I¡¯ve seen a maxfreespain.com lot of commentary from Altra fans complaining about the move to greater cushioning. I¡¯ve seen others excited about the change. Personally, I¡¯d like to see both ends of the spectrum stay in play, but I also understand that the economics of the footwear business mean that tough decisions have to be made. Shoes that aren¡¯t selling either need to be dropped or redesigned, and this is particularly true for a small company like Altra. The founders of Altra believe in minimal footwear (though they are quick to say they are not a minimal company, and I agree), and if a market exists for such shoes they will be players (I¡¯ve even heard they may have a new minimal shoe in the works). Altra¡¯s philosophy is that if people want cushioned shoes, let¡¯s at least give them the option of zero drop and a wide toebox ¨C these are the features that Altra has stayed true to from the very beginning.
New Balance MT110 v2 New Balance MT110v2 New Balance MT110v2 topNew Balance MT110v2 sole The original New Balance MT110 was a favorite among Runblogger readers (it ranked 2nd air max 90 baratas in my 2013 reader trail shoe survey). The roomy toebox and low-profile but protective platform seemed to be big pluses, though on the minus side the upper seemed prone to tearing. Rather than simply address the upper issue, it was a bit of a surprise when New Balance decided to instead overhaul the shoe into something quite different.
I¡¯m also impressed by how the 1500 looks ¨C my pair in gray is fairly subdued, but in a good way. It¡¯s a shoe that can be used casually without making it look like you¡¯re about to run a 5k.The sole of the 1500 is pretty firm, and not very resilient. I often find this to be the case with New Balance¡¯s RevLite midsole foam (though not in the 1400 v2 for some reason). For longer, slower miles it feels kind of dead, but the ride improves when you pick up the pace (this is kind of how I felt about the NB 1600 and the Skechers GoMeb Speed 1 and 2). For that reason I would not personally consider this shoe for a marathon, but it would work well for a 5K or maybe even a half. It¡¯s also a shoe that can handle speed work. The main issue though is that for the same purposes you can get a lighter, flashier shoe in the 1600. My guess is the 1500 was made for those who wouldn¡¯t consider the 1400 or 1600 due to the lack of stability elements (mainly a marketing move if you ask me).
The outsole of the Zante is full coverage rubber ¨C as a result, I expect durability should be decent.Conclusions The New Balance Fresh Foam Zante is the kind of shoe that will work well when you pick up the pace due to the firm and responsive forefoot, and it¡¯s also well-cushioned enough to handle longer runs. Overall it¡¯s a very versatile shoe that should appeal to a wide range of runners. If the upper tear on my shoe is not a widespread issue I¡¯d rank it among the better shoes I have reviewed this year. I highly recommend the Zante!For other takes on the Fresh Foam Zante, see this review by Sam Winebaum an new balance 574 baratas d this review by Peter Stuart on Believe in the Run.
New Balance MT110 v2 New Balance MT110v2 New Balance MT110v2 topNew Balance MT110v2 sole The original New Balance MT110 was a favorite among Runblogger readers (it ranked 2nd air max 90 baratas in my 2013 reader trail shoe survey). The roomy toebox and low-profile but protective platform seemed to be big pluses, though on the minus side the upper seemed prone to tearing. Rather than simply address the upper issue, it was a bit of a surprise when New Balance decided to instead overhaul the shoe into something quite different.
I¡¯m also impressed by how the 1500 looks ¨C my pair in gray is fairly subdued, but in a good way. It¡¯s a shoe that can be used casually without making it look like you¡¯re about to run a 5k.The sole of the 1500 is pretty firm, and not very resilient. I often find this to be the case with New Balance¡¯s RevLite midsole foam (though not in the 1400 v2 for some reason). For longer, slower miles it feels kind of dead, but the ride improves when you pick up the pace (this is kind of how I felt about the NB 1600 and the Skechers GoMeb Speed 1 and 2). For that reason I would not personally consider this shoe for a marathon, but it would work well for a 5K or maybe even a half. It¡¯s also a shoe that can handle speed work. The main issue though is that for the same purposes you can get a lighter, flashier shoe in the 1600. My guess is the 1500 was made for those who wouldn¡¯t consider the 1400 or 1600 due to the lack of stability elements (mainly a marketing move if you ask me).
The outsole of the Zante is full coverage rubber ¨C as a result, I expect durability should be decent.Conclusions The New Balance Fresh Foam Zante is the kind of shoe that will work well when you pick up the pace due to the firm and responsive forefoot, and it¡¯s also well-cushioned enough to handle longer runs. Overall it¡¯s a very versatile shoe that should appeal to a wide range of runners. If the upper tear on my shoe is not a widespread issue I¡¯d rank it among the better shoes I have reviewed this year. I highly recommend the Zante!For other takes on the Fresh Foam Zante, see this review by Sam Winebaum an new balance 574 baratas d this review by Peter Stuart on Believe in the Run.