New Balance TWO WXY V4 review

Given all its highlights, we recommend the New Balance TWO WXY to the following:

• basketball players who play both indoors and outdoors
• ballers who want shoes that are durable and can last long
• athletes who prefer a more balanced cushioning system

Breathability was a problem for the New Balance Two WXY V4 during our test games. If you want a shoe with better ventilation at the same price point, you can go for the Jordan Zion 2 or the Nike Zoom Freak 4. If you have more dollars to spare, going for the Curry Flow 10 from Under Armour is the perfect move!

Though we don't consider the cushioning of this shoe a problem, some players might prefer their shoes to feel softer underfoot. They might be better off with shoes like the Harden Vol. 7 or the Trae Young 2, which are both from Adidas. The Harden Vol. 7, being a shoe for a big guy like James Harden, is also a wide-feet friendly pick.

There are visible perforations in the upper of the New Balance TWO WXY V4; however, they did not translate to breathability that we could appreciate. We felt the heat, and our feet started to feel uncomfortable as our games dragged on.

This shoe is visibly not of the same level as the Under Armour Curry 10, which scored a 5 out of 5 on our smoke test. We could only give it a 2 out of 5 simply because the smoke that we pumped into the shoe found it hard to escape through the upper material. If not for the spaces on the sides of the tongue, there would have been no escape! Yikes!

The results of our light test were also not that notable. The holes and vents did not let a lot of light pass.

We examined the upper material under our in-lab microscope, and we saw that there was still another layer of material underneath the visible holes. Because of this obstruction, both smoke and light were not able to easily pass through.

Are the holes just there for aesthetics? It surely felt like it!

During our test games, our shoes got stepped on several times. There were even moments when we dragged the toebox against the floor as we attempted rebounds and blocks. Fortunately, the toebox successfully weathered all that pressure.

In the lab, even the Dremel was not able to cause significant damage. It fared better than the budget-friendly Nike Precision 6,  which did not even put up any form of resistance AT ALL (hence its score of 1 out of 5). The TWO WXY V4 truly deserved the 4 out of 5 for durability that the shoe got from us.

The heel padding was even more impressive. It did not only feel comfortable and secure, it felt incredibly durable as well. We could say goodbye to blisters without feeling too flimsy in the process.

Our Dremel test only confirmed our initial observations. Our high-pressure Dremel drilling did not even leave any visible mark on the heel padding. If we could give more than a perfect 5, we definitely would!

The outsole of the New Balance TWO WXY V4 did not feel too soft or too firm. Our HC durometer gave it a rating of 83.5 and it felt just right. It was firm enough to resist abrasion and it was malleable enough to enhance its bite on the floor.

Durability-wise, the outsole of this New Balance basketball shoe was truly a bomb. None of the rubbing and quick changes in direction that we did on both indoor and outdoor courts eroded the outsole. 

We subjected the outsole to our Dremel test, and we are pleased to see that it incurred a dent that was only 0.7 mm deep. This is a lot shallower than the dent we'd seen on the average basketball shoe outsole.

Aside from being durable, the outsole was also thicker than average at 5.1 mm.

Because of these observations, we are confident to recommend this shoe for outdoor use. Its performance is even comparable to the Nike Cosmic Unity 3, which currently is among the best for outdoor use in our inventory.

Given its durability, we expected the New Balance TWO WXY V4 to be on the heavier side. We were pleasantly surprised when we saw that it was even slightly lighter than average at 13.1 ounces or 370 grams.

For sure, this shoe was never a chore to wear.

The thickness of the heel felt like the usual. True enough, our caliper measured it to be just around the average at 31.2 mm. 

Just like the heel, the forefoot did not feel extraordinary. True enough, our caliper measured its thickness to be 21.3, a figure that does not deviate significantly from the average.

Given that both the heel and the forefoot were of average thickness, we expected the drop to be just around the average, too. We were proven right when our calculations revealed that the upper is 9.9 mm. 

Now did we have problems with the average thickness of the midsole? Not at all! Quite on the contrary, we appreciated that this kind of cushioning setup gave us the right balance between compression and court feel. We gained control over our steps and got protected from impact all at the same time.

Though it felt nowhere near the softness delivered by the Adidas Harden Vol. 7, we still did not have problems with the softness of the New Balance TWO WXY V4's midsole.

It was enough to keep us protected and pain-free as we ran up and down the court and attempted to score with multiple jump shots. Our HA durometer gave it a rating of 25.0.

The insole was removable, and it was just as thick as the average at 4.9 mm.

We had issues with the lateral hold that this shoe had on our feet. The medial side seemed to lack some stiffness, and our feet tended to sway a bit too far in that direction. Fortunately, this did not result in slips but it sure did lead to some wobbliness especially when we executed quick sidesteps.

The mild flimsiness of the medial sidewalls was well compensated by the stiffness of the base. Aside from contributing a great deal to the stability of our steps, the stiff base also successfully prevented painful slips.

We manually assessed the torsional rigidity of the New Balance TWO WXY V4 in our lab, and we were just so happy to give it a well-deserved 5 out of 5.

Our manual lab assessments revealed that the heel had moderate stiffness. This was a good thing because it gave a secure clasp around the rearfoot without being too restrictive. We still had enough flexibility to position our feet appropriately when we had to catch the ball at unique angles. And we  still had enough stiffness to prevent ankle twisting.

The width of the forefoot part of the platform is greater than usual at 119.5 mm. The above-average width of this part contributed to this shoe's stability.

The heel part of the platform was just around the average at 91.6 mm wide.

The New Balance TWO WXY V4 felt like it had the usual flexibility. We measured how much force was needed for it to bend at 90 degrees, and we saw that it needed 44.4N, which is just slightly greater than the force needed by the typical basketball shoe.

The reduced flexibility definitely helped with this shoe's stability and lockdown. If this shoe were a cage, we were sure that our feet were not going anywhere once they were placed inside the New Balance TWO WXY V4!

The unique pattern etched in the outsole of this New Balance hoop shoe delivered just the right amount of grip that we needed: not too grippy that it was difficult to move, and not too smooth either that friction was reduced and slipping was likely.

Using a caliper, we learned that the New Balance TWO WXY V4 measures 101.7 mm at the widest part of its toebox. This number is almost equal to the measurement of the typical basketball shoe. 

Given this, we can safely say that this basketball shoe is not for those with unusually wide or narrow feet. Both types of players must be willing to make size adjustments so that they can enjoy the full potential of this NB hoop shoe.

At the big toe, the measurement of the New Balance TWO WXY V4 did not deviate from the average. Our caliper measured this part of the shoe to be 75.9 mm wide.

The TWO WXY V4 has fully gusseted construction. This design helped in ensuring a more secure foot containment. We appreciated it so much when our games became a bit more intense and our movements became more aggressive than usual.

The tongue has the usual amount of padding. Through our caliper measurements, we learned that the tongue is 9.9 mm thick.

Not only did the tongue help with fit, but it also enhanced our experience of in-shoe comfort.

The TWO WXY V4 does not have a heel tab. We also do not think it's necessary because the shoe itself was so easy to put on and take off.

Because the insole was removable, it was easy for us to make space for orthotics and outer inserts that helped us perform better.