Details
Brand
New Balance
Heel To Toe Drop
8 mm
Breathability
8/10
Latest Version
No
Terrain
Road
Type
Racing
Key Features
• IMEVA foam midsole• Synthetic Overlays• Mesh Upper• Outsole Grooves• Stylish
Upper
The Vazee Coast features a seamless upper that is mesh. Mesh is a very good choice for uppers, as it naturally has good ventilation and flexibility thanks to the holes woven into it. Being seamless adds some durability and reduces the likelihood of tears in those areas. The upper also has synthetic overlays, which help to secure the foot and add some stability. These are a great choice with the mesh design, as they add this security while not sacrificing the breathability and flexibility offered by the mesh. The inside of the upper is designed to fit very comfortably like a bootie, and has a second skin feel to it as well. Finally, the upper also has a heel counter, which secures the heel in place while running. Overall, the upper is a pretty strong aspect of the Vazee Coast, and does its job well.
Midsole
The midsole of the Vazee coast is made of a special type of IMEVA foam, or Injected Molded EVA foam. EVA foam is an extremely common choice for midsoles, because it retains its original shape well, is very springy, and is lightweight. Injection molded EVA is very similar, but molded to make it more effective at cushioning and responsiveness. It can do this because the special shape of the mold and the injection puts the EVA foam in places it normally would not be. This foam spreads almost to the outsole. Apart from the IMEVA foam, the midsole of the Vazee Coast does not offer much else, similar to the outsole. Overall, the midsole is still pretty good thanks to the foam, but definitely could be better.
Outsole
The outsole of the Vazee Coast is made of a fairly standard carbon rubber. Carbon rubber is commonly used for outsoles because it tends to grip surfaces very well, and also is highly resistant to impacts. Higher end shoes tend to feature their own blend of carbon rubber, but the Vazee Coast just uses a fairly generic blend, which is still pretty effective. The outsole of the Vazee Coast also features grooves, that help with flexibility when stepping and bending the shoe. Apart from this, the outsole doesn’t feature too much else. Overall, the outsole of the Vazee Coast is very average and does a decent job at facilitating traction and durability.
Breathability
The upper of the Vazee Coast is luckily made of mesh, which does a great job of letting air in and out of the shoe. It does this thanks to the holes woven into it, which naturally make the shoe more ventilated. Though this is the only real component that contributes to breathability, the Vazee Coast still does a good job of allowing air in and out of the shoe.
Comfort
The Vazee Coast is a decently comfortable shoe, thanks to its midsole and upper. The midsole contributes with its Injection Molded Eva. This midsole foam makes each stride more cushioned and reduces impacts while running. This leads to a more comfortable run, for pretty obvious reasons. The upper contributes with its very good breathability and its flexibility. These are both mainly due to the mesh design, which allows for both thanks to the holes woven into it. The upper also contributes to comfort with its liner within, which makes for a very snug and secure fit. Overall, the Vazee Coast is a pretty comfortable shoe.
Style
New Balance has been resurging in popularity in recent years as a more stylish shoe. They have lately shied away from the styling of more classic running shoes, like Brooks or Asics, in favor of more stylish shoes that can double for everyday use, reminiscent of Adidas. This definitely can be seen on the Vazee Coast which definitely would not be hard to use as an everyday shoe. The Vazee Coast has a very simple but clean design, and is offered primarily in darker colors. The main knock on the Coast is that it is not offered in a wide range of colors, which may be a disappointment for some. That said, the coast as a whole is a pretty stylish shoe.
Durability
The main factors that affect durability on the Vazee Coast are the midsole and the outsole. The midsole does a pretty decent job at maintaining durability thanks again to its IMEVA foam. EVA foam is a naturally durable material that retains its shape well, which lends itself to the durability of the midsole quite well. The outsole contributes with its carbon rubber. Carbon rubber is a material that is very resistant to impacts, which means it will last a good length of time. Apart from these, the shoe doesn’t do too much to extend durability, which is a bit disappointing, considering that these features are fairly standard for a trainer. That said, the durability of the Vazee Coast is not bad, though it definitely is not great either.
Protection
Protection within the Vazee Coast is pretty decent, thanks mainly to the midsole and upper of the shoe. The midsole contributes once again with its IMEVA foam. This foam aids protection by limiting the effects of shocks, and by cushioning the foot throughout the run. The upper protects the foot from outside elements and does a decent job keeping unwanted objects out with its solid mesh design. The upper also helps protect the foot by stabilizing it. It does this with its synthetic overlays, which do a good job of securing the foot while still not hindering the natural stride. The liner inside the upper also helps secure the foot well, which contributes to the protection as well. Overall, the Vazee Coast is a decently protected shoe.
Responsiveness
The midsole of the Vazee Coast is made of EVA foam, as mentioned before. EVA does a pretty good job at energy return, thanks to its springiness, which allows it to respond to impacts. This makes the responsiveness of the midsole pretty solid. Apart from this, however, not much else contributes to the responsiveness of the Vazee Coast. As a whole though, the responsiveness in this shoe is pretty solid.
Support
The key areas within the Vazee Coast that help support the shoe are the upper and the midsole. The upper supports the shoe through the combination of its mesh and its synthetic overlays. The synthetic overlays do a very good job of holding down the foot, while the mesh allows for good flexibility and movement. Together, this allows the foot good stability and movement, which provides a great deal of support from the top. The upper also has a heel counter, which adds some support to the heel. The midsole contributes to support once again through the IMEVA foam. The foam provides cushioning and shock protecting, both of which support the foot while running well. Overall, support in the Vazee Coast is pretty good.
Terrain
When it comes to different terrains, the Vazee Coast is like most shoes and should be usable on most terrains that are commonly run on. They probably will fare best on city terrains like road and sidewalk as most regular trainers tend to. On off-road terrain they should definitely be usable, though they might be less effective on harsher, or less gripping surfaces. They should also be usable in rain, with caution.
Price
The Vazee Coast is actually on the lower end for trainers, though this is partially due to the fact that they are less dedicated running shoes. That said, for what they offer, and their ability to double as an everyday shoe, the Vazee Coast is a pretty decent value for its current selling price.
Drop
The drop on these shoes is right on average, measuring around 8mm. This is pretty expected for the type of shoe the Vazee Coast is. The drop will probably not be an issue for most, except for those who prefer a fairly high or fairly low drop.
Stability
The Vazee Coast is decently stable, mostly because of the upper and the midsole. The upper contributes to the stability once again with its mesh and synthetic overlays. These together add a great deal of stability and security, as explained above. The midsole helps to stabilize by reducing shocks with its EVA foam, which makes each step more smooth. There isn’t too much else conducive to stability in the Coast, but overall it does a decent job at stabilizing the foot.
Flexibility
The upper of the Vazee Coast is made of mesh, which is excellent in terms of flexibility thanks to its woven design. Another feature that adds to the flexibility are grooves in the outsole, which allow the shoe to bend well with each step. These factors together make the Vazee Coast pretty strong in terms of flexibility.
Traction
As mentioned above, on city terrains the Vazee Coast should not have any major traction issues. This is due to the outsole’s carbon rubber, which is a generally well-tractioned material. On less static surfaces, however, there may be some issues with traction. Overall though, most commonly ran surfaces won’t cause problems for the Vazee Coast.
Bottom Line
Overall, the Vazee Coast is a decent trainer. For those seeking a very dedicated shoe for intense training, the Coast is probably not the best choice. For those seeking a shoe that can handle runs, along with a majority of other athletic endeavors, and can also double as a stylish everyday shoe, the Coast might be the right pick.
