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Buyer's Guide

New Balance MT2 Review & Sizing Guide

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The MT2 is Tokyo Design Studio taking the barefoot 2010s MT10 and turning it into a sleek, sandal-adjacent hybrid on a textured mesh upper with a thick Velcro strap. It reached shops in July 2026 and nobody has put real mileage on one yet, so the shoe to judge it by is the TDS MT10T — which owners found extremely small and blister-prone. Size up, and treat the mesh upper as the thing that might finally fix that.

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Key facts

Popularity
Week-old Japan release with no owner track record yet.
Comfort
Thin and flexible — ground feel, not cushioning.
Fit
Predecessor runs extremely small and narrow — size up.
Value
¥16,940 in Tokyo (~$105); $150-$228 elsewhere.
Use case
Light trail, city miles, and TDS-flavoured casual wear.

Full breakdown

New Balance built the Minimus during the barefoot-running wave that Born to Run set off, stripping the trail shoe down to almost nothing between foot and ground. The MT2 is what Tokyo Design Studio does with that idea fifteen years on: the same flat, barefoot platform, restyled into a hybrid with a mesh upper and a broad strap, aimed at people who will wear it through a city summer as readily as on a trail. The ride is the Minimus ride — low, firm, close to the ground, with the flexibility that made the line a cult object. What has not changed is the last, and that is the thing to think hard about: this is the narrow Minimus forefoot, and the strap lands right on the spot owners of the old shoe complained about. Japanese stockists list it around ¥16,940 (roughly $105); Australian and UK shops want $150 to $228 for the same shoe.

FAQ

Does the MT2 fit true to size?

Nobody has sized an MT2 in public yet, so plan around the TDS MT10T it descends from — and that shoe has a bad record. Owners call it extremely small, to the point that a half size up still did not fit, and the advice that keeps repeating is to go a full size up. Size up and buy somewhere that takes returns. One caveat cuts the other way: the MT10T's problems came from a stiff suede and leather upper, and the MT2 swaps that for mesh, so it may well be the more forgiving shoe.

Will the MT2 work for wide feet?

Treat it as a narrow shoe until someone proves otherwise. Owners describe the TDS MT10T as kinda narrow, and on the older Minimus the specific complaint was that the band across the forefoot digs into broad feet in the regular width — the MT2 puts a thick Velcro strap over exactly that spot. No 2E width has been announced for the launch colorways, so broad-footed buyers should get a foot into one before paying import prices.

Is the MT2 comfortable enough for all-day wear?

It trades cushioning for ground feel, and on the predecessor that trade went badly for a lot of people: MT10T buyers report blisters within the first hour, front and back, and more than one calls the shoe a purchase they regret. Heel rub is the recurring theme — two large heel blisters from a single day of wear. The MT2's mesh upper and strap may fix precisely that, since the MT10T's liner was the culprit, but nobody has confirmed it. Buy it for flexibility, not for eight hours on concrete.

Is the MT2 a real trail shoe or a fashion release?

It is a fashion rework of a real trail shoe, and it is honest about that — TDS took the barefoot MT10 and restyled it into a hybrid built as much for summer streetwear as for dirt. The platform underneath is still the Minimus, which owners have run through winters and found still holding together after heavy use. Choose it for dry light trail, gravel and city miles; skip it for technical rock, where a stack this thin leaves your feet doing the work.

Where should I buy the MT2, and what should it cost?

Buy it in Japan if you have a way to. mita sneakers, Dover Street Market Ginza and Kith Tokyo list it around ¥16,940, roughly $105, while Australian and UK stockists want $150 to $228 for the identical shoe. All three colorways are in stock as of writing, and the lime is the one that stands out. Work out shipping and duty before assuming the Tokyo price is what you will actually pay.

Who should skip the MT2?

Skip it if you want cushioning or room for your toes to splay. The line has drawn the same criticism for fifteen years — a skinny toe box — and nothing in the MT2 spec widens the last. Runners who need impact protection, and anyone who has already bounced off barefoot-style shoes, should put the money into a Fresh Foam trail shoe instead.