Performance

Lightness
8
Cushioning
9
Flexibility
8
Responsive
8
Stability
10
Grip
7

Details of Fresh Foam X Vongo v6

Gender Men , Women
Drop 6 mm
Cushion Neutral
Runner weight Medium
Running gait Overpronation
Surface Road
Use training
Pace Medium
Strike Forefoot , heel
Distance 10K , Half-marathon , Marathon
Eco-friendly Recycled material
Colour Yellow , Blue , White , Grey , Marroni , Orange , Black , Red
Year 2023

The new New Balance Fresh Foam X Vongo v6 is a true innovation in the stability running shoe industry. New Balance's goal was to make a shoe that could be used by runners with neutral or overpronators. And all this while minimizing the often uncomfortable or excessively firm feel on the inside of the foot of traditional pronation models.

The biggest innovation that we are going to find in these Vongo 6 we will hardly be able to see it since it is in the interior of the midsole. A kind of film made of Eva that divide two Fresh FoamX foam midsoles of different densities. The upper layer is softer and more comfortable to the touch and the lower one is somewhat firmer and reactive to help us generate more lively rhythms.

This EVA film runs along the entire midsole and is designed with different hexagonal holes. Traditionally in the market we find pronation shoes in which we find on the inside of the foot a piece of foam with a higher density that somehow slows down the over-pronation of the foot towards the inside. But the sensations are usually uncomfortable. Excessively firm and unnatural to the touch. You brake suddenly, so to speak.

The objective of this system developed by New Balance is that this film helps prevent the foot from sliding inwards more evenly and returns the foot to its natural position in a much more reactive way by resting on a larger base. What this Eva film does is to attack the stability under the foot as opposed to just one side of the foot. And doing so with good feel and comfort in every stride.

What kind of runners are these New Balance Fresh FoamX Vongo 6 for?

Here is another of the novelties of the model. They are control shoes, stability shoes, but their comfort is so nice that you can run with them even if you have a neutral stride, but you will have that control and support if you need it due to accumulated fatigue or loss of running technique.

Obviously they are mainly intended for runners looking for comfort and some reactivity for all kind of distances at medium paces. The drop has changed. It goes from 8 mm to 6 mm. This results in a greater amount of foam in the midsole and a more fluid and stable stride cycle. The rocker effect is also more accentuated, which helps in the transitions from landing to toe-off.

The outsole is also new, with a design in the form of buttons of different sizes that provide good grip mainly in dry conditions. It reminds us a lot of the sole of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13.

And the upper with fabrics that adapt and wrap the foot very well. With padded areas in the tongue and forefoot to provide greater comfort to the model and good ventilation in the toe area, as well as reflective elements. The weight of the shoe is maintained. And its starting price is 160 €. This model is already on sale. You can compare prices at RUNNEA.

Review of New Balance Fresh Foam X Vongo v6

24 September 2024

New Balance FF Vongo v6: the new midsole makes it more versatile

The New Balance Fresh Foam X Vongo v6 has been the main protagonist of the running training sessions we have been doing during the last weeks Fresh Foam X Vongo v6 It has been a great opportunity to see the improvements, or not, with respect to the previous version that we were also lucky enough to test a few seasons ago.

The New Balance Fresh Foam X Vongo v6 is one of the running shoes par excellence from the American brand aimed at runners who need extra stability that in this edition, thanks to the improvements introduced, increases the profile of runners who can use them.

First impressions and features of the New Balance Fresh Foam X Vongo v6

During these weeks of testing we have run with the shoes in sessions of different distances, from 5 kilometers to longer runs of 18-19 kilometers. During the workouts we have combined, in more than one session, asphalt with compacted dirt tracks and trails where it also defends itself more than correctly.

It is a comfortable shoe, with generous cushioning that allows us to run comfortably at all times, perhaps it is a shoe that does not yet have the fame of other running training shoes of the brand as the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 or the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v14 but comfort is one of the hallmarks of this model.

If comfort is one of the positive aspects of the upper, the lack of breathability, with a dense and padded mesh is one of the aspects to improve clearly of this part of the shoe. The elevation of the back of the heel, in order to protect our Achilles heel, is maintained and the truth is that it is appreciated when running.

It is a shoe designed for runners with stability control but, in this latest version, it gains in versatility as it can also be used by runners with neutral footstep thanks to the new system present in the midsole.

The midsole itself would need a complete review as it is the main novelty and innovation introduced in this new version as it changes completely with respect to the New Balance Fresh Foam X Vongo v5

To begin with, the drop is reduced in this latest version, going from a comfortable 8 mm drop to an intermediate drop of 6 mm, so we enjoy greater stability (we are closer to the surface) but on the other hand we lose that comfort and softness of the cushioning that the runner's profile of this shoe likes so much.

The midsole has two layers of Fresh Foam X, the foam par excellence of the American brand but with different densities and symmetries. While the upper is softer and with a greater presence in the outer part. The lower layer is firmer and with a greater presence on the inner part, which plays with the geometries to seek maximum stability.

The key to the midsole is found right in the middle of the two foams, where we see the presence of a TPU plate that stands out for its firmness and is responsible for providing stability as it is of full length and width but with an internal area with more material that helps in the correction of the tread.

This situation of the plate, between the foams, prevents the shoe from enjoying a greater and softer cushioning.

Finally, the sole of the shoe is modified with less rubber , which will certainly reduce durability, but thanks to the design of its "studs" it adapts without problems beyond the asphalt (compact dirt tracks).

What is the runner profile of these New Balance Fresh Foam X Vongo v6?

This latest version is more versatile and adapts to a wider range of runners, although pronator runners will benefit the most from its performance.

Medium to heavy runners can run at medium paces over any kind of distance as the shoe will respond perfectly. At faster paces, due to its weight, the shoe will be less reactive in those series training sessions where we want to push the body a little more.

What I liked best about the New Balance Fresh Foam X Vongo v6

The versatility presented in this latest version makes it gain a lot of points compared to previous versions, although we are aware that it has lost a bit of stability control, so necessary for runners who need it. We believe that the innovations in the midsole are here to stay in the next versions of the shoe.

It is a very comfortable shoe, has a very soft fabric, with generous padding, including the tongue, which allows the perfect fit of our foot and a comfort that we will appreciate when running longer distances.

Opportunities for improvement of the New Balance Fresh Foam X Vongo v6

The versatility which is a positive aspect becomes negative if we are runners who need shoes with stability control, the market trend is to offer shoes that adapt to wider profiles and the specific use of training shoes is being lost.

The breathability, despite having a comfortable upper, should be reviewed as these paddings and materials prevent the shoe from enjoying greater breathability.

What models can we compare the New Balance Fresh Foam X Vongo v6 to?

Final Conclusions

New Balance continues to bet on this model, which is not among the most popular, implementing a new support system (with a TPU plate in the midsole). We will see how it is received by those runners who need a shoe with stability control.

The comfort and reasonable cushioning make this model one of the candidate shoes that, thanks to its versatility, broadens the profile of runners who can enjoy them in their daily running workouts.

Pros

  • Greater versatility
  • Comfort Comfort

Cons

  • Lack of breathability
  • Softer cushioning
Do you have any questions? Ask our expert

News about New Balance Fresh Foam X Vongo v6

1 news about this shoe

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