Is the New Balance Zante the GOAT?

I have to agree, I use to be a Nike Pegasus fan for a long time but in the last 3 years I haven't been very happy with their changes and updates. I've had the Zantes for about 2 weeks now ( I preordered and they sent them early) and I've been very impressed with this shoe.

they definitely look solid, would love to give them a try. i'm loving the nike lunartempos which seem to be pretty similar in a number of ways.

I don't get it. How do / would these compare to the rc1400 and 1600 and the 890, that whole lineup? I thought those were the NB "fast" shoes. I love the v1 1600. The v2 1400 is the best shoe I have ever used. These zante look pretty good, but what's the comparison to the 1400 / 1600?

I'd say the Zante is a tad less squishy than the tempo and feels a bit more stable. The Zante also has more room in the toe box than the tempo. I prefer that but its a matter of preference.

I did not have a pair of the 1400 v2 but did have the 1400 v1/original. I'd say the Zante definitely adds a bit more protection than the 1400. It also has more spring than the 1400 and generally has a different feel because of the fresh foam. But manages to not be too squishy like a kinvara or lunar racer.

What then would be the difference between the zante and the 890 v-whatever? I thought the 890 was the NB "fast" shoe with the next level up of cushioning after the 1400. I guess I just can't keep all the different lines clear in my head. Is the 5000, 1600, 1400, 890 line pitched more toward track and this Zante line more toward road? Is the fresh foam some sort of replacement for the revlite stuff? Is this fresh foam stuff some sort of market answer to the max-cushion corner of Hoka, etc?

Now I see also they have a new 1500. Great.

The 890v4 has quite a bit of drop. I think they went up from the 890v3.

I wish these shoe companies would have a comparison chart of shoes on their site. Is there one? List the drop too. I'm done with conventional high drop shoes.

How durable is the fresh foam? I find these new foams are awesome, but do they last?

And yeah, how does the fresh foam compare to the 890 foam?

The 890v5 just came out and will only be in-line for 6 months. With the Boracay (980v2) and the Zante (1980) there was less of a demand for the 890 and I could see this shoe leaving the line as NB developed their Fresh Foam line.

The Zante is more of a performance flat while the Boracay is a daily trainer.

The current 890 (since v2 or v3) is a 8mm drop. The Zante is a 6mm drop and Boracay is a 4mm drop. Seems to me it should be switched (Zante at 4mm and Boracay at 6mm).

I find the Fresh Foam to be overall firmer than the 890 foam (abzorb). But the new Boracay (980v2) is softer than the 980v1.

The Zante is awesome. Probably my favorite shoe of all time. Super smooth and fast. It has a bit more foam under foot than the 1400 with lower heel drop. It fits in between the 1400 and 890. Lightweight trainer or cushy racer.

Interesting. Have you tried the new hyperspeed for comparison?

what about durability with this foam?

can anyone say: embedded advertisement?

i have a pair of the hyperspeed 6s that I use for road racing and interval workouts. There really aren't a lot of similarities between the two. They both are light and now that I think of it might have a similar fit but that's about it.

While the same weight the zantes feel like they have much more protection. Although my hyperspeeds do have a bit of mileage on them.

It still unclear how durable they will be. Runningwarehouse labels them as a trainer and not a racer so hopefully they get trainer mileage.

Mixed reviews here:

http://www.solereview.com/new-balance-fresh-foam-zante-review/

For now I am going to stick to my NB line as follows:

NB 1600 - 5k races, race-pace intervals at 5k pace and faster

NB 1400, aka GREATEST SHOW EVER - 10k/HM races, tempo runs, intervals at pace, occasional long runs

NB 890 - mileage shoe, marathon racer

Wow that was a long review. Didn't quite get a mixed impression from it. It ends:

"But other than these small non-concerns, the Zante performs great, and is a redemption of sorts for New Balance’s original non-delivered cushioning promise"

The small concerns being long laces and potentially a soft outsole which may wear relatively quickly. The latter could be a problem. I've never worn through the sole of a show though.

for those who are unsure/unfamiliar with the whole NB lineup this is how I see it, in order from least shoe to most shoe

5000 - ultra-light flat, basically a track spike with no plate

1600 - racing, still very light, 10k perhaps

1400 - hm/m racing shoe, or shorter distances for those who like more shoe

zante - long racing shoe/ training shoe for those who like light/responsive trainers. 6 mm offset

boracay/890 - tough to say how to place the boracay, low offset but heavier shoe with a thicker midsole. 890 has higher heel. just two very different feeling shoes, different midsole materials, but both fit into the lighterweight trainer category, probably wouldn't serve as a racing shoe for most serious runners

880 - standard training shoe, your brooks ghost or asics cumulus type shoe

870 - lightweight light stability shoe. honestly not much more stable than the 880, but lighter weight (think 890 with a small post, like the adidas tempo vs the boston)

860 - stability shoe (adrenaline, guide)

1080 - high cushion shoe, heaviest, most cushioned, most expensive

1260 - high cushion stability shoe (kayano, hurricane)

Nike Free 3.0 version 2. GOAT shoe, no contest. Free 3.0 v5 solidly second, but losing out over the outsole design.

I didn't like the Free myself.

I'm open to trying the Zante, but really need a good high cushion marathon training shoe for my lineup. Something like the Clifton. If Zante meets the bill, I'll try it.

I think it is hard to top the 1400 (v2). That shoe is the GOAT NB shoe. Perfect trainer for tempo runs etc. Would be ideal for racing HM, M.

The Zante is a totally different shoe. It is much much much more cushioned, especially in the toe (the 1400 has very little cushioning in the toe - making it a quick transition and good for racing or tempos). The Zante, to me, is a very soft everyday trainer - not at all suited for racing or anything else. It's a nice shoe - I use them for a few easy runs each week, but I'd never race in them or grab them out of the closet when I'm doing a workout.

shoe fan wrote:

Interesting. Have you tried the new hyperspeed for comparison?

what about durability with this foam?

I have the Hyperspeed 6. I think the 1400v2 is a better fit for me. I have a wider forefoot.

I have tried the Zante and I wouldn't consider them as a replacement for the 890 or the 1400.

The reason the number of sales for the 890 may have dropped is that the 890v4 was terrible. I only bought 1 pair. I bought at least a dozen 890s before that. Why they thought the lugged forefoot design with nothing in the middle was a good idea is a mystery. The upper with the glued overlays also sucked compared to the previous models. I hope the v5 is an improvement because the v4 was a dud. It does look like they fixed both issues from the pictures at least.