The New Balance Zante V3 are very good price (60-70 euros), quite light and with a new cushioning technology but I never got “in love” with them. They have some success with triathletes and recently I got questioned about the new Zante V4. (thanks JF) I have not tried the V4 but today I ran with the V3 and got my thinking around. We are talking about a “near to” minimalist shoe (6mm drop) with some good and bad things for me:
The pros:
- It is a very light shoe (c. 250g.)
- The cushioning technology is supposedly to be excellent but only for light/medium weights (<80kg)
- The look is very nice. Not stunning, no super personality but sometimes I like things this way
- Very comfortable upper. No issues with it at all and they look highly durable
- Good with rain and slippery floors
- If you have a minimalist technique you can ride at 4.00min easily but I found it difficult to go beyond that (my technique is not great nor my shape) If you don´t have a good technique you can end up with stiffness in your calves
The cons:
- The cushioning technology is not for >80kg people. I found them too soft at landing but I never got the feeling of a full cushioning. So for me it is a yes but no kind of thing…
- I would not ride more than 10km ( I am 84kg)
- There is very limited rebound which is normal in a minimalist shoe but somehow will impact your performance if you want to give the extra mile
- Another thing which hopefully has been corrected: I used them in the gym for some time and I found that they stink very quickly… easy to solve but a pain if you need to hide your shoes in you workplace as I do…
I don’t think it is a competition shoe but probably more a training shoe if you want to ride on a minimalist shoe. If you have developed the minimalist technique you will probably find these shoes very good but I still require a bit more drop and cushioning for my old style running technique.
Other reviews that I follow: (in Spanish)
https://www.solereview.com/new-balance-fresh-foam-zante-v3-review/
https://www.runnea.com/zapatillas-running/new-balance/fresh-foam-zante-v3/1963/review.html
run40s 
IMO the main advantage of this shoe is that it can be considered a “take-me-anywhere shoe”. Maybe the problem is just for people over 80kg, but I found Zante v3 to be reliable for races, cushioned enough for long training days and just perfect for tempo. Any other shoe that fits this purpose? Maybe Saucony Freedom Iso?
JF
LikeLike
I think it is a great shoe. After 300km on them I have been happily surprised. Sauncony Freedom Iso are bit softer than Zante so I would not compete on those. (Zante I do)
LikeLike