Notace’s Michi 1 Is Finally Ready To Run

Introduction to the Notace Michi 1

BRADY: The Notace Michi 1 is the minimalist brand’s first road shoe and second release altogether. I had the privilege of reviewing the Notace Yama T1, their trail shoe, and I have some great memories with it last summer. When I sprained my ankle (in another shoe) on a trail run in Olympic National Park, the Yama T1 became my only shoe for the rest of my vacation. Their designs are sleek, and the shoes are wide, so they carried my swollen ankle through hikes and city adventures alike.

I know you’re not here to read about my feet and vacation woes, though. We’re here to talk about running shoes, and specifically the Michi 1. The brand is committed to natural shoes with clean, simple designs inspired by Japan. So, is Notace, the zero-drop new kid on the block, going to shake up the industry?

What we like about the Notace Michi 1

BRADY: I appreciate that Notace is very committed to neutral colorways. They’re so committed to this that the front page of their website is completely grayscale. No joke, I thought my monitor was broken when I landed on their site. Sometimes I wonder if this departure from colorful shoes I grew up seeing, like the Asics Noosa Tri, will eventually get old, but for now, I’m riding the wave alongside Notace.

I’ll hang on to the looks here for just another moment, but I think this is a great-looking barefoot shoe. The angles of the overlays, the mix of screen mesh, and the eTPU midsole that blends with the upper are all clean and attractive. On multiple occasions, I’ve worn them and gotten questions on the brand. Good job, Notace.

On to the shoe itself — it is very light. Coming in at 180 g (6.3oz) for a US M9, it really disappears on your foot. The Michi 1 uses a durable, comfortable eTPU foam (think Adidas Boost), and although it stretches up around the upper and appears like there’s some density underfoot, you only have 15mm of stack, so don’t get too excited. It’s not the bounciest foam on the run, but it’s comfortable and a welcome alternative to a traditional EVA foam.

What we don’t like about the Notace Michi 1

BRADY: I wore the Notace Michi 1 on a couple of eight-mile runs here in Baltimore, and by the end, I was looking for a little more cushion underfoot, but on my shorter four-mile runs, I didn’t really think about it. I would personally use this shoe for shorter mid-week runs and reach for something with a little more *oomph* for the weekend-long run.

If you’re committed to zero-drop but unafraid of some cushion, that could mean putting on a pair of Altra Vanish Tempo or Carbon (if you can find them in your size) on the weekend and reserving the Michi 1 for your shorter, easy days.

I like to take notes on my phone during a run as I review shoes, and one thing I wrote was that reviewing this shoe felt more like reviewing my own feet. The Michi 1 is wide, comfortable, light, and breathable, but if you haven’t transitioned to barefoot running wisely, your body will let you know. And in my case, my calves were crying out that they were cooked.

The good news is that in the several subsequent runs, I felt stronger and stronger. That resiliency is what draws many people towards running in minimalist shoes, but I included this section as a reminder that we all need to approach “barefoot” running with wisdom and patience.

A few notes that I hope Notace changes for version two: I think we could do with a tougher rubber outsole. This shoe is so light that we could afford to add a little weight for the added durability. Also, although I had no issues with my heel slipping, there aren’t any eyelets for a runner’s knot. Adding this would be pretty simple, I think, and give everybody a bit more confidence in the fit.

Moving on, Notace’s fit is plenty wide, so I did cinch the laces quite a bit, which caused some bunching below the U-Throat (where the tongue meets the shoe). Notace could either widen the eyelets at the bottom or add some rigidity to avoid this.

Finally, I’m a US M10 in Altra and Topo, but Notace runs a bit long in the toe box, so I would consider going a half size down to prevent any sloppiness.

Final thoughts on the Notace Michi 1

BRADY: I think that in due time, people will begin to *notice* Notace. The design team there knows what’s up, and they’re not making copy/paste barefoot shoes like some brands that will remain unnamed, cough. Along with the Michi 1, they have the Yama T1 for the trail and Koto 1 for the court, which is honestly a pretty wide spread, so I personally would like to see Notace narrow down the runner in mind for the next versions and drive that into the design and messaging.

Could there be a Notace Michi 2 built for long runs or a Yama T2 built for technical terrain? Or, is every shoe built to do it all? Notace finds its roots in simple Japanese aesthetics, which I love, but with so many shoes to choose from, I want to know as a consumer why I’m going to pick the new guy over the brands plastered in my local running store.

I think there are a few things to update that I look forward to seeing in version two, but I’m pleased with their entry into the barefoot market. The Michi 1 is built for running, training, walking, and daily wear, and I think it gets the job done.

You can pick up the Notace Michi 1 for $165 from Notace by using the buttons below.