Will it be these New Balance trail running shoes?

The ballet sneaker trend—now purportedly reaching its peak—is a curious one to us. Hybrid kicks are, of course, nothing new, but a footwear style that blends the delicate form of ballet flats with the comfort and practicality of sneakers is kind of like a pancake ‘style’ that marries a roti jala to a flapjack. It is weird and unnecessary. But that isn’t going to stop those paid to think of the next peculiar or crazy shoe to come up with ballet sneakers (also known, gasp, as “sneakerinas”) to ensnare those for whom kicks without multiple personalities just won’t do. We were told the appeal of ballet sneakers are their “flatness”. If that is the case we’d be happy to score a pair of Loewe’s very fetching and stylish, and still in production Flow Runner.

Or, to get out of the entire ‘balletcore’ obsession, these collaborative sneakers between Tokyo Design Studio and New Balance, the unisex MT10Tv1. These are essentially trail running shoes. But we urbanites really have few, if any, options to run in the forest or woods. In all likelihood, these will end up, like most of our sneakers, in the rotation for everyday use. The MT10Tv1 is based on 2011’s MT10 trail running shoe from New Balance’s ‘Minimus’ line, conceived to afford a barefoot feel by providing minimal cushioning and a feeling close to the ground (probably not concrete).

Even from photographs, one can see that these are lightweight shoes. The base is made of a rounded lug outsole and a rubber mudguard. Nubuck goes to the upper, which is unlined to augment its minimalist vibe. The midsole is firm to provide both cushioning and stability, while the outsole is made of Vibram-branded rubber, textured for a variety of trail surfaces. The toggled lace allow for easy slipping on and off. What could be extra appealing is how easily flat a pair packs in an overnighter for a weekend jaunt in Johor Baru.

However persuasive the trend, if a flat shoe is desired, we already have the 4-year-old Loewe Flow Runner or, for something more pocket-friendly, the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66. But there is something compelling about the MT10Tv1, co-branded with Tokyo Design Studio, known for its tableware and as a design collective for New Balance, particularly focusing on the Japanese market. One of the collaboration’s early outputs is the quite-unsporty NB 574 from 2022, with the distinctive ‘ripple’ sole. They sold out very quickly. The same is expected of the MT10Tv1, which, unfortunately, is available in Tokyo only, for now.

Photos: Tokyo Design Studio/New Balance