New Balance Lerato Running Shoes - AW21

Product Information

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.

Renee: The “ride” is where the luxury and great qualities of the shoe come together with my only complaint about the shoe: the weight. While the OG 990's triple-figure price tag indicated how New Balance wanted to market serious tech to serious runners looking to invest in a better shoe, the cost also cemented the shoe as a status symbol. Not everyone was interested in reducing their mile time, and—like a designer luxury piece—the 990's monetary inaccessibility would make it even more desirable. Being casually spotted on the sidewalk with a pair of 990s said something about you: either you were an avid sneakerhead willing to invest in your shoes or your finances were on the up. “ Nils: I jump on Renee’s comment about the height of the shoe entrance (tongue, heel collar and heel counter). I experienced the exact same and additionally I had some weird pressure points around my ankle caused by the tongue. I think it was actually too wide for my feet. The pain disappeared after 2-3 runs but needs to be mentioned nonetheless. Other than that I can’t say any bad about the upper of the Lerato.Jeff: I agree with Ivan, the Ride doesn’t have the same level of comfort and squish, but it is far more versatile in my running shoe repertoire. For pure comfort, Lerato, for anything else, Ride. Renee: The Lerato is a luxurious and overall comfortable shoe. As a running shoe, it’s just too heavy for my long, easy runs (despite the carbon plate and great midsole). I probably weighed 110-115 lbs while testing the shoes and I’m not that strong of a runner, which does affect my dislike of the weight. I can see the Lerato being a great easy/long run shoe for bigger and stronger runners. For me, I’ll choose it on days when my legs are tired and I just want a few miles in comfort at an even speed.

The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later. This quote from a High Snobbery New Balance sponsored content article at least partially sets the scene for the Lerato:

Upper

My half size up from my normal were a bit large but still totally secure.. While those collars are high, the foot slides in easy with a resounding thunk once set, reassuring. Walking in them, the heel stability is clearly felt as is the soft pleasing midsole foam. The carbon plate is barely noticed as a subtle small rise just behind the ball of the foot followed by a mild final toe off. Very different from other carbon plated shoes where the plates tend to be highly noticeable “at rest” and which are barely walkable. Not so here. We all agree they also make a fantastic walking shoe. Jeff: Two of the most comfortable shoes out there, and for me, the decision couldn’t be easier. I much prefer the feel of the ZoomX in the Nike versus the Fuel Cell in the Lerato. Even without a plate the Nike has a much better rebound for me. It doesn’t hurt that the Invincible is 2 ounces lighter, and has a more comfortable toebox. That said, I haven’t found the Invincible all that unstable (though I can see where heel strikers could), and a big part of that is how incredibly wide the platform of the Nike is. The Lerato is by no means narrow, and the Invincible is almost a full centimeter wider in the forefoot (8.7mm) and is a centimeter wider in the heel. 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. Renee: I wore a women’s size 8 in both the Novablast and the Lerato. The Novablast has more length. The overall fit, comfort, and stability are much better in the Lerato. For running, I like the easy bounce of the Novablast, and it is much lighter, something I prefer. Novablast is actually about 1.8oz lighter than the Lerato in my size. That said, the quality and overall ride of the Lerato are far better. I consider both shoes easy, long run shoes. For comfort, the Lerato wins; for a variety of running purposes, the Novablast wins. I think it’s not meant to be a daily trainer but more of a premium easy run trainer, and given its weight, would probably work best for heavier runners, and particularly heel strikers.