New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v3

Name: New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v3
Brand: New Balance
Rating: 4.7 (20 reviews)

Daily trainer · Stability · Road · 10.5 oz · 4mm drop · 35/31mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v4 replaced it

How it ranks

The New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v3 ranks below most daily trainers in our data. Durability and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 20 runner reviews and 4 other rated shoes in the Fresh Foam Vongo product line.

Decent

70/100

Overall

Decent 70

Durability

Exceptional 98

Cushioning

Exceptional 97

Comfort

Excellent 94

Value

Good 84

Appearance

Decent 75

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 will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

90/100

High 90

What runners say

“Runs about a half size big”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Liberty ISO

“Strong and spongy mid-foot cushioning helps alleviate foot pain”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon

“Lasted nearly 600 miles before cushioning broke down”

5/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Altra Provision 3.5

“Feet don't start feeling tired until at least the 8 mile mark even on hard asphalt”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 16

“Feel like mush when going faster; not responsive enough”

4/5 Full review

“Can handle a ton of mileage without transferring much of a beating on your legs”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 16

“The ride was like butter”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the HOKA Clifton 3

“Poor ventilation causes foot/insole sliding on hot days”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide ISO

“Much less like a brick than typical stability shoes”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 16

“Reliable for logging longer miles without excessive wear and tear”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 10

Prefer this shoe over another

44% 7/16

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers report several hundred miles before the cushioning breaks down, and rate durability 4.6 out of 5.
Its stability comes from denser foam along the medial side, and reviewers find it less rigid underfoot than posted shoes.
Reviewers prefer it to the first two Vongo versions, which score 59 and 60.

Cons

Reviewers find it mushy and unresponsive at faster paces.
Averaging 9.7 oz across the men's and women's builds, it is heavier than the 8.9 oz median for daily trainers on sale.
One reviewer reports it ventilates poorly, with the insole sliding underfoot on hot days.

Fresh Foam Vongo v3 rates 70. This shoe has high certainty. 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

59 2017 61 2017 70 2018 84 2019 74 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

74 Decent

58 Confidence
Fresh Foam Vongo v4

2019 · 7 reviews

84 Good

75 Confidence
Fresh Foam Vongo v3 This shoe

2018 · 20 reviews

70 Decent

90 Confidence
Fresh Foam Vongo v2

2017 · 7 reviews

61 Below average

77 Confidence
Fresh Foam Vongo

2017 · 8 reviews

59 Bottom-tier

80 Confidence

Reader Ratings

20 ratings

5/5 14

4/5 6

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: 10.5 oz
Release: 2018 Q2
MSRP: $135
Stack Height: 35mm heel - 31mm toe
Drop Height: 4mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Vongo V3 great successor to V2

5/5

Overall

I was surprised how much I like the Vongo V2 (because the shoes felt clunky when I picked them up). But, when I ran in those shoes, they weren't clunky at all. So, I was a little nervous when I picked up a pair of the V3's , because they seemed like a noticeable departure from the previous version. But, right in my first run the V3's, I knew this was a great hoe for me. Is was softer than the V2, but not so mushy as to take away energy from my stride. I've logged a bunch of miles in these shoes, and they continue to look and feel great.

Anonymous runner · Jan 1, 2020

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v2

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

All around

5/5

Overall

I use them for running and leisure. And they are pretty good for any situation.

Anonymous runner · Jan 1, 2020

20 mpw came from the Newton Gravity 6

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

One of the best all around Trainers

5/5

Overall

They remind of the the Adidas Super Nova Glide 3. Very durable cushioning, rubber, etc.. Just enough support to keep you sturdy and Neutral. Like always they never make a narrow version for us tall unorthodox runners with large feet. Its like finding a needle in the haystack for us 14-15 sizes.

Anonymous runner · Dec 29, 2019

40 mpw training for a half marathon

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 3/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

5/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Nov 7, 2019

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Kayano 23

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 5/5

New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v3 - high quality and high performance supportive running shoe

5/5

Overall

I have trained for two marathons wearing New Balance’s Fresh Foam Vongo. As a runner who requires a supportive shoe, I have found the Vongo to be one of the best that I have run in to date. Previously, I found New Balance shoes to feel heavier than other companies but this is not the case with the Vongo. It is light weight, supportive and responsive.

Anonymous runner · Aug 13, 2019

35 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Structure 22