New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 Performance Review

It was less than a year ago that we tested out the New Balance Minimus TR BOA, and we were incredibly excited about the performance of this new model right out of the gate. New Balance recently released the newest iteration, the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2, and we couldn’t wait to see how it stacks up to its predecessor.

Is the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 an upgrade from last year’s model? Let’s find out.

How do the Authors Train?

Arune Singh (age 43, 5’11”, 210lbs): Trains daily with functional fitness programming provided by Deadboys Fitness, founded by Colby “Seth Rollins” Lopez and Josh Gallegos, along with logging 30-40 miles of running per week. He also has a medical history of Sleep Apnea and Myasthenia Gravis, meaning Arune’s focus is on lean muscle mass.

Drew Whitcomb (age 42, 6’6″ 195lbs): Trains daily with a focus on running, strength training, and mobility. He writes the majority of our running shoe reviews and runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and his growing affinity for long-distance races. He regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races. His strength training and mobility regimen center around maintaining flexibility and lifting heavy to build power as a counterbalance to all the running he’s doing. His number one focus is staying injury-free so he can keep up the sweet gig of reviewing shoes for a living.

What is the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2?

New Balance describes it as:

“Redesigned for 2025, the Minimus TR BOA v2 features the BOA Fit System to deliver a micro-adjustable, precision fit engineered to perform in all conditions. The Minimus TR BOA v2 utilizes a BOA PerformFit Wrap upper configuration that is designed for stability and control. The model also leverages a dual density Fuelcell midsole for cushioning and support, bare-foot-friendly internal construction, and a TPU heel clip. The Minimus TR BOA v2, available in Men’s and Women’s versions, is a must-have training shoe for intense gym workouts.”

That description is all facts and tech specs. There’s a lot of New Balance and BOA tech packed  into what is by name a minimal shoe. That should make this review interesting.

Training

Arune: Last year I was quite enthusiastic about the original Minimus TR BOA; and while I stand by that review, I did stop using the shoes for sizing & fit reasons that are still present in the Minimus TR BOA v2.

However, the good news is that the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 retains much of the joy I felt while training in the previous version and, in some ways, even improves upon it. The Minimus remains an excellent somewhat-minimalist training shoe that pairs well with my functional fitness training regimen.

That starts with an incredibly grippy outsole (featuring a herringbone traction pattern) that sunk its teeth into every surface I tested it on, providing excellent stability when paired with the still surprisingly comfortable FuelCell midsole. Heavy squats compressed the midsole under my feet and rewarded me on the way back up with the constant confidence that I’d remain perfectly balanced as long as I properly focused on each rep.

So, it’ll be no surprise to hear I loved the performance of the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 for everything from squats to even single leg movements like rear-foot, elevated split squats or one-legged RDLs. There’s definitely a feeling of different muscles being worked compared to more cushioned training shoes with higher drops, but it never feels unnatural or unstable.

In fact, it feels nearly as natural as barefoot training to me given how little I thought about the Minimus TR BOA v2 while wearing it (except for one issue we’ll discuss later) and how my feet always felt properly planted in all my lifts.

Similarly, I found no real issues with bodyweight training. A lot of these minimalist shoes seem to stab my toes when their uppers fold during push-ups or burpees, but the PerformFit Wrap upper truly does perfectly mold to your foot.

Drew, what was your experience?

Drew: The New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2’s FuelCell midsole is so thin that it’s hard to tell it’s there – especially compared to the last New Balance Running shoe I tested. But you can tell. Start doing some plyometrics…say, box jumps or maybe jump some rope…and you’ll feel the FuelCell. It’s not much, but it’s effective at providing the impact protection you need in the gym.

But even though there is some impact protection (not enough for the treadmill, but more on that later), this is still a minimal shoe. The groundfeel is awesome. And that groundfeel combines with the grippy outsole to make this shoe well suited for squats, deadlifts, and any of the one-legged exercises you prefer.

The New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 allows the wearer to provide the stability and amplifies the barefoot feel with a formfitting upper and an outsole that’s not going anywhere.

There’s not always much to talk about with barefoot-like shoes, but I like the thesis of the Minimus TR BOA v2. It’s minimal but helpful. True, that’s not actual minimalism…but it’s better for the majority of people who are wearing regular shoes most days.

Cardio

Arune: We discuss this nearly every time we review a training shoe, but I implore folks not to expect one shoe to do it all. Some are very good across multiple categories, but you wouldn’t bring a swiss army knife when you need a machete.

[Editor’s Note: Arune…have you been watching Rambo: First Blood Part II again?]

That’s still true here, too – especially given that this shoe does not adapt well to the foot swelling of cardio. While I initially enjoyed the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 when rowing, I quickly found the lateral side of both my feet were in incredible pain from fighting against the upper that, understandably, has no give (and yes, we’ll get to it in the Comfort section). This is something that could be solved with a wide fit; but I’d be remiss in not noting that I set some rowing PRs with these shoes on as I found my movements smoother and more explosive than in most other, more padded training shoes.

However, I cannot recommend running in this shoe. It might be what some like, but a dedicated minimalist running shoe (like something from Xero) has a much smoother ride than the Minimus TR BOA v2. Every time my foot hit the ground, it stopped my momentum completely (which is useful in lifting, less so here), and my gait became completely screwed up as a result.

In fairness, New Balance doesn’t market the Minimus TR BOA v2 as a cardio workhorse. So in that sense, I can’t say I feel disappointed or misled.

Drew: Arune is completely right in his comment that the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 stops momentum when running. I found the same thing. There’s no smooth heel-to-toe transition whatsoever. That combined with the minimal cushion means I don’t recommend running in the Minimus TR BOA v2.

However, agility ladders, quick sprints, and bounds all work fairly well. Stairmasters, cycling, and rowing are also fair game. Especially on the exercise bike, I found the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2’s build perfect for maintaining a stiff foot and pushing the pace.

This is a shoe that’s most at home on the weight room floor but can handle the ancillary exercises which often make up a good portion of functional fitness workouts in today’s fitness world.

Comfort

Arune: I’ve been teasing this throughout the review, but the upper on this shoe absolutely hurt my feet so badly that I had to take a day off after the first few days of training. My feet were that swollen and sore.

Oddly, this actually occurs because of things I love about the shoe – namely the PerformFit Wrap that hugs your foot (as mentioned) and the BOA lacing system that is shockingly precise in how you can adjust your fit.

Once you (literally) dial in the fit on these shoes, they stay perfectly formed to your foot. But for a somewhat-wide-footer like I am, that means there’s no space for my feet to breathe as I work through intense training sessions.

The answer is, as noted earlier, trying a wider fit of this shoe where I might have more space.

[Editor’s Note: At the time of writing, the BOA version of the Minimus TR does not have a wide version available. There is, however, wide (2E) sizing for the non-BOA, Minimus TR v2 for both Men and Women.]

Drew: I did not have the issue that Arune did, but my feet aren’t as wide either. My average-width feet got a nice hug and a dialed-in fit courtesy of the BOA Fit System. While I found the upper to be a bit rough on the inside, wearing max cushion socks completely removed that discomfort.

There is some unexpectedly nice padding around the collar area that’s helpful but that also pushes the foot forward a little and is the main thing that messes with the sizing…which we should talk about now.

Sizing

Arune: New Balance recommended we size up a half-size over our standard fit, and that was 100% correct.

The New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 runs small and narrow; so definitely size up for length. And then consider a wider-fitting shoe if you’re like me and tend to need more space than most.

Drew: New Balance didn’t have a 12.5 for me so I ended up in my typical size 12. And it was a bit short. I like a thumbnail of room at the end of my shoes, and there was about half of that here. This fit worked for my workouts, but it would have been an issue had I put in any sessions longer than two hours in these shoes. I do recommend going a half-size up to get the proper length.

Width-wise, we already heard from Arune that this shoe isn’t the best option for wide-footers (in that case, avoid the BOA version and grab the regular version of the shoe that’s available in wide). Height-wise, there’s plenty of room for those with high insteps. And the BOA’s ability to make tiny incremental changes in tightness is also helpful for those with high arches or tall feet.

Aesthetics

Arune: I gotta be honest, this is absolutely my kinda training shoe aesthetic on so many levels: a little bit weird (as a guy who grew up loving Nike Shox more than Jordans) and very tactical (like something Batman might wear).

Add in the gum soles (who doesn’t love those?), and this is basically the perfect look for me when I’m working out.

I even think these would look pretty decent with a pair of fashion-forward sweat pants (think Vuori, my current fav) for casual summer fun or even errands.

And yes, for everyone curious, I’d wear them to Erewhon – the ultimate fashion test. [Editor’s Note: I, for one, was toootally curious…]

Drew, when are we getting you a $23 smoothie with loads of sea moss?

Drew: I recoil every time I hear about those $23 smoothies. I mean I’ll probably try one eventually, but I will not be happy forking over that cash.

But I agree with Arune, the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 has a warrior aesthetic similar to the no-longer-with-us LeBron Soldier series of shoes. You lace ratchet it down and feel ready to go to battle with the weights. It’s one of those shoes that makes you feel tougher than you normally do.

Is the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 worth $150?

Arune: If this shoe fit me better – like a wide version might – then I’d probably work this into my training shoe rotation and never take it out.

That said, a minimalist-ish type shoe is not for everyone, and I encourage folks to ensure wherever they buy these from has a liberal return policy in order to find out if the Minimus TR BOA v2 is right for them.

Let’s also applaud New Balance for not raising the price on the Minimus TR BOA v2. It’d be easy to understand if the price had increased, but it’s nice to see this priced the same as the previous model.

Drew: Yes, the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 is worth $150. It’s a well-built, minimalist shoe with a lot of tech. It delivers value – as long as the fit works for you.

New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 Final Verdict

Arune: There’s a lot to love about the New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2, and while I like this shoe quite a bit, it’s going to be divisive both in fit and in minimalist-ish function.

I may well buy a wide pair of the Minimus TR v2 with my own money and test it out given how much I’ve enjoyed this one (if so, I’ll circle back with an update to this review).

Drew: The New Balance Minimus TR BOA v2 is the perfect workout shoe for someone who wants a minimalist shoe with bells and whistles that improve both the function and feel. It’s a shoe with a little something extra packed into it so the wearer enjoys a less austere minimalist shoe experience. As long as the fit works and running isn’t on the workout menu, the Minimus TR BOA v2 will be well-suited to most workout challenges.

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Please note that while New Balance sent us pairs of the Minimus TR BOA v2, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.