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

Great shoe but doesn't last

5/5

Overall

I love this shoe, I've worn every version of the Zante and have remained injury free and enjoy running in them. Lots of cushion relatively low drop. They are perfect for marathon training and hammering out long miles at tempo pace. The only problem is they really don't last long for me it's been about 300 miles and I wear the rubber by the big toe down to the cushion and I need to replace them. Other than that these shoes are great just be aware you will need to replace them frequently

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

70 mpw

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 2/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 3/5

New Balance Makes the Best Shoes

5/5

Overall

This shoes is great in terms of the feel underneath the foot. My only complaint is that my fourth toe tends to push against the upper. Other than that, I consider this one of the best shoes ever made, because it's simple, neutral, and doesn't try to do too much.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

90 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Shadow