New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v4

Name: New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v4
Brand: New Balance
Rating: 4.6 (34 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8.5 oz · 6mm drop · 23/17mm stack

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

How it ranks

The New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v4 ranks below most daily trainers in our data. Value and looks are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 34 runner reviews and 3 other rated shoes in the Fresh Foam Zante product line.

Decent

70/100

Overall

Decent 70

Value

Exceptional 99

Appearance

Exceptional 98

Comfort

Very good 93

Cushioning

Decent 80

Durability

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

See the product line's history

Confidence

95/100

Very high 95

What runners say

“Responsive yet cushioned, quick on intervals, light but supportive.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3

“Firm and responsive enough to get through heavy miles but not clunky.”

5/5 Full review 80 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33

“Wears rubber by big toe down to cushion around 300 miles.”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw

“Arch rigidity causes toebox to permanently bend upward after 200-300 miles.”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Fastwitch 7

“Lasts beyond 500 miles, while earlier versions managed only 400.”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3

“The 6mm drop hits that sweet spot between minimalist and cushioned.”

5/5 Full review 80 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33

“Stretchy upper hugs foot for personalized feel without being too tight.”

4/5 Full review 90 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

“Same size, different colors fit completely differently.”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3

“After 50 miles, cushioning feels less bouncy.”

3/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Terra Kiger 4

“Wider-than-average toebox leaves feet unblistered.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

Prefer this shoe over another

32% 16/50

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

At 8.5 oz, reviewers find it light and quick for tempo work.
Reviewers use it for everything from easy miles to road races.
It lists at $100, below the $150 median for daily trainers on sale, and reviewers rate value 4.9 out of 5.

Cons

Several reviewers call the ride firm and unforgiving on long, slow runs.
Reports of how long it lasts vary widely, from cushioning going flat by 100 miles to pairs still running well past 500.
The original Zante scores 98 on twenty-two reviews and the v2 99 on nine, both above this version.

Fresh Foam Zante v4 rates 70. This shoe has high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

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

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

Rating

40 60 80 100

98 2015 99 2016 65 2017 70 2018

Release year

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

Fresh Foam Zante v4 This shoe

2018 · 34 reviews

70 Decent

95 Confidence
Fresh Foam Zante v3

2017 · 29 reviews

65 Below average

94 Confidence
Fresh Foam Zante V2

2016 · 9 reviews

99 Exceptional

96 Confidence
Fresh Foam Zante

2015 · 22 reviews

98 Exceptional

96 Confidence

Reader Ratings

34 ratings

5/5 23

4/5 7

3/5 4

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 8.5 oz
Release: 2018 Q1
MSRP: $100
Stack Height: 23mm heel - 17mm toe
Drop Height: 6mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Zante is the way to go!

5/5

Overall

I scoop as many pairs of this shoe up as I can when I see it on sale. It is a great shoe for the competitive runner looking to put in 50-80 miles a week at 6:30 pace. I just swapped to a new pair and had put in nearly 600 miles on my previous ones. They're durable and comfortable and come in many colors if you care about that sort of thing. New Balance is a great running shoe company doing great things, they need to get more love!

Anonymous runner · Jul 26, 2019

50 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3

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

Overall great shoe for tempo runs and other faster running

5/5

Overall

I've really enjoyed these shoes. They have suited me perfectly for faster workouts and tempo runs. I've used them for some road races (10k and 21k), and found they felt light and responsive. However, I would not use them for long runs as they are not the most cushioned shoe, as they are meant to feel light and snappy. After 500+ miles, these shoes still are holding up great. I'd highly recommend these shoes to anyone looking for a interval or tempo shoe, or for a slightly more cushioned racing flat.

Anonymous runner · Jul 20, 2019

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GT-2000 6

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

Reader review

4/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jul 19, 2019

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante V2

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

Reader review

4/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jul 19, 2019

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante V2

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

New Balance Zante V4: The "It" Shoe

5/5

Overall

Asics Gel Nimbus. Mizuno Wave Rider 20. Nike Pegasus 34. Three shoes I've used. I liked them, didn't love them. The next shoe for the next season? New Balance Fresh Foam Zante V3. An excellent shoe, but it needed some work. That's when I met the New Balance Zante V4, its successor. It's responsive yet cushioned, stunningly quick on intervals yet can go for many miles, light but supportive. This shoe is a glitch in the matrix, a foam and fabric messiah that's a few decades ahead of its time. I will be wearing this shoe until the Sun burns out.

Max Greczyn · Jul 10, 2019

35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3