Shoe Review: New Balance 1906

It’s been more than two week and about 100kms of running with the New Balance 1906.  I used them for a 21km and a 42km marathon at the Standard Chartered Hong kong Marathon.  NB1906 is named for the year New Balance started.   They packed in great features for it 103-year in the shoe industry.  It is designed as a neutral cushioning shoe that features the full-length N-ERGY cushioning material to provide a responsive ride.  The NB 1906 is designed for the mid to high mileage runner.

Here’s my shoe review of the NB1906.

Photos used are from www.nbwebexpress.com.

Pros

• Full length N-ergy.  I love the full length N-ergy design.  They gave a soft and bouncy ride not just on the heels but also on the mid and forefoot to which the N-ergy extends.  The other shoes like 1225 and 1064 have the N-ergy on the heels only.  If you liked the N-ergy at the heels your 1225 or 1064, then you’d definitely like them in the forefoot as well.
• Soft Ortholite – This is my first NB shoes to have an Ortholite although this feature has been on several other shoes.  They made the insole softer and feels good on the first fit.
• Total Fit.  This is the new campaign of New Balance and the Total Fit concept worked for me on the 1906.  My feet gets a good fit with the availability of wide widths from New Balance.
• Very competitive.  Looks like New Balance is positioning itself to compete with other shoe brands that have technical image.  The N-ergy feels like a gel from Asics and they are constructed in a pillar-like fashion like a Nike Air Max or an Adidas Bounce.  From an aesthetic stand point, these shoes looks fast.
• Same great features.  The SureLaces and N-Lock enhances the fit on you tie your shoe laces up.  The N-durance is durable enough to get me more than 500 kms of mileage based on my previous New Balance Shoes.

Con

• Heavy.  The 1906 is heavier than my 1063.  The bouncy feel of the N-ergy made them feel light.  But when you are running a marathon on these shoes at KM32, you wish they were lighter.  It’s weight can wear you down a bit.
• Pricey.  So far this is the most expensive shoe I have seen in the market.  It was like New Balance was putting in all their best tehcnology into one shoe and ended up giving a very high-end, high-priced shoe.

Where to buy

New Balance 1906 is available in New Balance outlets only.

Price:  9,695 Php

Summary

The New Balance is great update for a neutral cushioned shoe.  You’ll like the full-lenght N-ergy that extends from the heel to the forefoot.  This could be the best shoe in terms of technology offering from New Balance to date.

But many will find the price tag a turn-off.  If you are in a budget, the 1063 or the new 1064 is a good alternative.

New Balance 1906 is recommended for normal to mild pronators.  Great shoe for high mileage runs.