text: New Balance has released a new line of running shoes it calls the Vazee Pace Running Shoe. This lightweight shoe is only 8½&quot; ounces and is manufactured with a mostly synthetic textile material upper and a blown rubber outer sole. By comparison, my everyday Adidas walking shoes weight in at over 15 ounces each. This Vazee Pace running shoe has a removable insole and would fall under the category of a &quot;neutral running shoe&quot;; I'll comment on that later in this review.<br /><br />This running shoe has a nice, not too jazzed up, stylish look suitable for an older gentleman like me. That is just one of the features that I liked about these shoes. The upper shoe has a variety of grays from light grey to dark charcoal. The New Balance logo is silver and even the shoelaces are medium grey. The side sole is white with a slash of bright yellow along the side and around the heel. The under sole is also a combination of black, grey, white and bright yellow. As I said earlier, this shoe was designed to include a mature man. I also appreciated that the synthetic body of the shoe is breathable and allows adequate ventilation to the foot.<br /><br />The soft inside is amazingly comfortable. According to New Balance: &quot;The midfoot bootie wraps your arch like a second skin for a sleek, fast feel.&quot; I'm not sure what a &quot;fast feel&quot; is supposed to feel like, but this is the most snug, comfortable athletic shoe I have ever worn. Some reviews were critical of this shoe's snugness. Any athlete who wears a shoe that allows movement of the foot inside the shoes is courting disaster; blistered feet will stop the wearer right in their tracks. This shoe has a smooth seamless midfoot and forefoot that, along with its snug fit, will eliminate this kind of foot damage. This is the third feature that I really like. New Balance also comments concerning the blown rubber sole: &quot;The REVlite foam midsole helps energize every step every stride.&quot;<br /><br />As I mentioned earlier, this New Balance running shoe would be categorized as a &quot;neutral running shoe.&quot; By definition that means this kind of running shoe emphasizes cushioning over stability. It usually means that they will be softer and more flexible than the more supportive running shoes. This concerned me because I have two obstacles: (1) flat feet and (2) a heart condition. With help, I have moved my exercise regime forward over the past few years from walking, to speed walking, to jogging on a treadmill at home. My doctor has recently given me the green light to jog outdoors over to a local school and do some moderate running of their track. To do this well, I needed a better pair of running shoes.<br /><br />Here is why choosing a &quot;neutral running shoe&quot; could be a mistake for me. Since I have flat feet I need arch support, something &quot;neutral running shoes&quot; are not known for having much of. This new New Balance running shoe does have a modest built-in arch support; not a lot, but some. Most runners know what the word &quot;pronation&quot; means as it relates to running. Pronation describes how the foot rotates sideways through each step; the foot should rotate about 15 degrees toward the arch. Because I have flat feet, my feet overpronate toward the arch, putting my weight almost entirely on the big toe and the adjacent toe instead of being distributed evenly over all of my toes. Thus, walking, jogging or running for some length of time may result in two very tender and painful toes and toenails.<br /><br />Like most running shoes these days, this pair has a &quot;heel to toe&quot; or a &quot;midsole to toe&quot; variance (I'm not sure what method New Balance uses to calculate this variance), which is how much higher the toe is from the heel or the midsole; this difference is also referred to as the &quot;toe drop&quot;. Some running shoes have a 10mm to 12mm toe drop, so the modest 6mm differential in these New Balance running shoes actually makes it easier to land on the midsole or forefoot while running.<br /><br />This running shoes not only has a modest arch, which not all &quot;neutral running shoes&quot; have, but it also has a relatively wide sole at the midsole of 4½&quot;, which does provide some stability for walkers/runners like me. Having these two pluses built into these New Balance running shoes, I decided to put them to the test. I've been walking on our treadmill and jogging/running on the school track for about a month and so far I am generally pleased with this pair of New Balance Vazee Pace running shoes. Only time with tell whether they will be suitable for the long haul.ctually makes it easier to land on the midsole or forefoot while running.<br /><br />This running shoes not only has a modest arch, which not all &quot;neutral running shoes&quot; have, but it also has a relatively wide sole at the midsole of 4½&quot;, which does provide some stability for walkers/runners like me. Having these two pluses built into these New Balance running shoes, I decided to put them to the test. I've been walking on our treadmill and jogging/running on the school track for about a month and so far I am generally pleased with this pair of New Balance Vazee Pace running shoes. Only time with tell whether they will be suitable for the long haul.