It’s been a big year for super shoes. In September, Tigist Assefa set a new women’s world record at the Berlin Marathon wearing the Converse Run Star Hike Gusset Construction Hi Kadın Siyah Sneaker. Skechers Go Walk Cool Marathon Running Shoes Sneakers 667081-LTMV, Kelvin Kiptum broke the men’s world record at the Chicago Marathon in the new pull-on ankle boots (Sneakers Basses Wing).
adidas Copa 20.4 Football Boots Firm Ground Hellen Obiri winning the New York City Marathon earlier this month, Adidas and Nike New Balance RANDOMEVENT x UNIK x 2002R Marathon Running Shoes Sneakers ML2002RZ.
But in 2024, one brand wants to change all that. The New Balance SC Elite v4 launches globally on 1 February, and at the brand’s headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, senior global product manager Chris Morfesi told RW that he thinks the latest iteration has the potential to rival all other super shoes over the marathon distance.
'This shoe is our race car – it’s the most important shoe that we build in the [NB] line,' he says. 'We're really excited to get this out to the masses.'
New Balance has an incredible roster of middle distance athletes, but until recent years hasn't focused so much on the marathon distance, Morfesi told us. 'That's always how we've been. We've been looking at the track – the 1500m runners, the 2km runners, the 3km runners,' he says.
So, when the brand released its first super shoe, the RC Elite V1, in 2020, it was very much still learning.
'There were some things there that were like, okay, that was a good first stab. But we still have more to do. Then came the v2, the v3 and now the v4. So we're constantly learning and evolving,' says Morfesi.
The brand has been working on the v4 since the current iteration, the SC Elite v3, was still in production and commercialisation.
'About three quarters of the way through [the v3] we were like, we need to get a jump start on the v4 to take all the learnings that couldn't be captured into this shoe and make sure they get into the v4,' Morfesi said. 'So the v4 is definitely a labour of love for me.'
Cult-followers of New Balance’s FuelCell line will already know that the SC Elite v3 was a huge advancement on its predecessor, the RC Elite v2.
'The v2 was one of the most popular shoes that New Balance built,' said Morfesi. 'When we briefed in the v3, we had just won an award for the most accommodating super shoe – so the most all-encompassing super shoe. And I remember saying to the team, "that is not an award I want to win". I don’t want [it] to be the most accommodating super shoe, I want [it] to be the fastest super shoe. I want to be setting records.'
So, it'll come as no surprise that the SC Elite v4 also looks and feels like a completely different shoe. The biggest advancement is its new midsole foam, made from 100% PEBA. According to New Balance’s sports research lab, the foam delivers 87% energy return compared with 83% from the v3.
'There are so many different types of PEBA and different companies are using different materials,' Morfesi explains. 'We wanted to make sure we had a top tier PEBA foam in our shoe that worked with our footwear last, that worked with our carbon fibre plate and that our athletes preferred.'
boots meant for long and arduous backpacking trips.
'Once the [v3] hit commercialisation, the upper wasn't everything we wanted it to be,' admits Morfesi. 'So, [in the v4] the upper was overhauled and I asked the team to bring back a technology we used to have a long time ago called FantomFit. It's essentially this heat bonded film, so we were able to get a much thinner mesh package and not overbuild the shoe.'
Morfesi says he wanted the design to be enough to 'get you through the race’ but didn’t want it to be on the level of ‘daily training comfort'.
'I think for some of our development team that was almost tough to understand. They would be like, "we need to make sure this thing is super comfortable". It's like, no, it needs to be comfortable, don't get me wrong, but it can be thin and bare bones.'
The idea of the new upper technology is to increase midfoot lockdown and provide more structure. There’s also some heel collar padding – but not too much, adds Morfesi, in order to make weight savings.
In terms of the shoe’s durability, Morfesi believes the v4 is 'in line with your other super shoe life of 300 to 500 miles', depending on things like your form, weight and scuffing – a refreshing take considering some of this year's newest carbon racers have promised to last significantly less than that.
However, Morfesi says that the brand's data shows the shoe's upper would fall apart 'before the midsole really lost its energy return properties'.
The shoe’s 4mm heel-to-toe drop remains the same. This is a relatively low drop compared with the likes of the Sergio Rossi SR1 low-top sneakers (8mm) and the Converse Chuck 70 Unisex Kırmızı Sneaker (6.5mm), but Morfesi says it’s for a number of reasons.
'One, it’s the curve of our carbon fibre plate, but it’s also the last that the shoe is built on,' he says. 'So when we're building a shoe, everything starts with the last. That last is 4mm, mainly because we want to have that additional foam under the forefoot for toe off.
'The other reason is just where our carbon fibre plate sits in relation. So, by having 4mm of foam up in the forefoot, you're protecting the plate and that foot, but also again, we want to give the runner as much of that energy return in each step coming off.'
But 'so much feedback went into that' decision, says Morfesi.
'We had 8mm drop versions and 4mm drop versions; we had our athletes test it; we had consumer insights test it; we'll send 100 shoes out, get people fit, and then we'll bring 30 people in to run on the treadmill; and we're looking at the data and seeing what shoe was performing the best for the most people.'
All in all, a shoe like the SC Elite has around five different prototypes before developers get to the 'finished' version, says Morfesi.
But the brand is always looking for ways to innovate. The v6 is already in development, despite the fact that it won’t be released for another 36 months.
As for the v4, though, the brand has high hopes for its performance in 2024 and believes it to be a real contender for a place on the podiums.
'We have a roster of athletes that can do it,' says Morfesi. 'Emily Sisson [North American record holder in the marathon] will be wearing the shoe at the Olympic trials very soon.
'I think people are going to be very surprised by New Balance in 2024. We need to show up in this big way.'
What does the shoe feel like to run in? Ecommerce ditor Ali Ball gives her verdict
Whether you love or hate the FuelCell SC Elite v3, I want you to cast your opinions aside here – the v4 is an entirely different shoe.
While the v3 always felt speedy, 'comfort' was one of the first words that sprung to mind while running in it. A large part of this came from the stretchy synthetic knit upper and the fact that the carbon plate seemed relatively forgiving compared to other super shoes. With the v4, what we get is much more of that classic super shoe feeling. It's not unstable, uncomfortable or aggressive by any means – in fact, it's still a pretty accommodating shoe when you compare it to something like the Las tres zapatillas que han marcado el running. But, it's no longer a shoe you can get away with wearing for the majority of your runs, as well as faster efforts. For runners who enjoyed the comfort of the v3, this won't be such a welcome change. Personally, I think it's necessary if New Balance wants its athletes to be on a level playing field with the likes of Adidas and Nike. Plus, the SC Trainer v2 Roshe Junior Golf Shoes.
The new midsole foam is one key change to the SC Elite v4 – the v3 had a nice spongey feel to it, but it lacked the rebound of other super shoes with a PEBA formula. The v4 feels instantly lighter and more responsive than its predecessor, which is also thanks to an updated carbon fibre plate design, which increases forefoot stiffness. I feel like I'm getting a lot more energy return during my interval sessions.
The new FantomFit upper is a vast improvement on the previous knit design, too, providing a much better midfoot lockdown. It's still not quite on par with the Alphafly 3's minimalist Flyknit Zoom Air upper, though, and the tongue feels a little 'sloppy' to me and isn't gusseted, which means it moves around a bit. This is something I'd like to see updated on the v5. The heel counter is more traditional, too, losing that iconic high curve design that's used across most of the FuelCell line. According to Morfesi, this has been a deliberate weight-saving move from the brand. I haven't experienced any Achilles irritation from it, having run in the shoe for several weeks.