New Balance Summit Unknown

94 / 100 based on 4 expert reviews

• Mark Highland

  Level 1 expert

  Verified

  90 / 100 | RunRepeat Mark Highland

  New Balance Summit Unknown: Unwrap your feet and get closer to nature

  Trail running is where my heart really lies. Those ephemeral moments that last so briefly that you wish you had someone to experience that fleeting moment with you.

  I ended up with the New Balance Summit Unknown after some great customer service from New Balance. I was set on using a pair of the Hierro V3 fresh Foam for my races last year but had a bit of a nightmare with them.

   

  

   

  I think I may have had a defective pair, or they just didn’t work with my forefoot strike. But I ended up with the sole of my foot bruised and then to add to the issues the sole of the right shoe started coming away from the upper.

  Cue the customer service team at New Balance, and after an exchange of emails and images, I was refunded for the shoe, and I ordered the Summit Unknown as a replacement.

  Initial impression

  Out of the box, the bright orange trainers meant that I wasn’t going to be missed on the trails. Eye-catching and the reinforced toe box is reassuring you that those rogue snags won’t be catching your precious toes easily.

  Upper

  The upper material is lightweight but is not waterproof. This does drain and dry quickly. So, your feet don’t feel like they are swamped when you step in that inevitable puddle.

  As many people have mentioned the tongue of these is quite short. But unlike many, I have not experienced any slippage or stones in the shoes. The collar of the shoe is lightly padded and with this shoe being aimed at faster/race runs its intention is evident.

   

  Midsole

  I have run about 120 miles in these shoes on a mixture of trail types along the South Downs Way and the transitions between surfaces have been smooth, even though the shoe is a trail shoe using it along the road to get to or between the trails is comfortable.

  This probably comes down to the Revlite midsole of the shoe, which although not of the maximal design provides good cushioning and protection for the feet. This in part is helped by the footplate in the forefoot to help nullify the hazard of stones impacting the sole of the shoe.

   

   

  The amount of cushioning in the midsole does lead the shoe to feel responsive, and your feet feel in touch with the trail.

  Outsole

  The grip on the outsole of the Summit Unknown is provided by 5mm lugs that perform well on the shales and gravel of the South Downs Way. Whilst easily being able to cope with softer sections of the trail when required.

  I have found limits to the shoe grip at the more extreme end of the mud spectrum. But there are other shoes out there that excel at that which I would use if I needed to. Over wet rocks, the grip is exceptional and gives you the confidence to push hard without fear of slipping.

   

  Conclusion

  This shoe suits me as a forefoot runner, with a need for the shoe to flex in the forefoot. I was surprised at how flexible this shoe was even though it has the incorporated footplate.

  Over shale, gravel, and mud, the grip will not let you down and wearing the shoe on the road to the trails is painless due to the flexibility of the shoe. The only limitation of the shoes I have found has been in the extreme mud and at 175lbs.

  I would have doubts on how my feet would cope with any ultra-distance events in these. I think though that is my limitation rather than the shoes, as I have worn them on the trails for 22 miles without any issues.

  At the moment, these are my go-to trail shoes, and I don’t have any doubt that they will get used until they are gardening shoes. The Summit Unknown will appeal to those looking for a lighter/faster shoe for the trails.

  Many will be drawn to the maximal shoes of the moment, but to me, they wrap your feet in a bubble and shut you off from the trail experience. Unwrap your feet and get closer to nature with these Summit Unknown. You might like it.

  This expert has been verified by RunRepeat. Reviews are neutral, unbiased and based on extensive testing.
• Matt

  Level 4 expert

  92 / 100 | Road Runner Sports

  I just got this out on the trails. It's super fun, lightweight and protective ride.
• J

  Jeff Valliere

  Level 5 expert

  95 / 100 | Road Trail Run

  The Summit Unknown makes for a great race shoe or up tempo trainer for up to mid distance on a wide variety and especially technical terrain. Despite the initial blister issues, the upper of the Summit Unknown is softening and breaking in to the point where it is less of a problem, but pressure remains and I find myself being cautious.
• Sam Winebaum

  Level 5 expert

  95 / 100 | Road Trail Run

  I found the Summit Unknown to be an outstanding choice for all around, less than super technical trail running, at speed and for moderate distances. I tend to like such a shoe for my 5-15 mile runs where I will see a mix of terrain and where some agility is needed and it for sure fits the bill.