New Balance Vazee Summit 2 - Review

 New Balance Vazee Summit 2 - First Impressions

Stoat Rating: 8/10
Weight: 265g in UK 9.0
Sizing: Comes up small - UK sizes, in particular, seem off.  I'm normally an 8 or 8.5.

Overview
A precise, fast feeling shoe which could be used for distances up to a marathon and beyond if you like a more minimal shoe. I'm not a fan of the 10mm drop, but the precise fit and narrow heel make sure that it doesn't feel unstable.
What's it like?  Think a Salomon S-Lab Sense SG with a touch more softness in the sole.

Upper
The shoe is generally a narrow fit (NB say that it is a D fit). I found that it had a narrow heel with a sensible amount of padding allowing an excellent heel hold. The midfoot equally suited my narrow feet. There was a bit more room in the forefoot than I was expecting based on other reviews and, for comparison, I'd say that there is probably a touch more than the Salomon S-Lab Sense 6 shoes.  In fact, the toebox is probably not far off the Salomon S-Lab Sense Ultra toebox.  The upper is generally flexible and thin, which allows some compliance if you have any oddly shaped toes.  The area over the toes is a soft mesh which breathes well, but the sides of the shoe are coated with an overlay which, restricts airflow in this area, although there are cuts through the overlay to allow for some breathability.  I have not found this shoe to be too hot in the UK, but those of you running in hotter climates might have a different view.

Most of the upper is covered in an overlay

Internally NB has used a bootie (think Salomon Endofit) tongue.  This has the benefit of keeping the tongue from falling to one side.  The hold of the midfoot is excellent which I put down to a well shaped upper and lacing system.  Personally, I don't think that that the bootie does much to add to this, but I think the same of the Endofit system on the Salomon shoes and I'm sure that there is a chorus of people who would insist that the Endofit makes the shoe hug the foot.  My own take is that the Endofit might hold the foot when the laces are undone, but as soon as you do the laces up they are taking the load, not a floppy piece of fabric around the foot.

Salomon Endofit?

Midsole
27mm at the heel dropping to 17 at the forefoot (10mm drop), giving a moderate amount of cushioning at the heel while underfoot it there is just enough to allow for running fast on technical terrain.  To be honest, I find the cushioning at the heel to be a little bit out of character with the rest of the shoe - it doesn't exactly detract from the ride, but for a mid-forefoot striker it just seems like extra weight and stack height where it's not necessary.  If you prefer a higher drop and are frustrated by all the low drop shoes these days then this should be heaven.

Incidentally, other reviews have said that this shoe doesn't feel like a 10mm drop.  By this, I think that they mean that you don't get the feeling of instability around the heel when running which can be typical of higher drop shoes when running on trails. I agree with this, however, if you are a zero drop minimalist, don't miss-interpret this as thinking that when you first slip your feet into them they will magically feel like a 4mm drop - they are (and feel like) a 10mm drop shoe with a well designed precise heel that doesn't feel unstable or get in the way.
I discuss this point in more detail in my post on heel design and stability.

Outsole

Middle of the road lugginess

The lugs on the outsole are 4mm deep and well spaced to avoid picking up mud.  I have found them to be a good pattern for everyday use here in the UK where we are most often running on wet ground.  If things get really muddy and steep then I'd change up to a fell shoe but the Vazee Summit runs much better than a fell shoe on harder ground making them an excellent choice for most days out in the UK.
The rubber grips well in the wet.  Not quite on the same level as an Inov-8 shoe but not far off.

Aesthetics
I like them.  I tend to prefer a simple colour scheme and I think that they deliver.  There is a second colour with an orangy red at the front of the shoe if you want something a bit brighter.

What I'd change
I'd reduce the 10mm drop to something in the 4-6mm range, probably taking ~5mm off the heel stack and adding ~1mm under the forefoot.
I'd also square off the toe a bit (provide more room on the outside edge).

Final thoughts
It is light enough to wear on a 10k trail race and protective enough for a marathon. I don't like the 10mm drop but it doesn't dominate the feel of the shoe. The fit is generally very good on me, but like many shoes, the toebox could do with being a bit more squared off. The outsole deals just fine with a bit of tarmac, and can cope with softer surfaces too.   I might look for a shoe with more cushioning if running an ultra with lots of hard / non technical surfaces, or switch to my X-Talon 225s in a steep/wet fell race, but for everything in between the Vazee Summit 2 is a good choice.