New Balance Women's W1400v6 Running Shoes

Product Information

To be fair, despite owning up to 6 pairs or different running shoes at one time these are the shoes I reach for 99% of the time. A couple of times a year, Bub would go to the New Balance headquarters in Boston to load up on her double-A gray shoes, with an N, not a Z. On one of these pilgrimages, she took me with her. I can’t remember if I needed new shoes or just wanted them. When it comes to grandparents, it doesn’t really matter. They’ll spoil you either way. The New Balance 1400 hiking boot combines the best New Balance hiking shoe technology with the best of a traditional hiking boot design. As with the previous version there is a plastic shank, similar to the strips in the 890, that runs from midfoot to forefoot. This shank acted as a spring board propelling my foot forward from midstride to forefoot.

This past March, I ran a 20:05 5K in my second pair of v3s, coming in second for all women in the race. Finn and my husband were there, cheering me on. The result was far better than I’d ever imagined I’d be capable of just seven months out from childbirth. It gave me a renewed sense of hope that, once I slip on my boxed-up pair, I may be able to push faster than ever. Tread includes a vertical tread strip to improve stability and weight distribution in roll through from heel to toe.

The New Balance Nitrel v4 gives you everything you need in an excellent hiking shoe. The maximum heel drop for comfort in a hiking shoe is 10mm, and this New Balance hiking shoe gives a comfortable heel drop of 8mm along with energy-returning soft and supportive Dynasoft foam in the midsole.The engineered mesh upper with abrasion-resistant overlays lets your feet breathe while you are walking – the airflow and ventilation are excellent. I couldn’t wear flats if I couldn’t run fast. That’d be like people who wear fuel belts for 5Ks. You just…don’t. And look, I know that becoming a parent is supposed to trump everything, that you’re supposed to selflessly put aside your needs for your kid’s. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to give up running hard. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to give up my v3s.

Two weeks after Boston, I ran a 5K PR in my v3s: 20:40. Then in May, I pulled out the v3s for the Brooklyn Half Marathon and another PR: 1:34:50. Fueled by new confidence, I set a goal of breaking 20 minutes in the 5K in October at the Runner’s World Half and Festival. You get easy maintenance good looking leather boot with a padded collar, gusseted tongue, and traditional lacing. Plus, you get ROLLBAR stability features, flexible guidelines on the sole, excellent waterproofing, and reinforcing where you need it on the toe and heel.The flat lacing system means the laces lie flat against the top of your feet, reducing the sensation of pressure or digging in.The mesh upper allows your feet to breathe, and it is treated with a water-resistant coating to improve dryness in wet conditions. To my 10-year-old self, wearing a shoe like Bub’s echoed all the other similarities we shared: We were hard workers—that particular breed of true plugger—loyal and active. The New Balance 1300 hiking shoe is designed on traditional lines with a 100% leather upper and waterproof membrane. Leather is a durable, supportive material that is easy to maintain and looks good for a long time. As the months of my pregnancy stretched on, I watched my speed slip away. Gone were my 40-mile weeks. Like those boxed shoes, my peak fitness started to break down.

The 1400 is a fairly well-established go-to racing flat for many runners. With version 6 the same reactive ride, and airy feel remain fairly similar to the previous version. I won’t say the fit is for everyone (some report it to be narrow), but I’ve never had a problem, but I’ve got slender feet. As I started running less and less, thanks to a growing belly and shin splint pain, I felt less and less like a runner. Aside from a few runs—a 4 x 400 relay in which half the team was pregnant, and the Runner’s World Taco Mile—I stopped wearing my flats. I told myself this was only temporary. Then I would wonder, What if it wasn’t? What if I could no longer gauge success in running by steady progress? Would I love it less? Would I love me less? Could I still be proud of nonrunner me? Bub, in her ever-present gray New Balance shoes, helped make this happen. She let me host team dinners and encouraged my teammates to drop by and use her pool to cool off during or after workouts.Bub passed away in January 2015, 11 months before I was offered a position at Runner’s World. She never knew that I landed my dream job, or that I’d soon run exclusively in her trademark shoe brand.