Yama T1 Mens

The fit is perfect: wide to box, snug heel. The sole is perfect: zero rise, perfect degree of flexibility and ground feel. They’re light, and they look great. But they have a major flaw: the tongues don’t stay still even with the thread holes for the laces which are meant to hold them in place. This is nearly a perfect minimalist trail runner, but the tongues are a significant area for improvement.

I really like these shoes. I’m an avid barefoot, foot-shaped wearer. I primarily wear Xero shoes and own a few other brands. I really impressed with how wide these shoes get in the toe box without looking weird. However, the lockdown in the heal and top of the foot is still great.

Currently I’m wearing Xero X1s for playing tennis, which is a fine shoe. However, I am super excited to see what Notace comes up with for an actual tennis court shoe. I can’t wait. Keep up the good work.

I typically wear Astral, Lems, or Altra shoes since I like a wide toe box and zero drop. I decided to try Notace because I was looking for something versatile which could work as a light hiker and travel shoe. I wanted something that was truly all black and could blend into an outfit. This was impossible to find from my usual brands. I really appreciate that Notace shoes have minimal branding.

The guidance to size up 1/2 size is accurate. I am a European 38.5 which is usually a US size 8. The 8 1/2 in the T1 is the right size.

As for the shoe: it's really light and flexible with a snug fit around the heel and enough room in the toe box. However, the laces are definitely too long and it detracts from the look. Also, the shoe could really use a bit more support under foot from a rock plate or firmer foam in the mid foot. I read some trail running reviews for the T1 that also commented on the super sensitive feel/lightweight midsole but since I wasn't planning to run in these I thought I would be OK.

I am definitely concerned my feet may get tired and maybe even bruise if I come down wrong on a rock or root. I was hoping for just a bit more shape in the arch to support long days, too. And this is from someone accustomed to minimalist shoes. I do think this shoe is really close to perfect and I hope mine will work out until the next version (that hopefully has a bit more support). I am still breaking these in but so far after about an hour of walking my arches were still okay.

I have used this shoe for 2 weeks now and right from the start i knew my barefoot shoe patience had finally rewarded me. I have used barefoot/ minimalist shoes for quite some time now and have gained insight from learning more about foot mechanics, running form, and the importance of a wide enough toe box. My first impression was that the shoe is so light and form fitting that it feels like its a part of your body. I took them on a trail run and its responsive midsole/outsole made it feel like i had a super strong and elastic-like fascia (look up Dr Mark Cucuzella's book if you wanna learn more about this) since i felt so bouncy. This protective mid/outsole is thick enough to protect you on technical terrain but just enough so that you can feel the objects, rocks, holes, and uneven terrain you are landing on. The grip performed stellar since i have not slipped or fallen on dirt, rocky, or muddy terrain even when running in the midst of rain. They also perform great on pavement so I was surprised to learn that they are creating another model specifically for road running (sign me up for this one and their next tennis court shoe). The materials this shoe is made of seem very durable but very light at the same time. This is probably the lightest running shoe i have ever worn.

Now for the foot shape of the shoe: I have mountain shaped feet, which means that many of my toes are of similar length. This means that the tapered lateral side of the toebox can make contact with my 4th and pinky toes. My longest foot measures 26.5cm and Notace recommends adding 1.25 cm to your foot length to choose the right size and i landed on the size 10. This size 10 made too much contact with my 4th and pinky toes so i 1/2 sized up. Notace CS was on point, i received my new size 10.5 pair a couple of days later and my toes were able to splay freely. Since I sized up, I added an insole in order to fill in the shoe a bit better. My feet are low- to medium volume and this shoe seem to have a lot of volume. This means I also had to tighten the shoe a bit more so i replaced the shoelaces for shorter ones to prevent tripping on them.

Overall, as you can read in this review, i am beyond thrilled with this shoe. I ran my first 5k trail race today and they were so fun and nimble to race in. If Notace asked me if there is any room for improvement i would add 2 things: 1) make the last of the shoe less tapered so they can better fit pizza shaped feet, and mountain shaped feet (although this can be remedied by size 1/2 size up). 2) Separate the eyelets a bit more from across each other, so that cinching the shoelace can resolve any fit issue ppl with low-volume feet may have.

This is the perfect shoe. Balanced between minimal and cushioned. It's foot shaped, zero drop and super flexible.