New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v4

Name: New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v4
Brand: New Balance
Rating: 4.7 (7 reviews)

Daily trainer · Stability · Road · 9.9 oz · 29/25mm stack · 4mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5 replaced it

How it ranks

The New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v4’s rating is an early estimate. We’ve collected 7 runner reviews so far, with product line history and external ratings also informing the score.

Decent

Overall

Decent 77

Cushioning

Good 87

Comfort

Good 85

Appearance

Good 83

Durability

Good 81

Value

Good 80

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.

See the product line's history

Confidence

85 High

High 85

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

“4mm drop, highly cushioned, moderately stable, and surprisingly quick off the toe.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 22

“The only shoe I've run in that has not injured me.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 22

“Fair amount of cushion to prevent shin splints.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

“The drop is a bit low and will stress the rear chain more than higher drop shoes.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 22

“Will top out around 600 miles.”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Structure 22

“Break down quickly.”

5/5 Full review 52 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19

“Very comfortable immediate feel upon putting it on.”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Structure 22

“Stable without a traditional medial post.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 22

“Runs a bit longer than most trainers.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 22

“Good amount of stability and a sturdy, supported feeling.”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 6

“More responsive for fartlek or pick-up workouts.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

“Narrow fitting but stretchy upper.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 22

“Incredibly reliable and consistent.”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 6

“Really maximized cushioning for this model, in comparison to prior renditions.”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Structure 22

“Exceeded expectations with stability.”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Structure 22

“Price point is on the higher side.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 22

“Vongo feels like it's got more cushion.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

Prefer this shoe over another

67% 6/9

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 23.

Pros

Reviewers rate comfort 5.0 out of 5 and cushioning 4.7 out of 5, and three praise both on easy and long runs.
Two reviewers say it is stable without a traditional medial post.
The Fresh Foam Vongo v3 before it scores 70 on twenty reviews, against this version's 84.

Cons

Reviewers rate durability 4.1 out of 5, its lowest dimension, and reviewers split on it, one at 200 miles expecting 600 and another reporting quick breakdown.
Two of seven reviewers who answered report an injury while running in it.

Fresh Foam Vongo v4 rates 77. This shoe has high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo

Each dot is one version of the Fresh Foam Vongo, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

61 2017 62 2017 68 2018 77 2019 79 2021

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Fresh Foam Vongo v5

2021 · 6 reviews

79 Decent

75 Confidence
Fresh Foam Vongo v4 This shoe

2019 · 7 reviews

77 Decent

85 Confidence
Fresh Foam Vongo v3

2018 · 20 reviews

68 Below average

93 Confidence
Fresh Foam Vongo v2

2017 · 7 reviews

62 Below average

84 Confidence
Fresh Foam Vongo

2017 · 8 reviews

61 Below average

83 Confidence

Runner Ratings

7 ratings

5/5 5

4/5 2

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 9.9 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 10.7 oz · Women's 9.1 oz
Release: 2019 Q2
MSRP: $140
Stack: 29/25mm
Drop: 4mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

NB Vongo: Best Bet for Logging Road Miles

5/5

Overall

Since moving, I've had to switch from combination trail and road running to mostly road (and sidewalk) runs. The NB Vongo has been excellent in providing a fair amount of cushion to prevent shin splints and too much wear and tear. I still also run in Brooks Ghost, but when I started wearing the Vongo I discovered that they were pretty comparable. Anecdotally, without doing a spec comparison, the Vongo feels like its got more cushion. Ghosts are a bit more responsive and better if there's a fartlek or pick-up workout.

Anonymous runner · Jul 15, 2019

45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11