercise Physiology from UCF. He was a fitness manager for four years and served as a strength and conditioning coach for Ripon Collage. A Crossfitter since 2007, Brent has also managed for Gold’s and Anytime Fitness.