Vasque Mindbenders
Out of the Box
After my pretty bad experience with the Vasque Transitor FS (link coming soon), I was a little wary of buying another pair of Vasques; but, after doing some research, they seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. I had tried the minimalist shoe thing. And, while I absolutely loved my New Balance MT100s, My legs just aren’t built for long distances in a minimal shoe. I wanted something a little more sturdy with a lot more cushion. I decided to give the Mindbender a try.
I made the mistake of ordering my pair just before a 50K so I only had about 10 miles on them going into the race (vs. the 75-100 mile ‘break in’ that is typically suggested). I struggled through the Sageburner 50K and once I recovered, something hit me: the shoes were PERFECT! Despite not having the shoes broken in, my feet felt amazing. Nothing hurt. No blisters. Nothing. I was amazed.
Weight
They weigh 11.5 oz. (my size 11.5 weigh in at 13.3 oz.) which make them relatively heavy in the trail running shoe world. But they provide more than enough cushioning for incredibly long runs. Vasque calls their last “Perpetuum”. While that sounds like great marketing, I can say that they do seem to hold up well over distance.
Upper
The upper, while it looks stiff, is actually pretty malleable once you get it broken in and it’s thick enough to provide more than adequate protection against rogue cacti and branches.
Toe Box
The most amazing feature is the incredibly wide toe box. It’s so wide that it looks kind of ridiculous at first. But, if you’re worried about looks then you probably aren’t serious about trail running 
Even at the end of really long runs (when my feet start to gain size), my toes aren’t rubbing against each other or the shoe.
Durability
I read one review on REI’s website that said the shoes wore quickly. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I accidentally put 400 miles on my first pair before I checked how many miles I had on them (I track shoe mileage with my training data). There were absolutely no signs of wear whatsoever.
Cons
My only complaint is the weight and I’d like a little bit less drop (Mindbender drop is 10mm). It sounds like the soon to be released Vasque Pendulum, might be just what I want (slightly lighter and 6mm drop). I’ll be grabbing a pair as soon as I can and I’ll post my thoughts on those as well.
Verdict
In my opinion, the Vasque Mindbenders are the Cadillac of trail running shoes. They’re heavy but the extra weight is absolutely worth the additional cushioning and protection.
My Mindbenders