Gear: New Balance Vazee Pace v2

New Balance Vazee Pace v2

Earlier this month, I got a new pair of runners. It was time for a couple of reasons. First, my last pair was showing early signs of deterioration (parts of the sole were coming off - I glued them back on for now) and, second, my last pair weren't the right shoes for me. This is mostly why I haven't bothered to review them - I don't have a lot of good things to say about them. But I do acknowledge that I bought them largely because of a pair of runners I had before (Saucony Triumph 10 - read my review HERE) and didn't listen to advice to the contrary, so I do accept responsibility.

In the past, I have bought my shoes from The Running Room, which I highly recommend. However, the store in Richmond (which was in Ironwood) recently closed and I refuse to drive all the way into Vancouver to buy a pair of shoes... or anything really. So I went to Sport Chek instead. The challenge with Sport Chek, I find, is that I have to do my own research - it's hit-or-miss at Sport Chek whether you get a knowledgeable sales associate or not.

My Shoe Profile from the Runner's World Shoe Finder

I used the Runner's World Shoes Finder to find my "Shoe Profile". I found this information invaluable for finding a shoe that fits me.

As my feet, legs, and knees have developed, along with my running, I found that I need less of the cushioning and stability that I previously thought I needed. I also wanted shoes I could easily throw in a suitcase to take with me on my work trips - so they needed to be packable. With my recent travel schedule, I want to be able to fit in a run no matter what city I'm in.

Enter the New Balance Vazee Pace v2. Now these are my first pair New Balance shoes and I was a bit skeptical at first; I had heard some mixed reviews regarding the durability of New Balance shoes - I will update this post if I encounter any durability issues

The New Balance Vazee Pace v2 are a simple, solid, durable runner that I intend to use mostly for road/pavement running (I will save my older, deteriorating shoes for running dirt and gravel trails, like the Richmond dyke, for now). Partly so I can keep these clean for packing in a suitcase as well.

New Balance Vazee Pace v2 profile

One of the things I especially like about the Vazee Pace v2s is that they are a straight forward runner without any bells and whistles and, as a result, they cost just over $100 (Canadian dollars), which is substantially less than my previous runners. I also really like the streamlined/trim look. These shoes are a great, no-frills, back-to-basics shoe that can stand up to daily use.

As part of my research, I compared a couple of reviews such as THIS one from Runner's World, which I compared to my Shoe Profile, and THIS one from Running Shoes Guru and both confirmed my own findings. Both backed up my leanings that these are right for me.

Overall, I am very satisfied with these shoes. I have logged nearly 60 km on them already and, so far, they feel great, look great, and are incredibly comfortable on my feet. They support my feet and arches where they need to and provide just the right amount of cushioning to avoid straining my knees and still give me the push I need.