Almost a home run
Anonymous runner · Apr 1, 2020
5/5
Overall
About me: I ran track and cross country in college with a 15:49 5k PR (I would not give this information for any other review but it is important here). I run 60-70 miles a week and race every now and again. I picked up these shoes because i wanted something to race road and track 5k's in and they we marked down to $129 on running warehouse from their original $200.
The upper: as far as knit uppers go, this is 10/10. I will admit, I haven't worn many knit uppers so my comparison is limited. My last knit upper was the Nike streak flyknit, and the 5280's is worlds better. It's light and breathable on the top, but provides structure and support on the sides, which is necessary at high speeds.
Midsole: The midsole is New Balance's selling point for this shoe with the fuelcell/carbon plate combo, but I really feel like its holding the shoe back from what it can be (I'll get to my hopes and dreams for the 5280 v2 later in the review). It's tough to compare this midsole to anything that I've run in before. When landing on the midfoot or forefoot, it felt like a combination of the nike streak lt and the vaporfly. You feel close to the ground and are almost thrown forward. For its stack height the shoe also provides a lot of cushioning. However, landing on the heal in this shoe is probably one of the most unpleasant sensations I have ever experienced. This is attributed to the lack of midsole under the arch.
Sole: I really like sole of this shoe. It provides excellent traction on the track and roads. I would not take this on gravel or grass.
Conclusion: The shoes are great for any pace under 5:20, and they feel better as you go faster. Anything slower and they start to feel pretty dreadful. I have not raced yet in this shoe, but in the work out's I've done so far, the shoe has exceeded expectations. It gives me a flying sensation like no show I've run in before. Even after a lot of quick reps at mile or 800 pace my calves do not feel toasted. This is probably because of the 6mm heal drop and carbon plate. However, I am very selective when I use this shoe. I will not use this shoe for tempo reps, it just does not feel great. That being said, anything 5:20 and below really is a dream with this shoe.
I am currently planning to use this shoe in the next 5k I run (when that will be I am unsure #corona). I think it will work well for me here given my 5k pace. But this illustrates the main flaw of this shoe.
I hope in version 2, new balance adds foam under the arch of this shoe for stability at slower speeds. This is the only thing holding me back from taking this shoe up to the 10k. Maybe it would add a bit more weight, but it would make this shoe accessible to more runners and usable over a wider range of distances. One can only hope though.
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 3/5