Article by Jérémy Marie
New Balance Fuel Cell Venym ( €140)
Editor’s Note: the review was translated from the original French with Deepl
Introduction
The Venym is presented as a "door to trail" model, with an emphasis on dynamism. New Balance makes this clear on their website: "A model designed to be light and fast".
Equipped with FuelCell foam, the same PEBA 20%/ EVA 80%as in the Rebel v4 for road, and a fairly a lower profile trail outsole, the main question that arises before testing is the suitability of this fairly soft foam, with a fair amount of rebound, for natural non roadl terrain and trails.
In a way, it's an all-terrain version of the NB Rebel v4, which is rather promising given the success of its road-going sister. It is currently available outside the US.
Pros
Overall comfort
Lively, dynamic cushioning with plenty of rebound.
Not too unstable despite the softness of the foam thanks to the wide platform.
Very good grip, good rubber adhesion.
Easy transition from paths to asphalt.
Reasonably priced.
Cons
Some runners will lack support and stability
the midsole is quite soft and will quickly reaches its limits on technical terrain.
How long will the foam and outsole last?
Stats
Weight: 275g (US10.5, EU44.5)
Stack: 31 mm heel/ 25 mm forefoot (6mm drop)
€140
First Impressions, Upper and Fit
Light and flexible in hand, the Venym confirms these impressions once on the foot and on the run. You can feel the sole conforming to the ground, deforming g under the weight of the wearer, which is almost disconcerting in a trail shoe. It's a sensation generally found on road supershoes, and even more recently in the road "super trainers" category, which use the same supercritical foams.
Step in comfort is excellent. The wide-open mesh adapts well to the foot, and provides good support for the instep. Very supple and flexible, it contributes greatly to the Venym's excellent comfort. The fit is close to the foot, widening a little at the forefoot.
The entire lower area of the upper’s mesh is covered with a grooved TPU layer This his adds a little structure in this area, provides support at the base of the foot, and limits the risk of premature wear in this traditionally exposed zone.
At the front, this overlay layer widens and rises to the top of the toes, offering protection for the toes: it's the aptly named “Toe Protect” - it's written all over it!
The protection remains fairly flexible, and you shouldn't count on it too much in the event of an unexpected encounter with a rock. But it's still effective against minor impacts.
The gusseted tongue helps keep the foot firmly in place. Quite thin, it interfaces naturally well with the lacing, and I found it protected well from the pressure of the laces. The laces are slightly elastic, but effective. The layout is simple and classic, and they slide nicely between the various eyelets, retaining the tensions you made at the start of your outing. Simple and well-done.
At the rear, the heel is fitted with a rigid counterl over almost its entire height. I imagine this addition was made to provide more support for the back of the foot, but by relying on a rigid structure, NB has somewhat limited the cushioning, and the ability to match different heel shapes. On my feet, the fit is decent, with no rubbing or other discomfort. I have, however, received feedback from runners who were less fortunate and picked up blisters.
The overall feeling is particularly positive: the Venym combines comfort, support and a midsole that promises a good deal of dynamism once in motion.
Midsole
Composed of a single layer of FuelCell foam (an EVA foam with 20% PEBA in the mix), the midsole is very soft. It's sensitive to pressure (the famous "thumb test"!), but also when walking, where the Venym gives a feeling of instability. Once in motion, this impression fades thanks to the resilience of the foam, which quickly returns to its initial shape after the pressure exerted on the foot is released with each stride.
The rubber outsole provides very little additional firmness, and has only have a very slight effect on the behavior of the foam.
The platform is wide enough to counterbalance the instability inherent in the very soft foam.
Apart from some chaotic descents, I didn't find Venym too unstable or insecure on my feet.
There's still an open question as to the lifespan of the foam. These kinds of highly reactive, soft foams are generally exhilarating and effective in the early stages, but lose their characteristics fairly quickly on road models, generally in my experience after 300 kms. On the less regular terrain to which the Venym is dedicated, this should be less noticeable, apart from road segments.
Outsole
NB's Hydro Hesion compound has already proved its worth in the past, and it excels as before here. Grip on wet stones is very good, just a notch below the best (Vibram comes to mind), but clearly nothing to be overly worried about in comparison.
The 4mm triangular studs are well-spaced out and go well just about anywhere, even in muddy terrain where they provide effective release of mud. Their height didn't bother me on the road either, probably thanks to the shoe and outsole’s flexibility.
Their direction is reversed between front and rear, to ensure good grip both uphill, with the front lugs, and downhill, with the rear ones.
The rubber is quite soft, and here again, the question of lug durability could be raised. So far, with 90 kms on the odometer, including a few up&down sessions, I haven't noticed any premature wear or missing studs.
Running Experience and Conclusions
Fun! That's really the first impression you get once you're on the move with the Venym.
The shoe is light, and the bounce provided by the foam increases this impression tenfold. The high flexibility of the sole means that the stride takes place naturally, so that passages on roads or wide easy paths are made with disconcerting ease: you really do have the impression of wearing a modern road shoe, one with more traction.
For me, the sweet spot for this model is on less technical trails, in forests, on ground that's not too uneven: in short, all situations where the foot placement doesn't require too much precision, or "feeling" of the ground. The flexibility of the platform and foam won't be a problem on the above terrain, and we'll get the most out of the bouncy behavior of the FuelCell foam.
The highly effective outsole also gives you a great deal of confidence, so you can tackle slippery areas without worrying too much about your foot slipping or sliding. And it's pleasant, you actually forget you are wearing it
The downside of this behavior is obviously technical sections and uneven terrain, where suppleness becomes more of a problem, and where the high rebound of the foam makes foot placement and stride control tricky. Steep descents must be approached with care to avoid twisting an ankle.
The same applies to steep uphill gradients: the supple sole means that the foot will work much harder than with a firmer shoe or one with a reinforcing plate in the sole, so arches of the foot may feel a little tired at the end of certain outings.
In conclusion, in my opinion, this Venym is one of the best "Door to Trail" shoes around. Quite stable, with a highly responsive, dynamic midsole, the shoe makes you want to have fun on the trails, as long as they remain "easy". You really get the feel of a light, punchy road shoe with an effective trails worthy outsole. It’s a real favorite for me!
Score: 9.6 / 10 (-0.2 for foam durability, -0.2 for technical terrain limits)
Fun Score:: 😊😊😊😊😊
Comparaisons
Index of all RTR Reviews : HERE
Nike Pegasus Trail 5 (test RTR)
The Pegasus is a good shoe, but it's heavier, clunkier, less fun and less effective than the Venym at higher speeds, and despite its now improved rubber, it doesn't grip as well. Its only advantage is that it will last longer, given what we know about ReactX foam.
ON CloudSurfer Trail (test RTR)
Another model I particularly like. The On is a little less responsive, a little less fun, but will be more versatile: it will cope better with rougher terrain than the Venym, thanks to its more supportive platform. In terms of support, the Venym is closer to the foot, and provides a moe solid hold. The New Balance is also better in terms of grip. The choice will mainly depend on the terrain you're most likely to encounter: easy terrain and roads: the Venym. If the terrain is a little rougher, or if you're looking for an even more all-purpose model: the CloudSurfer Trail.
TOP4 RUNNING Europe
New Balance Fuel Cell Venym
€140
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Jeremy MARIE, French, 44y/o. Running since 2013 and quickly transitioned to trails, focused on ultras since 2015 : TDS, Maxi-Race, “100 miles du Sud”, 90 kms du Mt Blanc, GRP 120 kms, Some shorter more mellow races (Saintelyon 45 kms, Ecotrail Paris 45 kms…) with always in the mix road and flat running, but not many road races. Also active cyclist and 70.3 Ironman. Recovery/easy runs ~4’45/km - 4’30/km. He has an un-official marathon PR of 2h54 (solo) and 10K PR of 36’25. He does few timed road races.
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