Great lightweight shoe for everyday training
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Dec 28, 2019
35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante Pursuit
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 4/5
- Durability
- 3/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 5/5
New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon v2
Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 7.1 oz · 26/20mm stack · 6mm drop
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon v3 replaced it
How it ranks
The New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon v2 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Comfort and value are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 14 runner reviews and 2 other rated shoes in the Fresh Foam Beacon product line.
Exceptional
Confidence
How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.
Confidence
91 High
Based on
The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.
- Product line track record
- Our ratings
- External ratings
What runners say
“Perfectly cushioned—not too plush to be awkward, but enough to keep feet from getting tired after 20 miles.”
“Feel lighter than their listing. Almost like a racing flat.”
“Great cushioning for hour+ runs but still light and quick for tempo work.”
“The foam is fairly firm but in a good way. Has good give and pop.”
“The ride was like butter.”
“At 350 miles, it became almost unusable.”
“The medial logo kind of dug into my foot and caused a nasty cut.”
“Feel connected to the road without any spongy feel.”
“My big toe presses against the inside of lots of shoes, but not these.”
“Perfect for slower recovery days, but prefer more responsive shoes for faster days.”
“When this shoe dies, there's a sudden and immediate drop in usability.”
“My legs felt protected and fresh after.”
“Slightly concerned about durability—the ankle/heel area is so thin and light.”
“6 mm drop seems like the goldilocks zone.”
“The harder Fresh Foam wears quickly even with rubber inserts.”
“Enough stack height to feel comfortable but not heavy.”
“A great everyday trainer with plenty of bottomless cushioning.”
“Exposed foam outsole, so durability might be an issue.”
“Too soft for track and treadmill runs.”
“These ran slightly small.”
Prefer this shoe over another
71% 12/17
Where to buy
No offers available
Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.
Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.
Pros
- Reviewers call it light and well cushioned, several using it for everyday miles and one for a marathon.
- Three reviewers call it a great value at its $120 list price.
- Reviewers name the roomy toe box and a fit that suits wider feet.
Cons
- Durability is its lowest-rated dimension at 4.0 out of 5, and reviewers point to the exposed foam outsole.
- Two reviewers find it too soft for track and treadmill work and reach for something more responsive on fast days.
Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale
Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.
Better Shoes Rating
Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon
Each dot is one version of the Fresh Foam Beacon, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.
Release year
-
2020 · 2 reviews
90 Very good
67 Confidence
-
Fresh Foam Beacon v2 This shoe
2019 · 14 reviews
97 Exceptional
91 Confidence
-
2018 · 32 reviews
93 Excellent
98 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Weight
- 7.1 oz
- Men's / women's
- Men's 7.7 oz · Women's 6.5 oz
- Release
- 2019 Q2
- MSRP
- $120
- Stack
- 26/20mm
- Drop
- 6mm
Runner reviews
Fantastic lightweight trainer at a great price
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Sep 19, 2019
37 mpw training for a marathon came from the Altra Duo
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 4/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Lots of miles
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 27, 2019
90 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v4
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 3/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 4/5
NB Beacon v2 - Perfect for the Long Run
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 13, 2019
55 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance 890 v6
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
NB Beacon
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 9, 2019
25 mpw training for a half marathon
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
Alternatives
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More from New Balance
Compared to other shoes
See how this shoe compares to others like it.
New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon v2 In Context
More on the New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon
- New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon v3 next version
- New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon previous version
Reviewers Also Ran In
- New Balance 890 v6 2 runners
- HOKA Clifton 3 1 runner
- Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 36 1 runner