New Balance FuelCell XC7 v5 - AW24 XC Spike Review & Weigh-In
The New Balance XC7 looks like road shoes from the beforetimes, before Nike's Vaporfly changed what conventional wisdom in road shoe design looks like.
It reminds me a bit of the Saucony Fastwitch, but 'plusher' in the sole, which shows how much shoe trends have changed in recent years.
Comfort and Performance
New Balance say this shoe is "designed for lightweight comfort and performance on any course", which fills some space on their website without saying anything offensive. It's also not saying anything untrue: the weight is relatively light at 194g, and the upper is undeniable comfortable.
The clearly present heel would make the shoe more comfortable on firmer surfaces such as Weston Park, but the advantages of cushioning become less clear as winter goes on and your feet sink further into the mud. The shoe ran a little small so I'd be tempted to go a half size up or risk poking a toe through the end before the end of the season.
Cold Water
My favourite part of testing spikes is immersing them in cold water for 15 minutes to see how much water they hold. Based on the generous sole and non-mesh upper I expected the New Balance XC7 to sponge the water up with reckless abandon.
The shoe's starting weight of 193g is at best average (compared to the 167g of the Asics Resurgence) but after 15 minutes in the a freezer bag of tapwater it weighed 301g, an increase of 55% - better in percentage terms that the Asics but still heavier in actual grams.
Where xc spikes benefit from having a minimalist heel is on fast downhills in thick mud. Coming down a long descent at the Midlands in Leamington a few years ago, the way to stay upright was planting your spike pins into the mud as the foot's first contact - anything else would, and in many cases did, lead to sliding out, sometimes in a total wipeout.
The shoe-style sole of this and the Hoka Crescendo make it harder to plant your foot spikes-first. It's a small point, but means this wouldn't be my first choice on clay-rich mud courses, although perfectly good in sandier muds.
Verdict
This spike could be described as "accessible". If you're returning to cross-country after time off, maybe looking for a shoe which gives some support under you heel and won't pressure your calves/Achilles, this would be a great choice.
New Balance used to describe the XC7 v4 as "for the emerging cross country runner" and whilst they no longer say that explicitly, it's a description which could still apply sensibly to the XC7 v5. If you have a separate pair of spikes for training (those mammoth sessions on a Saturday morning) then the XC7 v5 would fit in well.
Vital Statistics
- Shoe: New Balance FuelCell XC7 v5
- Dry weight: 194g
- Wet weight: 301g
- XCS Weight Differential: 55%
- Sole: FuelCell, 6 spikes, no carbon plate
- RRP £90
