(hereafter SC Elite v6) is ultimate race shoe. No expense spared: carbon plate, premium foam, and an upper only few can craft. The latter is a stroke of genius, but does the shoe's weight prioritization hinder full balance? Read on to find out.
New Balance SuperComp Elite v6
| Specification | SC elite v6 |
|---|---|
| Type | Neutral, intervals, race |
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Weight | 194 g (men US 9) / 158 g (women US 7.5) |
| Midsole | INFINION |
| Upper | FantomFit |
Specifications are based on standard size and may vary slightly between colors/models.
New Balance SC Elite v6 – FantomFit solves upper paradox
A race shoe's upper has ét a very simple goal. To go unnoticed.
A race shoe's upper has one very simple goal: to go unnoticed.
This remains the most important for a race shoe. Discomfort during a run is a no. Additionally, an excellent race shoe's upper must also keep the foot locked in place at all speeds, in all weather, and in all turns. And this is where the real challenge lies.
For it is a kind of upper paradox: to have an insistent influence on a moving foot, without it noticing.
New Balance solves this paradox with their FantomFit. A fitting name for an upper that manages to influence my foot just enough when it comes to turns and speed, yet has a ghostly lightness.
Mesh upper is of the coarsely woven type, ensuring excellent breathability while providing space in all directions necessary for cutting the fastest turn.
Fantom upper also leads to the shoe's most significant update compared to predecessors. The weight of the new model is down to just 194 grams in size US 9.
And the low weight is noticeable. The prioritization of keeping the shoe very light is quite new, and I love that New Balance is heading in this direction. Especially when comfort is still intact. The tongue is soft enough to tighten the shoe well, and the heel lining is present without being too prominent.
The prioritization of the shoe's lightnesscomes with a compromise. Although the upper delivers comfort, the midsole's comfort is deprioritized this year to highlight other qualities.
New Balance SC Elite v6 – New midsole, newt focus
The midsole on SC Elite is crucial for whether the shoe is for you. It's where the shoe's DNA is found. The upper balances lightness and comfort, so you barely notice it. This puts pressure on the midsole, which must not go unnoticed.
On the contrary. The midsole's contribution must be felt.
To achieve this, New Balance used what can soon be called an old trick: a carbon plate combined with energy-returning foam.
New Balance's racing shoes have been on a long journey through many eras, and the journey continues here. Elite v6 is the first with the newly introduced Infinion foam. It's a foam material first used in the 1080v15 training shoe.
But even though the foam has the same name, New Balance has actually used a different type of foam called ATPU. It's characterized by one thing: It's incredibly energy-returning.
No expense was spared on the foam material. In the heel, you get 40 mm of foam against 32 mm in the forefoot. This gives a traditional drop of 8 mm. Although there's a lot of foam on paper, the shoe's silhouette reminds me of a shoe from the good old days. The shoe isn't as tall as we've become accustomed to with today's carbon shoes.
And it's not just the silhouette that reminds me of shoes from another time. SC Elite v6 is a fast shoe, as the relatively firm layer of Infinion foam activates only when you press energy into it. You need to reach a certain intensity to get the full benefit of the shoe. But when you hit it, the midsole shines.
Where SC Elite v4 maximized shock absorption and comfort in pursuit of a marathon racing shoe, the new SC Elite v6 takes a different path to that goal. If you ask me, the path actually also leads the shoe in a new direction: towards shorter road distances.
It's no secret that I'm not a marathon runner. However, I've run half marathons, and even here I've felt how much difference just a little extra comfort makes. When you need to perform your best for more than 60 minutes, it's crucial that the shoes you wear take some of the load.
With the caveat that I've never run a marathon, I would point out that SC Elite v6 deprioritizes midsole comfort in favor of speed and lightness. You should consider this if your goal is the marathon distance.
On the other hand, prioritizing speed and lightness opens up other possibilities. I wouldn't hesitate to use the shoe for half marathons, and it's actually at the top of my list for shoes I'm considering for the mile distance at the World Road Running Championships in September. If you need a shoe for a 5K or 10K, SC Elite v6 should be very tempting.
The aggressive foam is designed with a hole running across the shoe, revealing a carbon plate. New Balance calls the construction Energy Arc. The plate has been redesigned this year, both in terms of thickness and stiffness.
The plate's material is one of the key elements in the shoe's aggressiveness. The stiff carbon fiber sets it apart from SuperComp Rebel, the super trainer, which uses a softer, carbon fiber-reinforced Pebax plate. Rebel is also equipped with a lower drop of 4 mm. Consider this,if you're looking for a training shoe to complement your race shoe.
Who is SC Elite v6 made for?
New Balance has created a masterpiece. Maybe not the one they aimed for, but the New Balance SC Elite v6 actually does more than it promises. By being not only light but also aggressive, it expands its target group, which is half-marathon and marathon runners.
Without excluding runners targeting these distances, the foam's firmness extends the shoe's audience down to – I dare say – the mile distance.
That I seriously consider using the shoe for both distances when I run the World Championships in road running in September – half-marathon and a mile – shows we have a very versatile race shoe.
Facing an autumn season with various road races, and if you like feeling the ground, SC Elite v6 might be the best choice now. For those needing motivation to train through winter, SC Elite v6 also makes great sense. The shoe's firm midsole can also handle training.
More New Balance?
Find more running shoe options from New Balance right here. Looking for running apparel? Find it here.
