Facts
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DiscontinuedUpdate: New Balance Vazee Pace v2
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Terrain
Road
Shoes best for road, track and light gravel. See the best road shoes.
Trail
Shoes best for trail, off road, mountains and other unstable surfaces. See the best trail shoes.
Good to know
As long as you stick to the road or path, and if you want just one running shoe, buy a road running shoe.
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Arch support
Neutral / cushion / high arch
Shoes for runners who do not need any additional arch support (Around 50% of runners). Best for people with normal, high or medium high arches. See the best neutral shoes.
Stability / overpronation / normal arch
Shoes for runners who need mild to moderate arch support (Around 45% of runners). Best for runners with a low arch. See the best stability shoes.
Motion control / severe overpronation / flat feet
Shoes for runners who needs a lot of arch support. Best for runners with flat feet. See the best motion control shoes.
Good to know
- Rule of thumb: If in doubt, buy neutral shoes to avoid injuries.
- More about arch support in this video.
- Find your arch type by following steps from this video. -
Use
Daily running
Cushioned shoes for your daily easy running. Great comfort. See best shoes for daily running.
Competition
Lightweight shoes good for races, interval training, tempo runs and fartlek. Here are the best competition running shoes.
Good to know
If you want just one pair of shoes, buy a shoe for daily running.
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Price€140
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WeightMen: 213gWomen: 184g
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Heel to toe dropMen: 6mmWomen: 6mm
The height difference from the heel to the forefoot, also known as heel drop, toe spring, heel to toe spring or simply drop.
There are many opinions about what a good heel drop is. We do not recommend any in particular. Lean more in this video.
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Heel heightMen: 17mmWomen: 17mm
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Forefoot heightMen: 11mmWomen: 11mm
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WidthMen: Normal, WideWomen: Normal, Wide
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Release dateJul 2015
Rankings
Expert Reviews
Experts are runners, who post reviews at youtube, directly at RunRepeat or at their own websites. Each expert is categorized from level 1 to level 5 based on expertise. See stats on expert reviews and how we calculate scores here.
Are you an expert? Apply to contribute here.
83 / 100 based on 18 expert reviews
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So far, this is my pick for new shoe of the year, and this has been a great year for running shoes. I can’t imagine any shoe will be able to take its place.
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On its own, the Vazee Pace is a lightweight shoe with excellent ground feel and good balance. When I want to go slow on a recovery day I don’t feel like I’m being pushed to floor it but when the time comes to turn on the speed, this shoe can fly.
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They are very responsive, and put loads of energy in your stride, making them very fun to run in.
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This is a lightweight, responsive and durable shoe that can go anywhere from a 5k to a marathon and possibly even beyond.
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It feels like between the minimal craze (whatever happened to…) and the new lean to maximal we are in a golden age of light, moderately cushioned shoes that are just plain FUN to run in.
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The upper, a simple mesh with thin welded overlays for support, holds the foot nicely without binding anywhere.
- The Vazee collection of shoes introduces another shoe with more than enough cushioning for high-mileage trainings and ultra-long runs in a lightweight package that makes race days also as an ideal time to use the Vazee Pace.
- In the Vazee Pace, New Balance brings back the REVlite midsole for its lightweight and snappy ride. It brings an element of firmness in the sole that is needed for powerful takeoffs without putting stress on the foot with each stride in a very long run.
- For a shoe that is built for speed training or racing, New Balance gave the shoe a little bump on the medial side for better arch support. The support is not jarring and is designed to really come to the fore when runners go for marathons or longer runs. It is effective, but never gets in the way of neutral runners.
- New Balance’s drive of providing fast and athletic shoes is evident by the kind of upper it offers in the Vazee Pace. The upper hugs the foot in support and comfort. There is an excellent lockdown feel as well delivered by the deconstructed heel counter and the synthetic overlays.
The fit of the Vazee Pace is snug in the rear going to the midfoot. With an Oblique Toe Box design, the forefoot has adequate space for the toes to splay. A large number of runners prefer this type of fit in their shoes. New Balance uses medium and wide as the available widths of this shoe. Sizing is standard with options 6 to 15 for the men’s and 5 to 11 for the women’s.
The outsole is a full contact platform from the front to the back. New Balance designs the outsole with huge chunks of rubber called pods that effortlessly tie up with the deep flex grooves for exceptional flexibility in the forefoot and part of the midfoot. Carbon rubber is used on the heel and near the tips of the forefoot for durability while blown rubber covers most of the outsole for enhanced traction. The blown rubber material is also utilized in the outsole of the Vazee Pace 2 and other popular New Balance running footwear.
To give that necessary pop for quick-paced runs, New Balance uses its patented REVlite midsole. It is very light and extremely durable. While the cushioning is adequate for ultra-long runs, it does not sag like many of the soft foams for a more energizing stride. The one-piece REVlite foam makes the transition better from the heel to the toes. The flex grooves in the outsole are the same pattern used in the midsole for excellent flexibility.
Probably the most minimal part of the shoe is the upper. It uses mainly two kinds of mesh. The one in the front has wider holes, which makes breathability excellent, while the midfoot part to the heel is a bit close for more structure and support. The cleatie-style and seamless construction also deliver adequate midfoot hold through the welded synthetic overlays. Giving support in the rear section is the deconstructed heel counter. The counter is a bit pliable, which still helps with the wraparound fit and great comfort. Running without socks is made possible by the irritation-free interior. For enhanced comfort and cushioning, a traditional sockliner is utilized. Flat laces are used to give runner’s the fit they want most.