New Balance Lerato Running Shoes - AW21

Product Information

Ivan: The TC is lighter and feels even more cushioned. It’s without doubt more versatile and I use it for all kinds of runs. No matter the pace I prefer for the TC. With that being said, I’m not a big fan of the fit in the TC, which feels somewhat sloppy to me. The Lerato conforms better to my footshape. Adam: Echoing both Jacob and Derek here, the Lerato’s outsole has excellent coverage, runs quietly, and has shown no visible wear. It’s quiet, grippy, and should hold up well over time. Complimenting the foam and the plate, it makes the shoe feel very smooth and quiet, diminishing the harshness of impacting the ground.

Ivan: Both are top tier “hybrid” shoes and great for both running and everyday wear. The Lerato feels much heavier, but also more bouncy and cushioned. The Ultraboost has a more efficient and snappy ride with it’s torsion system. I found the Tarantula to be a strong smoother trails to road shoe with outstanding grip and stability. I agree with Jeff its Vibram rubber is too firm and not as well matched to the rest of the platform for road running leading to a firmer ride. Soften and reduce that rubber and for me it would be no contest, the spider. In the meantime I will go smooth with the Lerato for running and sort of like the more aggressive style and daily wear easier going comfort of the Tarantula The shoe comes in 2 colors for men and women and it definitely evokes some varying levels of response. Some folks thought it felt very old and overdone, while others saw it as more upscale, but not many felt it was sporty. More like something to wear with jeans than something to run in.Designed without compromise, New Balance running shoes are guaranteed to provide a responsive ride that fuels your run - in other words, get ready to feel faster-than-fast. Speed-seeking, breathable, conforming fit, optimal cushioning - New Balance has something for every run and every man. The Lerato is a highly stylized, luxury-style, maximal trainer. It is a high-quality running shoe, but not a performance-first shoe. The Lerato blends New Balance premium construction and classic style of the daily wear 990 with a modern foam and leg-saving carbon plate leading to quite a unique shoe. How does this fashion-meets-performance shoe run? Let’s get into the details. Adam: Jacob and Derek describe the construction and behavior of the Lerato midsole very well. It’s unlike any other carbon plated shoe I’ve tested. The supercrital EVA/TPU blend from the RC elite V1, V2, and Rebel V2 shows up here again and is remarkably bouncy and plush. Renee: I found the upper overall comfortable. The toebox is amble for me (and I like a wide forefoot/toebox) and the heel hold is solid. However, the height of the tongue, heel collar, and heel counter were a bit too high on my foot for my preference in a running shoe. For a walking shoe, this was fine, but the height did deter me from having a light, nimble foot landing. The upper looks to have some water resistance, but it does not. I ran several times through the snow and had plenty of moisture entering. The upper looks warm, but it has breathability. Like the entire shoe, the upper looks and feels like luxury. That said, like Jacob, I have wear on the tongue and heel collar, which happened well before 50 miles. While I did not get a second revised collars pair to test I am happy to hear the changes in material seemed to have resolved the issue.

Sam: I concur with Derek’s take for easy runs, Lerato. After all that is the focus of its design. As a more general daily trainer the Invincible is a blast of bouncy fun.As for how it runs, the answer is truly not that pleasant. Don’t get us wrong, the midsole actually turns over really well. It’s the heavily structured upper along with the amount of weight the shoe carries with it that makes it less than optimal. They are really just too heavy, outweighing most trail shoes by a lot. if you are a walker, then this could be a really compelling choice as that experience is totally fine but for runners, we think they could do better. At 383g / 13.5oz in my US12, it is the heaviest road shoe I’ve tested, taking the title from the Saucony Triumph 18 by about 10g. It is in a wholly different realm from it’s sleek, race-weight, performance companions, the TC, RC Elite, and Rebel v2. Hidden on the inside of the upper we read “be iconic”—New Balance is going for it here and I’m into the fun.

Sam: While they share a similar but not identical FuelCell foam, carbon plate and a soft heel feel these two are in almost completely fields of play, The considerably lighter TC will handle a far broader range of daily training paces leaning for sure faster paces. The Lerato’s main running advantage is a far more stable heel for slower paced and recovery runs, something I will not take the TC out for. I do give Lerato the nod for execution of its carbon plate, outsole midsole foot comfort and all day versatility. TC’s plate at the forefoot is much more noticeable and it is for sure not much of a walking shoe as Lerato is. New Balance men’s running shoes are renowned for their sleek designs, lightweight materials and supreme cushioning. For something better suited to long-distance running, opt for the 880, which features a breathable mesh FantomFit upper with a no-sew overlay engineered for ultra-light support. The outsole on here is combination of blown and solid rubber giving it maximum durability and traction. Note, this does increase the weight a bit and we did experiences some degradation on the outsole sooner than we would have expected. Literally had rubber pieces separating after less than 50 miles.The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.