So 20/24 is the way to go, and this shoe at 20/26 is a "stupid high profile shoe"?
So 20/24 is the way to go, and this shoe at 20/26 is a "stupid high profile shoe"?
theJeff, thanks for starting this thread. I would never have considered the NB Beacon. Now it's on my list of next shoes to try. I weigh 137. I'm never going to run another half or marathon... strictly an age 60 plus, 400/800 meter runner with an occasional foray into the 5k. I'm looking for a shoe that can handle very slow pace (10-11min/mile) recovery or long run and still have some responsiveness at 4:30-6:00 minute pace.
For reference, I like the Zante V3. It's okay on the track and okay on the road, but not great for either. I tried the Hoka Cavu, but it's harsh at slow speeds for me as a forefoot striker and lacks energy return for track workouts. I'm very disappointed in the Cavu. I'm in the Hoka Napali now. It's good for my slow speeds and good up to 7 min/mile. After that, it doesn't have enough energy return.
fisky wrote:
theJeff, thanks for starting this thread. I would never have considered the NB Beacon. Now it's on my list of next shoes to try. I weigh 137. I'm never going to run another half or marathon... strictly an age 60 plus, 400/800 meter runner with an occasional foray into the 5k. I'm looking for a shoe that can handle very slow pace (10-11min/mile) recovery or long run and still have some responsiveness at 4:30-6:00 minute pace.
For reference, I like the Zante V3. It's okay on the track and okay on the road, but not great for either. I tried the Hoka Cavu, but it's harsh at slow speeds for me as a forefoot striker and lacks energy return for track workouts. I'm very disappointed in the Cavu. I'm in the Hoka Napali now. It's good for my slow speeds and good up to 7 min/mile. After that, it doesn't have enough energy return.
No prob, Bob.
I find most Hokas to be very marshmallowy soft, which I don't care for. The Beacon is much more springy/responsive, and any softness comes from the thickness of the Freshfoam.
One more you can try out is the Skechers GoRun Ride 7. It is a nice cushioned trainer, but it has a finished footbed, designed for you to remove the insole and have something more responsive for speed work.
All the best :-)
Hi thejeff,
Which do you find the most responsive , cushioned shoe and most versatile out of the two - skechers gorun ride 7 and NB beacon. If you had to choose one. :)
Cheers
Steve
I was given a pair of these awhile back. I'll preface that with the fact that I've traditionally preferred shoes that are low to the ground, firm, and responsive. I was convinced I was going to hate these and I couldn't have been more wrong. They took a little getting used to, and feel a little strange standing still. However, once you get moving they're springy and light and make my legs feel livelier on days they ordinarily wouldn't. Awesome recovery shoe because I hate wearing anything clunky yet these still offer a nice plushness. I especially loved these in winter when the ground gets very hard and the full ground contact EVA had a nice grip on slick roads and I'm still really digging them into the summer. The first pair has well over 800 miles on them and I still wear them periodically, though I have since transitioned to a newer pair as my primary. I rarely wear anything else now and have even done workouts and some low key racing in them because they make me feel stronger when I'm tired. Wore them for 16 miles the other day and don't have a single complaint. They're crazy comfortable, light, and I'm a total convert.
stevenn wrote:
Hi thejeff,
Which do you find the most responsive , cushioned shoe and most versatile out of the two - skechers gorun ride 7 and NB beacon. If you had to choose one. :)
Cheers
Steve
NBB
It is significantly lighter, just as cushioned, maybe more(?) energy return, and can handle anything from easy pace to a marathon. I would probably want something different for a 5-10k. A 13.1 would be right on the edge of "maybe", in terms of pace. Slightly firmer cushion than the SGRR7.
SGRR7
Strictly a recovery shoe in my opinion, despite the ability to ditch the insole for faster, more responsive runs. Slightly softer cushion than the NBB. It is great at what it does and an outstanding value, but if I had to pick one, I would go with the Beacon.
Beach to Beacon wrote:
I was given a pair of these awhile back. I'll preface that with the fact that I've traditionally preferred shoes that are low to the ground, firm, and responsive. I was convinced I was going to hate these and I couldn't have been more wrong. They took a little getting used to, and feel a little strange standing still. However, once you get moving they're springy and light and make my legs feel livelier on days they ordinarily wouldn't. Awesome recovery shoe because I hate wearing anything clunky yet these still offer a nice plushness. I especially loved these in winter when the ground gets very hard and the full ground contact EVA had a nice grip on slick roads and I'm still really digging them into the summer. The first pair has well over 800 miles on them and I still wear them periodically, though I have since transitioned to a newer pair as my primary. I rarely wear anything else now and have even done workouts and some low key racing in them because they make me feel stronger when I'm tired. Wore them for 16 miles the other day and don't have a single complaint. They're crazy comfortable, light, and I'm a total convert.
How did you get a pair in the winter? I got mine before they hit the interwebs, and that was in early June...
Thanks for your input The Jeff.
I got the Go runs 7's on sale, probably about 1/3 less than the beacons are. Have you tried the Nike epic react, I am pretty impressed with those, even more responsive than the Go run 7's and cushion levels fairly similar. The Go run 7's are a very comfortable shoe - I could wear them all day. I took out the soft insole out and put a firmer insole in, the 7's and that made it even more cushioned and a little more responsive, I have heard the beacons arn't as breathable or stable as the 7's did you find that?
Cheers
Steve
stevenn wrote:
Thanks for your input The Jeff.
I got the Go runs 7's on sale, probably about 1/3 less than the beacons are. Have you tried the Nike epic react, I am pretty impressed with those, even more responsive than the Go run 7's and cushion levels fairly similar. The Go run 7's are a very comfortable shoe - I could wear them all day. I took out the soft insole out and put a firmer insole in, the 7's and that made it even more cushioned and a little more responsive, I have heard the beacons arn't as breathable or stable as the 7's did you find that?
Cheers
Steve
I have heard very mixed reviews on the React, both from a durability and comfort standpoint. But I haven't tried them.
Breathability of the NBB is fine. I definitely have to cinch them down and use a heel lock when doing speed work in them, and I don't do anything faster than tempo pace in them.
theJeff wrote:
Beach to Beacon wrote:
I was given a pair of these awhile back. I'll preface that with the fact that I've traditionally preferred shoes that are low to the ground, firm, and responsive. I was convinced I was going to hate these and I couldn't have been more wrong. They took a little getting used to, and feel a little strange standing still. However, once you get moving they're springy and light and make my legs feel livelier on days they ordinarily wouldn't. Awesome recovery shoe because I hate wearing anything clunky yet these still offer a nice plushness. I especially loved these in winter when the ground gets very hard and the full ground contact EVA had a nice grip on slick roads and I'm still really digging them into the summer. The first pair has well over 800 miles on them and I still wear them periodically, though I have since transitioned to a newer pair as my primary. I rarely wear anything else now and have even done workouts and some low key racing in them because they make me feel stronger when I'm tired. Wore them for 16 miles the other day and don't have a single complaint. They're crazy comfortable, light, and I'm a total convert.
How did you get a pair in the winter? I got mine before they hit the interwebs, and that was in early June...
Wear test. Just got another pair a couple of weeks ago when they came out.
I am jealous. Apparently, there isn't much of a need for a size 14 Wear Tester out there :-(
theJeff wrote:
stevenn wrote:
Thanks for your input The Jeff.
I got the Go runs 7's on sale, probably about 1/3 less than the beacons are. Have you tried the Nike epic react, I am pretty impressed with those, even more responsive than the Go run 7's and cushion levels fairly similar. The Go run 7's are a very comfortable shoe - I could wear them all day. I took out the soft insole out and put a firmer insole in, the 7's and that made it even more cushioned and a little more responsive, I have heard the beacons arn't as breathable or stable as the 7's did you find that?
Cheers
Steve
I have heard very mixed reviews on the React, both from a durability and comfort standpoint. But I haven't tried them.
Breathability of the NBB is fine. I definitely have to cinch them down and use a heel lock when doing speed work in them, and I don't do anything faster than tempo pace in them.
I like the React foam (in the Odyssey), but I'd still vote for Lunarlon/Lunar foam even though it's supposedly less durable. It's a shame Nike is pulling Lunar from their top of the line shoes. That's why I'm stocking up on as many Lunarglides that I can find on Ebay.
2 reviews of Beacon from LRCers here:
https://www.letsrun.com/shoes/new-balance/fresh-foam-beacon
11 reviews of Epic React:
FYI, the Beacon is now offered in Wide sizes. Enjoy!
How much stretch is there in the upper of these? I tried a pair (definitely the right size for me) and the upper seemed a bit snug, but maybe that’s just me overthinking things and being used to shoes that are a bit too roomy.
Long-time fan of neutral light shoes like the Nike Vortex, Nike Skylon, and the Nike LunarTempo. Love the New Balance Beacon so far. Very nice fit to the upper, and the lightness plus the cushioning makes for a great shoe. I especially like its light weight and cushioning at the end of a tempo run.
snugupper? wrote:
How much stretch is there in the upper of these? I tried a pair (definitely the right size for me) and the upper seemed a bit snug, but maybe that’s just me overthinking things and being used to shoes that are a bit too roomy.
I have found the opposite: I have to really cinch down the laces if I am doing anything other than an easy run...
I'm a lightweight quick runner who tends to land mid foot/outer forefoot and then roll in. In the past I did well in lightweight shoes with either a firm feel or a little bit of support. I gotbonnwell with the Saucony Kinvara early editions and also older Adizero Tempos, before Boost. A particular pain for me was that lots of companies seem to have lost their heel cup, for me this makes me roll in. I hoped the 1500 would be ok but a support shoe with no counter seemed nuts?
Fast forward to the Beacon, love the simplicity, prefer it to the Kinvara 9 (roll feels a bit rough and the counter hurts my heel). The Beacon for me is quite supportive, I wanted to like the Zante, but again lack of a counter meant I got posterior tibial tendon pain. I like the slight rocker feel of the midsole (like early Skechers). It seems to make the soft foam more responsive and also more supportive under the arch.
The only negative I have is that my legs feel quite sore, I'm two/three weeks in to using it and my quads hurt. It's a great shoe, my schillesctendonitis is much better and I can use it for any run. Please don't change it NB. Would like to see a Beacon racer... same make up but with maybe 2/3 of the stack, maybe 170g???
Noo Bslance wrote:
I'm a lightweight quick runner who tends to land mid foot/outer forefoot and then roll in. In the past I did well in lightweight shoes with either a firm feel or a little bit of support. I gotbonnwell with the Saucony Kinvara early editions and also older Adizero Tempos, before Boost. A particular pain for me was that lots of companies seem to have lost their heel cup, for me this makes me roll in. I hoped the 1500 would be ok but a support shoe with no counter seemed nuts?
Fast forward to the Beacon, love the simplicity, prefer it to the Kinvara 9 (roll feels a bit rough and the counter hurts my heel). The Beacon for me is quite supportive, I wanted to like the Zante, but again lack of a counter meant I got posterior tibial tendon pain. I like the slight rocker feel of the midsole (like early Skechers). It seems to make the soft foam more responsive and also more supportive under the arch.
The only negative I have is that my legs feel quite sore, I'm two/three weeks in to using it and my quads hurt. It's a great shoe, my schillesctendonitis is much better and I can use it for any run. Please don't change it NB. Would like to see a Beacon racer... same make up but with maybe 2/3 of the stack, maybe 170g???
Noo Bslance wrote:
I'm a lightweight quick runner who tends to land mid foot/outer forefoot and then roll in. In the past I did well in lightweight shoes with either a firm feel or a little bit of support. I gotbonnwell with the Saucony Kinvara early editions and also older Adizero Tempos, before Boost. A particular pain for me was that lots of companies seem to have lost their heel cup, for me this makes me roll in. I hoped the 1500 would be ok but a support shoe with no counter seemed nuts?
Fast forward to the Beacon, love the simplicity, prefer it to the Kinvara 9 (roll feels a bit rough and the counter hurts my heel). The Beacon for me is quite supportive, I wanted to like the Zante, but again lack of a counter meant I got posterior tibial tendon pain. I like the slight rocker feel of the midsole (like early Skechers). It seems to make the soft foam more responsive and also more supportive under the arch.
The only negative I have is that my legs feel quite sore, I'm two/three weeks in to using it and my quads hurt. It's a great shoe, my schillesctendonitis is much better and I can use it for any run. Please don't change it NB. Would like to see a Beacon racer... same make up but with maybe 2/3 of the stack, maybe 170g???
oops
I kinda thought the Zante WAS a Beacon Racer, lol