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

Best shoe

5/5

Overall

This is my favourite trainer. It is lightweight and supportive. I use it for faster runs and sessions. It is responsive and comfortable. Works well on road, track and trail.

AQRUN · Jul 3, 2019

60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Grid Type A6

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

Cushioned and Light!

4/5

Overall

I am a 20yo male competitive mid-distance (4:35 mile, 17:00 5k) runner with 8 years of consistent running under my belt. The Zante v4 is my every day trainer that I wear for pretty much every easy run and workout. The shoe is light for a trainer, and makes me feel FAST. The Fresh Foam provides a nice cushioning without sacrificing too much responsiveness. The shoe gives good spring, but that's mostly due to the arch rigidity, which causes the shoe's toebox to permantently bend upwards after only 200-300 miles. The sole has a fantastically grippy rubber, which gives zero slip. Besides the toe bend shortening the shoe's life, this is a perfect shoe!

Anonymous runner · Jul 3, 2019

40 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Fastwitch 7

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

Solid

5/5

Overall

Has everything I need. Good shoe, need to make sure that I don't tie it too tight (I think) or my foot will fall asleep.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 880 v4

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

All Around Performer

5/5

Overall

This shoe, and the entire series really, have become my go-to trainer for all distances. I am a neutral runner, and this shoe has just enough drop to encourage a mid-sole strike which in turn encourages a better transition of weight through my stride. I love the versatility in that I can use them for distance training (up to 16 miles), as well as speed and intervals. Another plus is that they are designed really well and can be worn outside of training for a night out or whatever!

Anonymous runner · May 13, 2019

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

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

Zante V4 is a great all-around shoe at a reasonable price

5/5

Overall

The Zante are a versatile shoe that I've used for races from 10k to marathon as well as training for hard interval sessions to tempo to the easiest recovery runs. They slip on easily even with normal laces and you can wear them sockless so the work well for triathlon. I've run in two pairs of these - both the same size (11EE) but different colors and they fit completely differently. The first pair were very snug around the whole foot. The second pair have a little more room in the toebox. They are cushioned but your connection to the ground is very immediate and they let your foot work like it does in a more minimal shoe when running fast. I've tried shoes with more cushioning for easy and recovery runs and there's just no need. I get 500 miles out of a pair before they feel too tired for training but I always race in a fairly fresh pair.

Anonymous runner · Oct 2, 2018

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