Sometimes a small update is all that is needed to make a near-perfect running shoe better. Such is the case with the New Balance 1400 v3.
Version 2 of the 1400 was one of my all-time favorite shoes. It was lightweight, simple in construction, and had my desired ride combo of a soft heel and firm forefoot. In fact, I think my only complaint about the shoe was that the interior was a bit scratchy/abrasive, thus precluding sockless running. Other than that, it was pretty much perfection.
When updating a great shoe you always run the risk of destroying what made it so special. New Balance was wise in their approach to updating the 1400 by only changing the upper. The sole is identical to that of the v2, thus the phenomenal ride has not changed. The stack heights are 23mm under the heel, and 13mm under the forefoot, and it weighs in at 6.3 oz in men’s size 9. As such, there is plenty of fairly soft cushion under the heel, allowing for use on longer runs, but it’s snappy and thin enough under the forefoot that it can be used for picking up the pace. It’s a do-everything shoe, and quite honestly, if I had to reduce my shoe collection to a single shoe right now this would be it. It’s that good.
If I haven’t made it clear enough yet, I absolutely love this shoe. For most shoes that I review, I aim to get about 30 miles on them before writing my thoughts up. In this case I’ve more than doubled that mileage simply because I’ve enjoyed running in them so much. It’s really been tough to want to run in anything else! The MSRP of $100 (it can usually be found for less) makes it all the more attractive in a world where shoe prices seem to be skyrocketing. If you haven’t yet tried the NB 1400, do yourself a favor and give it a go – I have no doubt that it will be among my top 3 shoes of the year!
When I first saw the new Boost trail shoes that were set to release this summer, I automatically assumed the XT Boost would be my favorite and the Raven Boost would be an interesting option for longer outings. I really thought the Response Trail Boost would not run well and wasn’t that interested other than out of curiosity and that I liked the look of the outsole. After receiving all three for review and starting to get miles in them I came away with a much different take. I came away surprisingly liking the Response Trail Boost much more than I expected to.
The adidas Response Trail Boost really surprised me. It’s a shoe that gets the job done and has a unique look to go with it. I think there needs to be some refinement in the upper overlays while trying to retain the comfortable qualities of the upper, but the ride and outsole are really quite good and don’t need any tweaking for what this shoe is designed for. I thought that the Response might be the “budget” Boost trail model, but it turns out the lower price tag is no reason to not consider the Response Trail Boost and in the end is a big plus. I highly recommend the shoe for its versatility on the trails and comfortable fit. It is by far one of my favorites of the many shoes I’ve tried this summer.
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