New Balance Women's 1500v6 Running Shoe

Product Information

MR”: The first two letters identify the gender and the sport activity. “M” is for MEN, “W” for WOMEN. “R” is for Running. “WW” will be Women’s Walking, “MX” will be Men’s Cross-Training and so on. Besides a miss in the heel, this continues to be a great shoe in my lineup for speed and function. If you want something fast, yet stable this is the shoe for you! After a few hundred miles on older 1500 design (V1 to V5), the foam around the hard medial-post would compress and make the latter more noticeable than it was on day 1. This shouldn’t be a problem with the V6 due to the low-slung medial wedge. Whoever designs the 1500s at New Balance needs a promotion. The pattern borrowed from their racing flats makes the shoe look fast. My first big test of these shoes was racing the ever-important work 5K. I was able to get into a groove right away and open up for office bragging rights.

These numbers were not exactly customer friendly – but I have to admit that once you know the logic, it actually makes a lot of sense. Running Shoes Buying Guides I was a little disappointed with the blisters I got from the snugger fit of the toe box and it’s what stopped me from giving this shoe a perfect rating. The 1500V6 has no forefoot grooves and instead uses a perforated outsole layout. Tiny windows are spaced between the lugs, so the bending process takes place evenly. However, it takes a week or so to fully break-in the V6’s outsole and midsole.

New Balance 1500v6 First Impressions

I have landed only a handful of shoes that have treated me as well as these. This is the second pair of this series after retiring the previous version. These are my go-to shoes for the half-marathon without question.

Apparently, my feet splay greatly when running and require some space in the toe-box. I got these as a wide option, and they give just that right amount of snug around the midfoot, but my toes are wild and free! Competition is slim, but there are a couple. Saucony Fastwitch is the biggest contender and If you really want to count a 3 year old shoe, the Brooks Asteria is the one out right now. New Balance 1500v6 First Impressions The biggest change on the 1500’s bottom is the medial post redesign. If the earlier versions were barely noticeable, the V6’s medial post does a straight-up disappearing act. The plastic midfoot shank is also gone. Outsole rubber fills the spot where the shank used to be. As a sum of parts, the 1500V6 is more business-like and feels faster than the V5 due to the increased coverage. The weight goes up by 0.3-ounces due to these tweaks. This comes in as a stability shoe giving that function though the ride does not have an over-pronounced structure. Design

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My only complaint about this shoe is the heel and it prevented me from giving the shoe a perfect rating. I wish it stopped at personal preference, but when I finished some runs with a raw heel with blood, I felt let down. There are fewer flex grooves in the front and rear. In its place is a larger outsole with tiny perforations that expose the foam under the forefoot. The weight is up by 0.3-ounces or 8 grams due to the greater coverage of outsole rubber. If you were dreading a drastic change in the 1500V6’s ride quality, you’ll be relieved to hear that there is no cause to worry. The outer midsole has a raised sidewall like the 890 for support. Everyone’s doing the ‘Guiderail’ thing, so might as well do it on the 1500.

The insole isn’t the only reason why the V6 is slightly firmer than the 2019 model. The new outsole leaves out most of the flex grooves – this includes the ones on the outer heel and forefoot. The upper follows the 890 template and uses knit mesh with nearly no overlays. Though the forefoot fit has just the right proportions, some runners might not prefer the new heel design. The rear upper substitutes the padded heel of the V5 with a knit band and suede lining. For example, you could look at the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo V4 or Saucony Guide 13 as your daily trainer. For long-distance runs and marathons, ultra-cushy models such as the New Balance 1080V10 and the Saucony Triumph 17 add value with their cushioned and responsive midsoles. IS THE NEW BALANCE 1500V6 DURABLE? Most runners will want something cushier for long-distance runs, and the 1500 isn’t the shoe to give you that. Even for daily training, a more durable and cushioned shoe is easier on your feet.Once again, New Balance claims this shoe can go up to a marathon. I would not go past a half marathon in these. They have ample support, but I could feel my body break down in my longer double digit runs. This is one of the few shoes that I have burned through that felt right on the first lace and took no break-in to get accustomed to its features. This is one of the few shoes that I don’t “feel” when running. Is it a game changer? No, but you really need to either go half a size up or take advantage of New Balance’s attention to the wide footed runner. My local running store says my feet are narrow-based on their measuring. Yet, I feel best in a 2E. Wides are hard to come by, but great news—the 1500’s have a 2E option!