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Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:New Balance Vazee Pace Review}} The New Balance Vazee Pace is an interesting option for those looking to migrate from a traditional running shoe like the Asic..."
{{DISPLAYTITLE:New Balance Vazee Pace Review}}
The New Balance Vazee Pace is an interesting option for those looking to migrate from a traditional running shoe like the [[Asics GT 2000]] to something more natural. It provides a reasonable, though not great levels of cushioning, and it's smooth and even. There is far more drop between the heel and forefoot than I'd like, but this makes it a good half-way house for transitioning to a lower drop shoe. The Pace is relatively light weight when compared to many traditional shoes, but the level of cushioning it provides for its weight is rather grim when compared to better shoes. It weighs nearly as much as the [[Hoka Clifton]], but provides only a fraction of the cushioning. Compared with the amazing [[New Balance RC5000v2]], it has slightly less cushioning, but is more than twice as heavy. It seems bizarre to think of a shoe that weighs less than 9 ounces as too heavy, but material science and shoe design has rather left the Pace behind. That said, I rate the Vazee Pace as "Worth Considering" as it's a worthy contender for your money if you're looking for a transitional shoe. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:New Balance Vazee Pace-top.JPG|none|thumb|300px|New Balance Vazee Pace top]]
|[[File:New Balance Vazee Pace-outside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|New Balance Vazee Pace outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:New Balance Vazee Pace-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|300px|New Balance Vazee Pace bottom]]
|[[File:New Balance Vazee Pace-inside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|New Balance Vazee Pace inside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:cushioning}}. The cushioning on the Pace is okay, but it's not great. I found it smooth and even, and it's a comparable level of cushioning to the [[Brooks PureConnect]], [[Nike Zoom Streak LT]], or the ultralight [[New Balance RC5000v2]].
* {{H:drop}}. The Vazee Pace has 6mm of drop, which is enough for me to consider it more of a transitional shoe than the one designed for natural running..
* {{H:structure}}. The Vazee Pace has a single density of foam so there's nothing overt to interfere with your foot movement. There is a slight cut away under the ball of the foot at the bottom of the shoe, and the midsole cups the heel a little, both of which create a little bit of stability without the manipulation and interference of a medial post. There is a bit more support than I'd like to see, which could cause some plantar fascia issues in some runners.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The Vazee Pace is less flexible than I'd have expected for issue of this weight. It's not enough to be much of an issue, but I find I prefer more flexibility.
* {{H:outsole}}. The Vazee Pace has three different colors of harder rubber outsole, but they seem to be of similar density. The outsole covers all contact patches, and should give good longevity.
* {{H:shape}}. The shoe is nothing like the shape of the human foot, so the [[Shoe Modifications| toe box needs to be cut open]]. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}} <br/>[[File:Shoes For Humans.png|none|thumb|200px| The Vazee Pace is more likely to fit someone with the mutant foot that has the big toe in the middle than a the typical human foot.]]
* {{H:upper}}. The upper of the Vazee Pace has a few seams, but it does have quite a number of overlays. There is no padding except around the ankle opening and at the very back of the upper. Overall I found it to be a comfortable upper, though not terribly breathable.
* {{H:tongue}}. The Vazee Pace has a partially sewn in tongue, as well as a tab for the laces, so it stays in position. The tongue is only sown in just over half way up, so it's still easy to get the shoe on and off. The tongue is nicely padded and soft.
* {{H:lacing}}. The laces are traditional flat laces and stayed tied without any problem. There is a little elasticity in the laces, something that seems to contribute more than you might expect to the comfort of the shoe.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The [[Heel Counter]] is vestigial, only coming up about half way up the back and only extending a very short distance to either side. I'd love to have some insight into what the designers were thinking when they created the heel counter; it's hard to conceive that they believed it would have any functional benefit. My guess is they put in the heel counter in because that's what you do in shoes.
{{FastBlr|New Balance /Vazee Pace-iv-1331|1331|New Balance Vazee Pace}}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}
The New Balance Vazee Pace is an interesting option for those looking to migrate from a traditional running shoe like the [[Asics GT 2000]] to something more natural. It provides a reasonable, though not great levels of cushioning, and it's smooth and even. There is far more drop between the heel and forefoot than I'd like, but this makes it a good half-way house for transitioning to a lower drop shoe. The Pace is relatively light weight when compared to many traditional shoes, but the level of cushioning it provides for its weight is rather grim when compared to better shoes. It weighs nearly as much as the [[Hoka Clifton]], but provides only a fraction of the cushioning. Compared with the amazing [[New Balance RC5000v2]], it has slightly less cushioning, but is more than twice as heavy. It seems bizarre to think of a shoe that weighs less than 9 ounces as too heavy, but material science and shoe design has rather left the Pace behind. That said, I rate the Vazee Pace as "Worth Considering" as it's a worthy contender for your money if you're looking for a transitional shoe. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:New Balance Vazee Pace-top.JPG|none|thumb|300px|New Balance Vazee Pace top]]
|[[File:New Balance Vazee Pace-outside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|New Balance Vazee Pace outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:New Balance Vazee Pace-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|300px|New Balance Vazee Pace bottom]]
|[[File:New Balance Vazee Pace-inside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|New Balance Vazee Pace inside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:cushioning}}. The cushioning on the Pace is okay, but it's not great. I found it smooth and even, and it's a comparable level of cushioning to the [[Brooks PureConnect]], [[Nike Zoom Streak LT]], or the ultralight [[New Balance RC5000v2]].
* {{H:drop}}. The Vazee Pace has 6mm of drop, which is enough for me to consider it more of a transitional shoe than the one designed for natural running..
* {{H:structure}}. The Vazee Pace has a single density of foam so there's nothing overt to interfere with your foot movement. There is a slight cut away under the ball of the foot at the bottom of the shoe, and the midsole cups the heel a little, both of which create a little bit of stability without the manipulation and interference of a medial post. There is a bit more support than I'd like to see, which could cause some plantar fascia issues in some runners.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The Vazee Pace is less flexible than I'd have expected for issue of this weight. It's not enough to be much of an issue, but I find I prefer more flexibility.
* {{H:outsole}}. The Vazee Pace has three different colors of harder rubber outsole, but they seem to be of similar density. The outsole covers all contact patches, and should give good longevity.
* {{H:shape}}. The shoe is nothing like the shape of the human foot, so the [[Shoe Modifications| toe box needs to be cut open]]. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}} <br/>[[File:Shoes For Humans.png|none|thumb|200px| The Vazee Pace is more likely to fit someone with the mutant foot that has the big toe in the middle than a the typical human foot.]]
* {{H:upper}}. The upper of the Vazee Pace has a few seams, but it does have quite a number of overlays. There is no padding except around the ankle opening and at the very back of the upper. Overall I found it to be a comfortable upper, though not terribly breathable.
* {{H:tongue}}. The Vazee Pace has a partially sewn in tongue, as well as a tab for the laces, so it stays in position. The tongue is only sown in just over half way up, so it's still easy to get the shoe on and off. The tongue is nicely padded and soft.
* {{H:lacing}}. The laces are traditional flat laces and stayed tied without any problem. There is a little elasticity in the laces, something that seems to contribute more than you might expect to the comfort of the shoe.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The [[Heel Counter]] is vestigial, only coming up about half way up the back and only extending a very short distance to either side. I'd love to have some insight into what the designers were thinking when they created the heel counter; it's hard to conceive that they believed it would have any functional benefit. My guess is they put in the heel counter in because that's what you do in shoes.
{{FastBlr|New Balance /Vazee Pace-iv-1331|1331|New Balance Vazee Pace}}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}