New Balance LD5000v5
It’s a rare treat for me to review spikes. I’ve owned a few
pairs of spikes over the years, but the majority have been targeted at
cross-country usage, e.g. the Brooks Mach series, which have a little more foam
and cushioning underfoot. The lone true track spike I’ve used recently was the
Nike Zoom Rival D, which is a sort of an entry level distance spike from Nike.
Therefore, it’s a real treat to be able to test out a premium level distance
spike such as the LD5000.
Specs:
Weight: 142 g/5 oz US M9, 146g / 5.15oz for tested sample US M9.5
4 pin spike configuration with ¼ inch spikes
$120. Available now.
$120. Available now.
UPPER AND FIT
The upper on the LD5000 uses a thin and semi-elastic mesh
that molds well to your foot. The overlays are all seamless and do not cause
any irritation to the toes or arch when fully laced up. You will notice that
the tongue is a continuation of the mesh upper on the medial side. This solves
the issue the tongue moving out of position during use, and I suspect also
simplifies the manufacturing process somewhat. The bottom line is that the
overall step in feel of the mesh upper is very, very good. 
However, there are two issues to take note of. Firstly, the
shoe runs very snug, and if you have used previous iterations of the LD5000
before, you very likely sized up a half size, as I confirmed with some of the
local NB-sponsored athletes in my area. I got a pair at true to size, and while
the fit is snug and just about ok, I would probably have been better off going
a half size up. The mesh is semi-elastic and does stretch out a little bit
after a while, but there is still a bit of tension around the metatarsal heads
at the toe box. If you plan to train with socks and race sockless, then you are
best off going up a half size for this model.
Secondly, there is a bonded seam right at the back of the
shoe, and runs from the midsole all the way along the heel and up the Achilles.
This seam caused me a bit of grief during the initial wearing in period. I
would have liked for them to place it somewhere off-centre, or put an extra bit
of fabric to smooth things over at that segment. This seam does soften up a
little after use, but on initial step in, it is quite rigid.
MIDSOLE AND OUTSOLE
The midsole is NB’s RevLite RC foam, which seems to be a
high durometer foam, runs in a single density layer across the bottom of the
foot. The firmness of this foam is pretty similar to other track spikes I have
worn in the past.
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| NB LD5000v5 |
The outsole is where things get interesting. The shoe uses a
full length pebax polymer plate for support and to hold the spikes plus what New Balance calls a Dynaride outsole for traction. If you look at the evolution of the
LD5000 series over the years, it appears that the plate design has gotten
progressively more and more aggressive in design.
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| NB LD5000v2 photo credit: RunningWarehouse |
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| NB LD5000v3 photo credit: Amazon.com |
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| NB LD5000v4 photo credit: Amazon.com |
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| NB LD5000v5 |
This appears to be a trend that the NB MD-series shoes did
not follow. The NB MD shoes opted instead for a higher spike count up front. My
suspicion is NB realizes that people are not going to be pure forefoot strikers
over the longer events, and would benefit more from a little more all-round
traction underfoot.
The last appears to be semi-curved, and is pretty narrow across
the arch and even the toe box, so take that into consideration for sizing, and
if you have wider feet.
RIDE AND IMPRESSIONS
While the aggressive outsole feels awkward to walk in off
the track, it immediately feels at home on the tartan track. The one big
difference I get with spikes vs regular running shoes, is the feeling of
integration between your foot and the shoe, and how much more easily you
interact with the ground when you run. The LD5000v5 is no different, and
perhaps even more so because the upper molds so well to the foot. The sensation
is almost like that of running barefoot, with all the attendant benefits of
protection a shoe provides.
The pebax plate, in addition to providing excellent traction, also makes for a very snappy and smooth transition for a variety of stride patterns. I tried running purely forefoot, as well as with a more heel-first landing pattern, and both running styles were well-accommodated by the spike. I think the one big difference is that there is no disconnect between the heel and forefoot here. In some other spikes, you feel the spike plate very distinctly, and the underfoot feel is noticeably different when you transition from heel to forefoot.
The pebax plate, in addition to providing excellent traction, also makes for a very snappy and smooth transition for a variety of stride patterns. I tried running purely forefoot, as well as with a more heel-first landing pattern, and both running styles were well-accommodated by the spike. I think the one big difference is that there is no disconnect between the heel and forefoot here. In some other spikes, you feel the spike plate very distinctly, and the underfoot feel is noticeably different when you transition from heel to forefoot.
I did several short speed workouts with the spikes, as well
as some longer 800s at 5k effort. I then switched between spikes and trainers a
few times. There was a small but tangible difference in split times, with the
spikes being on average ~0.5-1s per lap faster.
I think that on the whole, these spikes would be particularly
suited for runners who have a tendency to land more rearward towards the end of
a race, as the outsole design would be most beneficial for this cohort of
runners.
The shoe does run a little small, and the outsole last is pretty narrow across the arch as mentioned above, though not significantly more so than other premium long distance track models. Given the degree of cushioning from the overall package, I would say these spikes are on the firmer side of things, with the softest probably being the Adidas Adizero Avanti spikes with its Boost midsole, so take that into consideration.
I think I would be comfortable using it for a 5000m and intervals, but since I am nowhere near the level needed to take full advantage of such a responsive platform for long races, I would probably go with something else for a 10000m track race. (For reference, I would probably run around 35-36 mins for a 10000m at this stage)
The shoe does run a little small, and the outsole last is pretty narrow across the arch as mentioned above, though not significantly more so than other premium long distance track models. Given the degree of cushioning from the overall package, I would say these spikes are on the firmer side of things, with the softest probably being the Adidas Adizero Avanti spikes with its Boost midsole, so take that into consideration.
I think I would be comfortable using it for a 5000m and intervals, but since I am nowhere near the level needed to take full advantage of such a responsive platform for long races, I would probably go with something else for a 10000m track race. (For reference, I would probably run around 35-36 mins for a 10000m at this stage)
Derek's Score: 9.7/10
-0.2 for tricky heel seam, which can cause heel/Achilles rubbing for some people
-0.1 would have liked a little bit softer heel for a distance spike but this is just personal preference
COMPARISONS
Nike Zoom D vs LD5000v5
This is the only other recent track spike I have used. The
Zoom D has noticeably poorer heel traction, and this becomes most obvious
around the corners, where the LD5000v5 really shines. The Zoom D has the wider
toe box and higher overall shoe volume, as well as more accommodating midfoot
arch, but you don’t get that snug second skin feel that you can achieve with
the LD5000v5. I would say from a racing standpoint, the LD5000v5 definitely has
the more performance oriented fit and feel.
Derek Li is a family physician who lives in Singapore. He has been running marathons for the past four years with a 2017 marathon PR of 2:41 and a 2018 1:17 half marathon PR. Derek is focusing on a bid to run all the World Marathon Majors. In his free time, he likes to review running shoes and related products at his blog Running Commentary.
The LD5000 were
provided by RunningWarehouse at no cost. The opinions above are my own.
Comments Questions Welcome Below!
For Derek's full run bio see our Reviewers Bio Page here
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1 comment:
I have no experience with this spike, but the heel seam sounds like a typical shoe-too-small issue. My heel doesn't press tight against the heel enough for almost any seam to matter if the shoe isn't too short.
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