Discontinued · trail · Trail / Race day / Tempo · $140
King of the Mountain: light trail racer with a rock plate.
Built for trail, race day, tempo, at a target pace of 7:30–10:30 /mi on trail.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is New Balance FuelCell Venym.
New Balance tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. 30 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as snappy at 4/5 responsiveness.
A rock plate sits between the foam and the outsole to spread the load of sharp stones and roots. It is protection, not propulsion — it does not add pop, but it keeps the underfoot bruising out of long days on technical ground.
A low 4 mm drop encourages a midfoot landing and keeps the ankle working through a fuller range. The rocker is moderate — enough curve to smooth the roll-through without dictating your footstrike. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 350 miles from the outsole, about $0.40 per mile at $140.
For the foams and plates New Balance uses across its line, read the New Balance brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
240 g / 8.5 oz
35 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
30 mm
6 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
4 mm
2 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$140
20 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~350 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the New Balance line it is lighter than the brand's median (278 g / 9.8 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
On Cloudventure Peak 3
240 g / 8.5 oz · 28 mm · 4 mm drop · Rock · $170
Light trail racer for fast, technical mountain days.
Nike Terra Kiger 10
270 g / 9.5 oz · 30 mm · 4 mm drop · Rock · $150
Low, agile trail racer-trainer for technical terrain.
Brooks Catamount 4
270 g / 9.5 oz · 34 mm · 6 mm drop · Rock · $180
Light trail racer with SkyVault plate propulsion.
Altra Mont Blanc Speed
245 g / 8.6 oz · 30 mm · 0 mm drop · Rock · $230
Leaner, faster Mont Blanc built for trail race day.