Tendances Sneakers : New Balance Fresh Foam Iron v4

Tendances Sneakers :

New Balance Fresh Foam Iron v4

Analysis and characteristics of New Balance Fresh Foam Iron v4, one of the most important trail shoes of the trail running panorama. The Iron model has been able to combine the experience of New Balance in previous success models, such as Leadville, and to pour all that experience into new materials and technologies, creating this successful saga.

Note that New Balance is refining the concept more and more, since in this delivery the main improvements are focused on the upper. The midsole and the sole, with the great performance that we highlight in the review of Hierro v3, are maintained, to the delight of those who have been able to enjoy the great contribution in terms of cushioning, and the all-terrain sole Vibram® that completes it

And not only Fresh Foam Iron ... Nowadays, the flagship that represents Fresh Foam 1080 among the daily training sneakers gives an idea of the importance that Fresh Foam technology has gained, which gives way to other top models such as Fresh Foam More, Fresh Foam Lazr, Fresh Foam Beacon or Fresh Foam Vongo, which give good faith of it.

But returning to the Trail ... In this fourth installment of Fresh Foam Iron, we see a shoe with a strong appearance, which highlights, for example, that high collar to protect us from road discomfort and demonstrates the goal of New Balance with this Iron v4: that the performance is not at odds with the comfort in the race.

Analysis New Balance Fresh Foam Iron v4

Mediasuela

The midsole of New Balance Fresh Foam Iron v4 is already included in the name of the shoe (Fresh Foam) which gives an idea of the importance it has.

Fresh Foam is a compound that New Balance began to include in its best models from 2014, being precisely a trail shoe, the T980 one of the pioneers of shoe. Iron, in fact, inherits the essence of that T980, but completely renewing the idea starting with the midsole.

Fresh Foam is able to provide a great and soft cushioning and, depending on the configuration that New Balance wants to print, also stability. Two in one, both for shoes for neutral footprint, as pronator.

Those responsible for the New Balance Sports Research Lab, in Massachusetts, developed a thermoplastic polymer composite. In parallel, they achieved a computer design based on the study and analysis of thousands of brokers and brokers. This design allows to use a geometry that, together with the compound, is capable of with a single material, to provide cushioning, stability, lightness, flexibility and response. That is, without auxiliary elements such as air chambers, gels or other types.

Going to the detail of this FF Iron v4, this D2D, or Data To Design, translates into a one-piece midsole, with a single material, which has regular shapes, different depending on whether it is the inner or outer face of the midsole. The material itself dampens and the concave forms of the exterior collaborate in facilitating the best reaction at the moment of impacting the ground (making it softer than abruptly) and, on the other hand, the convex forms of the interior, collaborate in keeping the footprint stable. This is especially good even with neutral treads, since with the passage of the kilometers they become, by exhaustion, more unstable.

The total height is not bad either reaching up to 28mm in the heel and 20mm in the metatarsal area. This gives 8mm drop (the difference between the two heights).

Sole

The sole of New Balance Fresh Foam Iron 4 is another of its strengths, it is made with material Vibram® Megagrip. The great asset of this compound is that It provides a lot of grip on any surface and also it is very durable.

To complement the effect of this material, there is the tacking design, which is quite aggressive, but with a large contact surface. This is achieved by New Balance thanks to a generous amount of studs, throughout the length and width of the sole, with hexagonal shapes of generous surface to achieve a good base on which to pull.

These hexagons grow as they are inserted in the part in contact with the entire midsole, managing to disperse the return pressure of the studs when they are stepped on. It is not visible to the naked eye, but if you look carefully at the base of the studs it is easy to see this resource.

The separation between the studs is what allows the whole set to be very flexible.

Upper

One of the highlights of the upper New Balance Fresh Foam Iron v4 is the booty construction and how it is articulated around the foot.

The mesh is much stronger than it can appear to the naked eye. The technology Stretch Film Upper is a type of elastic film that reinforces the fit but leaving enough freedom of movement to the foot, especially if it has to wrinkle depending on where it has to go. One of the great improvements compared to Iron v3 is precisely the breathability, since New Balance resorts to hexagonal shapes to ventilate the shoe better than in its predecessor. In return, that Stretch Film used now is more resistant than the Hyposkin used in the previous version.

The construction itself in booty makes the tongue as such does not exist, although it does maintain the structure in classic loop, with up to five eyelets per side where they pass a strong flat laces.

The entire collar around the ankle is elastic, which is necessary to be able to insert the foot and the mesh to close again once it has entered. Inside the bowl, we find two foam padding to complete the space under the malleoli and the shoe is perfectly fitted.

Ahead, the protection of the toe, Toe Protect, has grown on the surface and, therefore this is another point of improvement for this new release of Iron.

From behind, we still find good things in this interesting model since the buttress that has to hold on the ankle at the moment of hitting the ground, External Heel Counter, connects with a reinforced strip to the first two buttonholes and that will help keep the foot much more subject in this area.

It is easy to distinguish because new Balance has painted the entire area in black. By the way, and speaking of black ... Both the great logo of "NB", Like the words"Fresh Foam"That we found in both exteriors of that dark Heel Counter, they are reflective, which helps to be seen in low light conditions.

Test / Sensations: New Balance Fresh Foam Iron v4

When you put on your feet for the first time this New balance Fresh Foam Iron v4 costs you a little bit between the feet. Come on, as usually happens with most shoes with booty structure ... But like everything, is to get the hang of it. If before trying to put the foot, I hold the handle that is included in the highest part of the heel, it is really very simple.

Once put and looking at your feet from above, to see how the base of the midsole protrudes on both sides under the upper, you know that the shoe will be very stable and will save you from many twists.

But it is underway when you really have to try it and the truth is that it behaves as it seems: a very smooth running, thanks to the careful cushioning.

Running along track and easy trails, you have the feeling of wearing a comfortable asphalt shoe for daily training. But when you go out and up or down a complicated trialera, it does not give you any problems or limits. It is true that at the level of protections, lack of strength in sight, but the TPU that covers it in good length protects enough for a good balance between protection and weight.

Very comfortable, especially in runs of accumulating kilometers.

The only one that I have found is that my fingers are too close to the toe. That's why in the more or less long exits or technical descent areas or where I had to go punishing the foot and taking it forward, I have been given to think that my number is something right, so if I were to buy them, I would ask, without hesitation, half a number more than usual.

conclusion

New Balance Fresh Foam Iron is a versatile trail shoe. She is a good partner for long runs (and better if they are corribles), to take full advantage of it. They are stable and cover a good contact surface with the ground. Tacking allows it to be used in all kinds of environments, although, I insist, better those that give ease to run and not so much the technically complicated environments and where rock and edges predominate.

Very valid for long or very long sessions, where the passage of hours or kilometers is not a problem for the runner or runner since this Iron v4 enhances comfort in its use. The drop that spends is 8mm, while its weight is 324gr in men and 267gr in women.

It can be used by runners and runners of any weight, although the most benefited, given its careful cushioning and broad base, thanks to the design in the use of the Fresh Foam compound of the midsole, will be those of medium to high weights, or very high .