Shoe Review: New Balance 610 Trail Shoe

PROFILE:

Trail Shoe:

• Smooth comfortable ride with adequate cushioning
• Great traction whether in smooth or technical trails
• Lightweight but exceptionally cushioned ride
• Weight: 10.9 oz (size 9, M)

New Balance 610 Trail Shoe

I’ve seen this trail shoe model on many of my trail runner friends who swear by its dependability, comfort and durability, not to mention the bargain price made available in many running stores carrying the New Balance shoe brand.  It’s one of the most popular trail running shoes which i’ve worn and tested in about a dozen trail runs and races.

The New Balance 610 is a totally dependable performance trail shoe that does not budge on any surface that’s subjected to whether on rough roads, basic trails, rocky terrain or the occasional river crossings. It cuts through very nicely even on the most gnarly of trails and has enough cushioning to bump off rocks and muddy trails.

CONSTRUCTION:

The shoe has a light, synthetic upper mesh which is comfortable on the toes and gives adequate support. The mid-sole is composed of an injection-molded eva foam (IMEVA) giving it a firm yet flexible cushioning. However, i found the outer layer of the midsole to be soft as some scrapes and scratches were evident which is probably due to the constant scraping on rocks and other rough edges.

Mesh-panelled upper

The outsole has a high-traction thread made of Ndurance rubber which gives it a very durable quality and has multi-directional triangular lugs for sticky traction on most surfaces. I’ve logged-in about 100++ kms in this shoe and so far, the outsoles have been holding up very well with no issues regarding durability. The ankle collars are adequately padded with a lace up system that has string eyelets in the first 2 holes which gives it a somewhat secure fit.

Ndurance outsoles

FIT AND FEEL:

Straight out of the box, the NB 610 has a nice feel, has adequate room in the toe box (i wear 2E widths) and there is no rubbing in the inner edges whatsoever. No pinched feeling as well! The lacing system does help a lot in locking-in the feet and the padded heel counter added to the comfort when i started to walk in it.

Putting it on for the first time, the feeling is like wearing a familiar shoe that you have broken-in and worn for several times and felt very comfortable that you won’t think its new.

PERFORMANCE:

The NB 610 has been put through its paces in several trail runs from 10-k up to 30k distances like the Nuvali Rock and Road Trail Race, all PIMCO Trail Races in Tanay, test runs in Tanay and Miyamit,  Timberland Heights runs, the recent Salomon X-trail run at Hamilo Coast and many other trails outside of the city. This means running in all trail conditions and i’m giving it high marks for its versatility and adaptability.

It shines in all surfaces and treks well in river crossings. The shoe sheds water very quickly except when small sands and pebbles gets inside the shoe that i have to completely stop and remove the shoe of its debris. The shoe doesn’t lose its cushioning and stays very breathable even in hot weather running.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION:

A great all-around trail shoe that doesn’t disappoint and i wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to all hard-core and beginner trail runners. Neutral and slight over-pronators will enjoy the high performance ride and do-everything versatility of this trail shoe.

(I bought this shoe at a bargain price of less than P3,000.00 at the New Balance Store branch at Shangrila Mall, Edsa).

Note: There’s a newer version of this shoe, the NB 610V2 which i hope to have and review in the future.