Shoe of The Week: New Balance Vazee Pace 2

Fit/Feel/Ride: Too many companies launch a great shoe only to mess up a good thing by making too many changes on round two. Fortunately, New Balance didn’t do more than tweak the already-excellent Vazee Pace, only changing the bootie-constructed upper’s woven mesh with no-sew overlays, partly cosmetic and partly to increase the support. The second edition also boasts enhanced durability with added blown rubber to the REVlite midsole. Otherwise, it is still the utilitarian, uptempo trainer that offers a responsive enough performance, which makes it a good half marathon/marathon racer too. Our test team liked the Vazee Pace 2 for its fit and performance in a variety of workouts. And what’s not to like about the $110 price tag? That would be a bargain even for a shoe not as superlative as this one. The only thing a few of our testers complained about was that the interior bootie construction being a bit too snug for higher-volume feet—so definitely try these on in the shop. Otherwise, this shoe is a winner in our book—namely the winner of our Editor’s Choice award for our Fall 2016 Road Running Shoe Buyer’s Guide.

This is the shoe for you if … You’re looking for an energetic, well-cushioned shoe that can more than hold its own running long or running fast.

Price: $110

Weights: 9.6 oz. (men’s), 7.9 oz. (women’s)

Heel-to-toe Offset: 6mm; 24mm (heel), 18mm (forefoot)

Info: NewBalance.com

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