Customer Reviews New Balance Vazee Pace

I do most of my long runs in Fresh Foam Zantes but I wanted something a little more aggressive for long training runs and races. The Vazee Pace fits the bill perfectly. Light, neutral, and not too much drop. Wide toe box but definitely not a sloppy fit. Plenty of cushioning for long runs but still feels fast and responsive. this will be my Boston Marathon shoe this year.

Light, comfortable and shock absorbent - great for running on hard surfaces. I've had lot's of compliments about how they look, too.

I love these shoes!!! Light and fast but with more cushion than a racing flat. I'm a mid-foot runner and wanted a little more protection when I was going into my first 70.3 Half Iron Man triathlon. These shoes did great, I had no issue when I was in full sprint or walking the water stops. They not only got thru the months of training but have also handheld the off season runs until recently. Finally at close to 500 miles over 5 months it's time to say goodbye and purchase another pair of the exact same shoes. I pretty well stay 1/2 marathon ready at 20-25 miles per week, that generally gets me thru two social runs and weekend long run of 10ish miles. Finally a shoe that can keep up with me when I'm flat tack or needing a minute to rest.

Shoe is incredibly light weight while maintaining support without sacrificing cushioning. They achieved a near perfect balance with this shoe. I plan on setting a new PR for 5k, 10k, and half marathons with this shoe as well as possibly doing a marathon in them later this year. Shoe also breaths amazing, feet stayed cooler than any other shoe I've used in the past. Highly recommend this shoe for those running 20+ miles a week looking to do some speed work.

Ahead of my first marathon I decided "why not try something new". I have been a long time Asics runner but, in recent years I am finding as my body and gate changes I was having more issues with blistering and fit. New Balance, has had a long favorable rep with distance runners so, let's give them a try. Out the box the Vazee Pace is a inspiring shoe, luscious colors, super light and yet, a solid feeling in your hand. From the moment I slipped them on I know this was the right choice. I did two weeks of treadmill running (Snow bound runner) before getting to run with them outside. What a joy! I clicked through a 10 mile run like nothing flat, the upper fits was slipper like, good damping, laces stayed secure. I have read other reviews saying this is a great middle distance shoe but, after my first marathon in them I can say this shoe will go the distance.At the end of my first marathon run in these shoe, I had one very small blister that I didn't even notice until I took off. Vazee Pace performed beyond expectations I felt sure footed over everything, my feet stayed cool through LA heat, I ran faster 5k/10k/20k. I'm going to stick with this shoe over my upcoming triathlon season. It's a winner!

Got his shoe to run the marathon in. It's is fairly light weight but with enough cushioning to handle longer mileage without giving up the fast feeling as your run goes on.

Very comfortable, easy to manuver in also good at coushioning rough terain

The v2's feel suprisingly supportive for what is a fairly low drop shoe. A decently wide base and plenty of foam give the feeling of a higher drop then 6 mm. The toe box can feel a little bit narrow towards the front, but does not feel what I would call overly restrictive or tight. Where these shoes really shine though is the ability to put energy back into your stride at the push off while still offering a fairly close feel to the road. Lower drop shoes (Such as the Brooks Pure series or Altra's) definitely have that 'connected' feel to the road but do not offer the same level of spring and support that the Vazee's provide. Note that while these are very comfortable and supportive they do NOT provide a 'cushiony' feel that you get from the more traditional, higher drop daily trainers. The foam and outsole is very firm, almost hard. Recommended for someone looking for a daily trainer that is used to lower drop or minimalist type shoes.

Got myself these new shoes for the SF Bridge to Bridge run, a mostly flat 12K.. They were superb, light yet just cushioned enough. My only criticism is the toe box is a little too roomy.

6 miles right out of the box, the shoes felt great, and did the job for me.

I have had over a 1/2 dozen pairs of 890s. Loved them all. I still buy them if I find them on clearance somewhere. I knew they wouldn't last forever. Figured out on my own, not easy, that the Vazee Pace was the replacement. I really Really wanted to like the VP. They felt great at first but when I paid attention my feet would hurt after runs and my calfs would burn. Hopefully V3s will be more like the 890V4s or 5s. They may make we a little faster but speed is not ALWAYS the point. I don't think I could make it through Marathon training in these or a marathon. Love NB. Don't want to switch. Please listen.

It was listed as a men's cushioning shoe, but there does not seem like much cushioning and on further review the description was more about being light-weight. I did not catch that the first time around but only after I ran in them once did I go back and recognize a disconnect between categorization and product description.

I have been wearing NB for 20 years. Always got the same size, regardless of which one I bought. Lately, including this shoe, my traditional size (9EE) just doesn't fit anymore. I thought maybe it was my foot changing, but I'm a 9W in other brands (Nike, Addias, etc). It's too bad. A 9EE is too narrow and too short. Love the shoe itself, but they just don't fit.

I'm an avid New Balance fan. I wear New Balance from top to bottom when I'm at the gym and I've been a New Balance shoe wearer since at least 2010. I've owned a couple pairs of the 990 series and I've worn every iteration of 890 series. The 890 series was by far the best shoe New Balance has created, but sadly it was discontinued. After doing some digging on the internet, it seemed as though the Vazee Pace was going to be New Balance's new equivalent to the 890, so I gave it a shot. This will be my review for the Vazee Pace after owning it for about 4 months now. About me: I'm an athletic male, mid twenties. I workout 4 times a week, which consists of a 2-3 mile run at a 7-8 min pace followed by an hour or so of weight lifting. I'm an underpronator and most of my running is done on the treadmill. The shoe: I loved the 890 series because from the first moment you put the shoe on, you felt like you can run miles on end in them. I joked with my friends that it was like running on a cloud. The shoe was also very responsive to me trying to adopt a more neutral stride. The first time I slipped the Vazee on, my initial impression was "eh," maybe 3/5 stars. The bottom was more rigid than I'd like and the upper felt too rigid as well. The toe box was awkward in that it seemed wider than necessary and the toe spring felt like it needed to be about an eighth of an inch back. Most reviews said that you needed to go up a size, but I disagree. Out of the box, the shoe does feel tight, but the upper will begin to relax after you put some miles on them. What I do like about the Vazee is the rubber bottom. Where the 890 had a foam bottom that was prone to having a short life, the Vazee's rubber bottom is quite durable. Lastly, although not important to the function of the shoe, I feel that New Balance could come up with better designs for the 890. I got the Hi-Lite with Black design, but it still seemed bland to me. Four months later, I'm still quite disappointed with the Vazee Pace. I would give the 890 series that I've loved for so long a 4 or 4.5 out of 5, but I'd award the Vazee Pace a solid 2 of 5 stars. Although the shoe is skewed towards neutral runners, the sole feels somewhat curved so that it takes significant effort for me to focus on a proper run stride as an underpronator. I'm also still not fond of the cushioning that the shoe provides. RevLite foam is legit, but I don't think that this shoe either gets enough of it, or maybe the sole needs more work. The toe box is still too awkwardly wide for my liking and I feel like my toes have too much room to move around during my runs instead of staying in a supported position during the run. I feel like the toe spring has gotten a bit better, and I attribute that to shoe conforming to my foot more. Overall, I think New Balance has a lot of work to do for the next iteration of this shoe and I frankly regret this purchase.

It's about time there are nice color options but I won't be able to enjoy any. I absolutely loved the Vazee Pace v1 and looked forward to improvements so I immediately jumped on the v2. After 12 pairs of shoes I was introduced to the Vazee Pace v1. Finally a really comfortable shoe for half marathons. In the v1's I can feel the cool air flowing through the shoes with every stride, they have the perfect balance of comfort and stability. I love the roomy toe box and the fact that I could just focus on running and not worry about my feet. The v1 color schemes were awful though. The v2 feels like a complete 180. Definitely not an improvement. My calf muscles felt the irritation immediately, they feel a little too firm when striking the pavement. The feel when just putting the shoes on feels amazing -until I start running. Please fix them NB. Keep the v1 feel with the v2 look and call it v3 so I can buy 3 or 4 pairs and keep it alive. Thank you, NB.

Suck very poor for this price.. and they call it cushions

The reason why I am writing a poor review for this shoe is because the first time I wore them jogging, the soles began to slide behind my heels. It was extremely annoying and uncomfortable. I tried to adjust the tightness around the bridge of my foot thinking it would stop the slide, but it didn't. Additionally, the laces are a little too far up on the heel, and if tied casually, they may cut off circulation around the ankle. The other Vazees are a better selection to the Paces in my humble opinion.

I've gone threw 2 pairs of shoes in 1 month. The heel keeps peeling and separating from the bottom of the shoe. The fresh fome is cracking and falling apart.