New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3
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| New Balance Zante V3 |
Upper and Fit:
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| New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3 |
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| LEFT New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3, RIGHT v2 |
The upper on the Zante V3 is where the most notable changes have
occurred. The engineered mesh upper has varying densities of weave—more dense
in the midfoot and more open over the toe. Overall I find the Z3 to be a more
breathable and better looking shoe than the V2.
There are some paisley looking
designs on the sides of the shoe which look nice and the various design
elements coalesce to provide a nice, fast looking shoe.
They’ve taken the little rubber piece off of the tongue--which I believe was there to protect the top of the foot from lace pressure--I don’t really miss it. The tongue is sewn in on either side, so there’s no slippage. The ankle collar is nicely padded without going overboard. One of very few complaints I had with the V2 was that the upper felt a little claustrophobic (felt a tiny bit narrow and the mesh was really dense over the toes). New Balance have taken the best things about the upper of the 1400 and brought them over to the Zante. The fit took me a couple of runs to dial in—which is unusual for me. It’s fine, perhaps just feels a bit roomier in the toe-box due to the looser weave in that area.
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| Zante v3 has more breathable mesh over the toes |
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| New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3 |
They’ve taken the little rubber piece off of the tongue--which I believe was there to protect the top of the foot from lace pressure--I don’t really miss it. The tongue is sewn in on either side, so there’s no slippage. The ankle collar is nicely padded without going overboard. One of very few complaints I had with the V2 was that the upper felt a little claustrophobic (felt a tiny bit narrow and the mesh was really dense over the toes). New Balance have taken the best things about the upper of the 1400 and brought them over to the Zante. The fit took me a couple of runs to dial in—which is unusual for me. It’s fine, perhaps just feels a bit roomier in the toe-box due to the looser weave in that area.
Midsole and Outsole:
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| New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3 |
We’re still working with Fresh Foam here, so it’s not a wildly different ride. They’ve changed the layout of the hexagonal pattern on the outsole. This is actually more effective than I would have guessed. The shoe transitions just a tiny bit quicker, and I would guess it’s because it flexes a little better due to this new layout. Editor's Note: New Balance also told us a Outdoor Retailer here that larger hexagons under the first metatarsal head were informed by runner data captured by sensors in test shoes and are there to provide a bit more stable push off.
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| LEFT Fresh Foam Zante v2 RIGHT Fresh Foam Zante v3 |
Editor's Note: The computer runner data generated side wall hexagon patterns of convex and concave shapes tune the firmness of the sidewalls and thus the shoe feel under load. Convex deflect less increasing firmness, concave deflect more increasing cushion feel. Not a gimmick at all.
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| New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3 |
The midsole hexagons(which were formerly a mix of concave and convex are all convex in v3. Previously the v2 had a mix of convex and concave hexagons on the lateral side.
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| New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v2 |
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| TOP Zante v2 BOTTOM Zante v3 |
These two changes, the outsole pattern and changes to the sidewall hexagons, make for a very subtle change of ride from the v2. We’re still in a Zante, but it’s just a little more dialed in.
Ride:
Ahh, the Zante. The original Zante was such a revelation for me.
I finally knew what all those people who loved the original Kinvara felt like.
I ran around with a smile on my face because the Zante was just a delight to
run in. They were light, comfortable, cushioned enough for long runs and snappy
when you needed them to be. V2 built on this a bit, but didn’t have the same
WOW! Factor for me.
With the Z3, the WOW is back, but with a little bit of a caveat. Generally, they are a joy to run in, but they're more fun as the pace gets faster. The ride is on the firm side, and has some give, but at slower speeds they feel a little too firm for me--almost stiff. They are super comfortable out of the box and have broken in really nicely over about 60 miles so far. They’ve gained a little weight over the years, but are still a light and lively shoe. What I like best about the Zante v3 is that I can go do an easy 15 in them one day and they remind me of the Nike Pegasus 33, and the next day I can do a tough interval workout and they remind me of a New Balance 1400 (though with more spring). When I pick up the pace in these they return a really good amount of energy from the road. They’re a great swiss army knife of a shoe.
With the Z3, the WOW is back, but with a little bit of a caveat. Generally, they are a joy to run in, but they're more fun as the pace gets faster. The ride is on the firm side, and has some give, but at slower speeds they feel a little too firm for me--almost stiff. They are super comfortable out of the box and have broken in really nicely over about 60 miles so far. They’ve gained a little weight over the years, but are still a light and lively shoe. What I like best about the Zante v3 is that I can go do an easy 15 in them one day and they remind me of the Nike Pegasus 33, and the next day I can do a tough interval workout and they remind me of a New Balance 1400 (though with more spring). When I pick up the pace in these they return a really good amount of energy from the road. They’re a great swiss army knife of a shoe.
Conclusions and comparisons:
It’s hard to beat the Zante in my book. They’re fairly light, affordable and really terrific to run in at all speeds. They are a little firm overall, so if you're looking for cush they may not be the shoe for you. That said, they're efficient and I don't feel beat up over longer runs. There are two
shoes I’d consider at this point if I could only keep one pair of shoes, and
the Zante V3 is one of them.
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| New Balance Zante v3 |
Comparisons:
Zante V2
Zante V2
The Z3 gains .1 oz, feels light and snappy and has a much
improved upper. I’d go for the V3 over the V2 all day long.
New Balance Vazee Pace
I prefer the Zante V3 over the Pace. Pace is a little too firm
for me.
New Balance RC 1400
The Zante is a heavier, more protective shoe than the 1400. The
uppers are now much more similar. I want to love the 1400 more than I do. I’ve
run marathons in both and I’ve felt much better in the late miles wearing the
Zante.
Nike Pegasus 33
These are, by far, my two favorite trainers right now. They’re
both versatile, comfortable and affordable. The Pegasus is a bit heavier, and
is a bit more of a recovery day shoe for me. The Zante is terrific. Can’t go
wrong either way.
Score 9 out 10
-0.5 for firm ride and a stiff feeling mid-foot.
-0.5 for work to dial the fit in.
-0.5 for firm ride and a stiff feeling mid-foot.
-0.5 for work to dial the fit in.
The Fresh Foam Zante is available February 2017. $100
The Zante v3 was provided at no charge to RTR. The opinions herein are entirely the author's.
The Zante v3 was provided at no charge to RTR. The opinions herein are entirely the author's.
Photo Credit: Peter Stuart
Peter Stuart's Running Bio
My running career got off to a slow start…in high school I was told I ran like a race walker and was thus relegated to race walking on the track team. I got back into running about 15 years ago and then into triathlon. Triathlon really rekindled my love for running, so about two years ago I hired a coach and really focused on the half and full marathons. I broke a bad habit of putting in tons of moderately hard miles (and no easy or hard ones) and after plateauing at 3:25 (with some disastrous marathons in there), this past year I brought my marathon under 3:00 and my half under 1:25. Along the way I’ve developed a bit of a shoe problem.
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18 comments:
Thanks for the review, Peter.
V2 was firmer than the original, especially at the forefoot. So, V3 is even firmer?
Nick.
Great Review!
I'm a high school middle-distance athlete looking for a shoe for all of my easy runs, tempo runs, and track workouts. The New Balance Zante v3 look pretty nice. However, it isn't coming out until March 2017. So far, I have liked my Kinvara 7s, and disliked my Lunaracer +3(They seemed very unstable and too cushioned). What shoes would you recommend?
Hi Anonymous,
The Zante v3 is not hugely different and v2 is on sale
You might try the New Balance 2090. It's on sale at Running Warehouse here http://www.runningwarehouse.com/New_Balance_Vazee_2090_Mens_Shoes_Yellow/descpage-NBV20M.html?from=rtr
Review: http://www.roadtrailrun.com/2016/07/initial-review-new-balance-vazee-2090.html
Or the less expensive Vazee Rush 2 http://www.roadtrailrun.com/2016/08/review-new-balance-vazee-rush-v2-great.html
The Salming Distance might also be another option.
Thanks for reading
Thanks for responding. For a mid-distance runner, I do quite a bit of mileage. Out of the before mentions, which would you recommend for the easier runs?
The 2090 has a nice blend of a really good midfoot hold for speed work and decent shock proof cushion. Rush is similar but not as smooth feeling all around. The Nike Pegasus 33 is always a good bet. I am also really digging the Boston Boost 6 and upcoming Brooks Launch 4 both have softer cushion than the NB but still decently fast shoes Reviews of all here http://www.roadtrailrun.com/p/blog-page.html?m=1
I decided on getting a vazee pace. However, I'm afraid if it wouldn't be enough shoe for my easier days. What other shoe would you recommend for me to add to my rotation?
To stay with NB the Vazee Rush v2. For a bit more cushion Saucony Ride 9 or Zealot v2 or Nike Pegasus
Hi Peter, great review...I've ran in the Zante v1s and v2s and am looking forward to the new upper on the v3. One question that I was hoping you could answer is about the insoles. I noticed that the insoles in the v2 weren't as nice as the v1s: they were a little thinner and the v1s also had some ventilation dimples...I actually ended up taking the insoles out of the v1s and putting them in my v2s, though they're starting to wear down. How does the insole of the v3 compare?
Anonymous, sorry, late to the party on this reply, but for easy days i am loving the Nike Pegasus 33.
Jason,
I pulled the insoles out of V2 and V3 today. Looks like they're exactly the same.
Peter
How is the sizing compared to the v2 or the 1400v4?
Between Zante V3 and Boston 6 which would you recommend for tempo and interval runs? I am a forefoot striker, who have low arches but run neutral with an average pace of around 5-5:30min/km for 10km.
Hi Anonymous, Either Boston 6 or Zante v3 is a fine choice for intervals or tempo at your pace. I ran the v1 Zante and the Boston 6 and for versatility I would chose the Boston. The Zante is stiffer and firmer overall. Thanks for reading Road Trail Run! Sam, Editor. We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Hi,
Between Zante V3 and Nike Free Run Distance 2 which would you recommend for long runs and those recovery day runs? I am a light (140lbs) runner and could run in 1500v2 every day but that shoe feels best during tempo runs. Kinvara 7 is not flexible enough for me, I enjoyed Kinvara 5 and original Clifton. Now I'm left with mostly competition shoes in my rotation :) I think Zante is stifter than Nike and Nike Free RN II seems sfiter than 1st version which is OK for me but cushioning should be approximately on the same level, right? Other recommendations?
Marduk,
If you just want a little step up from the 1500 with a nice flex, I'd consider the Nike Zoom Elite 9. It's really fun shoe. Also enjoying the Skechers GoRun5 for easy days and long runs. Don't have any experience with the Free distance. Hope that helps.P
Hi, today i bought NB zante v3 shoe in dubai and i would like to know i can u do slow or fast walking or just i can do running with this shoe. Thanks
Hi Anonymous,
Zante v3 should be just fine for walking. Maybe better for walking than for running slow as they are not particularly padded for slow running
Thanks for reading.
Sam, Editor
Would these be good for half and/or full marathons too? Right now I wear Nike Free Rn and they have not given me any problems but I'm looking to try something new. Thanks!
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