New Balance - Fresh Foam X More Trail v3

I sold my Speedgoat 6 after putting in about 60km, grip is good but overall quality is sub par. Have not run in Mafate but own two pair of Tecton x2, I like them but one pair blew out in the toe box after ca. 150km... I fixed them and they still go strong but I only use them on dry days and dry trails (Portugal and Colorado) for reference I am in Norway where the trails are super technical (rocks and roots) and often wet. Saucony... I love the Endorphin Speed for the road or treadmill but I have had two pair of Peregrine and not only do they run at least 1/2 size small for me they fell apart after less than 100km...and the grip was sub par to say the least. Never felt confident with them on wet trails. I have never ran in LaSportiva, I just don't like how they look or feel... same with Solomon. With all that said here is what I am currently running in: Tecton x2: again for dry trails only. 8/10 New Balance More Trail3: for the easy days and to have a little more cushion when running slow. Good grip, excellent comfort although the stack is a little high for technical terrain. 6/10 Scott Supertrac Ultra RC: A little on the heavy side but I use them with crampons in the snow. Good fit, good cushion and good traction after you break in the sole. 7/10 Speedland GS:RAR : very good shoe, very good quality... they pinch my pinky toe a bit but this has gotten better the more they break in also they were a little "slappy" at first when I was running slow but I trimmed some rubber at the heel and now they go smooth. 7/10 !!! Speedland GL:PDX : I fooking LOOOVE this shoe! So well built, such good traction... the velcro strap could be an inch longer but I am not complaining I have never had heel slippage, my toes have room to splay, the stack is low and I can add the carbon plate for extra fire! I have run almost exclusively in these since Christmas putting in at least 60km a week (~4,000m vertical) in wet technical trails and I have never felt insecure. Plus they are built to last! Tempted to buy another pair soon just to have as backup. 9/10 If you go Speedland put in Freetrail20 at checkout for 20% off 👌🏽

Beautiful fam! Have you had a chance to compare them to the More Trail V3? They seem to compare to one another (big ole stack trail runners). I have a More Trail but have been eyeballing the Trabuco Max since I'm a huge Asics fan.

I've worn New Balance this century. My feet often don't fit in 4E shoes but I've always been able to find something in New Balance lines to fit. I'm running in the More v3 and 1080v13 at the moment. I have bought 6E shoes from New Balance and have a pair in the basement but those are usually vintage or stability.

I’ve really enjoyed the New Balance Hierro the past few winters. Fresh Foam X stays soft in freezing temps and the vibram outsole is great on snow and ice. Haven’t needed my spikes with them. The v8 is out, apparently they are even softer, closer to the 1080 v13/14 squish. The More Trail v3 was like running in mud, plodding around. They didn’t work for me. I loved the v1.

I have incredibly wide feet and early Altras were the only things that fit until they changed the designs. Now I have found the New Balance More Trail V3 and they have been excellent. Not only a wide forefoot, but a voluminous shoe altogether. The mid and out soles outlast any Altra I've ever used.

The More Trail is terrible, way too much exposed midsole and the lugs are garbage. But you know that now, haha. Consider La Sportiva. I've run two ultras in my Prodigios so far and they're great; they grip very well, they're great on technical stuff, and the foam has good energy return and cushion. It may not be enough cushion for 100M for some, though for me it's a good balance between cushion and nimbleness/agility on rocky/rooty stuff - but there is a new max stack version of the same shoe coming out for spring 25 that could be worth looking at. I would suggest the Agility Peak but you said they didn't fit you well - I also find them to be very generous in the fit. I normally wear men's shoes but had to go to women's AND size down to get them to work for me. If your feet are in the size range that this is an option for you, maybe consider it. They're really on the high end of stack for really technical stuff, for me anyway, but they're a comfy shoe for long efforts and they actually feel much more capable on technical stuff after about 100km than they did right out of the box when they felt like blocks of foam strapped to my feet.

Fellow Cape Townian running in New Balance here. The NB factory shops in Kenilworth and Kuilsrivier are your friends. I’m currently using NB Fresh Goam Garoe (wide) as my mileage shoe. But for technical stuff, the Puma Electrify Nitro Trail I got on a whim off Runway Sale has been a game changer for me. Wide enough for my feet, but the outsole is narrower, so easier to thread needles when running in rocky terrain. Wide outsole and masses of cushioning is not conducive to lekker technical running. Especially if you don’t have rubber ankles.

Intermediate trail runner in the PNW. Coming from NB Fresh Foam V3 to Brooks Caldera 8s and love them. The NB FF were great getting me to the 20km range but lacked stability in the roots. Loving the Caldera 8s so far. Great on the joint, stable and finding Im turning them over (cadence) quicker

Specifically, Eastern States 100. It's got ten 1000' climbs and descents with endless rocks and roots. I've been running in lots of max cushion shoes (Nike Zegama 2, Saucony Xodus Ultra, New Balance More Trail V3), because I thought the cushion would help me last longer. However, I'm wondering if I should just go with something that has a bit lower stack height to navigate the rocks faster. I've accepted that my feet are going to hurt regardless of the amount of cushion. I wore the NB More Trail V3 two years ago running ES100 and I really struggled with the technical sections. I'd like to be faster next year.

You hit the nail on the head. The rain started really coming down when I was descending to Callahan Run (mile 55ish). I literally slid down Hemlock Mountain to the Pine Creek crossing. The NB More Trail V3 have 5mm lugs but they're big and flat, don't grip well. Great on buffed out, not great in mud/loose rocks. They also have Vibram outsoles but it's some recycled version that isn't nearly as sticky as Megagrip. I was going to say "Please only shoes with Megagrip" but I didn't want to limit the convo. Saucony, Altra, Nike propietary outsoles are so inferior compared to Megagrip. On those descents I was really wishing I was wearing Topo MTN Racer 3's or Pursuits, but the MTN Racer 3's rub my achilles terribly. I'm tempted to give the Mafate Speeds a try, but $180 is about $80 more than I usually spend on shoes. I always buy prior years models because I go through about 3 pair a year.

My question isn't should I change shoes for this specific event. Rather, should I change shoes from what I'm currently using because they're not really working. Essentially change my strategy. I wore the New Balance FF More Trail V3 during Eastern States 100 in 2023 and they definitely held me back. I kept feeling like I was "going over the top" after the 65 mile mark. The further into the race, the more it felt like I was trying to keep them from rolling. A 37 mm stack was just too tippy when navigating loose rocks and off cambre terrain. They're also 11 ounces in a size 9. I run/feel much faster in my Topo Pursuit's that are 28mm but I prefer a bit of drop if I'm running more than 25 miles or so. Unfortunately the Topo MTN Racer 3's don't work for me. They rub my achilles terribly and cause (tendon?) swelling in my ankle.

I have the Trabuco Max V3 and the Hierro V9 and also the NB More Trail V3. I'm also a heavy runner with shoe size US13 and of these 3 shoes I like the More Trail V3 the most!

Yes, I'd say so and although I find the trabuco max v3 quite ok the sizing is very odd. The more trail fits me perfect and I even bought another pair when it was on sale.

Presently, NB as a brand has been coming out with squishy foam in most if not all models in road and trail running. The one I'm thinking of is the NB MORE trail shoe (they have a road version) which is a squishy soft, max cushioned shoe with a 4mm drop. The Brooks Caldera is another max cushion trail shoe with great traction and has a pretty soft midsole coming in with a 6mm drop.

I’m heavier than you and have gone through a few pairs. Here are some insights on the pairs I’ve used Altra Lone Peak 8s have held up really well. Altra Outroads not so much, version 1 compressed really fast and haven’t enjoyed the feel of version 2 as much but apparently they fixed some durability issues. New Balance Fresh Foam X More, really like these shoes but they are a lot of shoe despite feeling relatively light.

Do not do this with plantar fasciitis. Get a shoe with a high stack like the hola speedgoats or the NB fresh foam. PF is not something to mess around with because it will end your hike in a way that nothing else can by making every step agony.

I'm a die hard New Balance person (because they consistently have wide shoes that feel good for me) and I've been using the minimus trail and love them. The fresh foam shoes don't hold up super well with sharp/rocky terrain.