New Balance SC Elite v6 Overview & First Run Review
Below we are comparing the New Balance SC Elite v6 to the previous version. We’ll take a look at the specs, foam, geometry, upper, fit and feel, and the overall ride, so you can decide whether you should add it to your running shoe rotation for the upcoming marathon training season.
The SC Elite v6 looks like New Balance’s biggest leap forward yet. An all-new ATPU midsole, lightweight FantomFit upper, aggressive midfoot cutout, and a 198g weight all point toward a bouncier, more responsive ride while maintaining the approachable geometry that made the v5 such a versatile racer. At 40mm of stack with an 8mm drop, this could be one of the most exciting marathon shoes of the year.
New Balance SC Elite v6 Specs
Stack Height: 40mm in the heel with an 8mm drop
Weight: 198 grams in a Men's sample US size 9, our Men's US size 10.5 came in at 208 grams
Midsole Construction: new ATPU foam called Infinion, added midsole cut-outs, and a carbon fiber plate that increases in thickness from front to back
Upper: a very thin upper called FantomFit with overlays designed to provide stability and support
Price: $275
New Balance SC Elite v6
Comparing the New Balance SC Elite v5 to the SC Elite v6
The Brief
The SC Elite v5 is a classic racer providing a soft, yet snappy ride. It offers a versatile ride for a broad spectrum of runners and it was one of our favorite long run training shoes. We also felt very comfortable recommending it to anyone looking for a marathon race shoe. The SC Elite v6 promises to deliver a bouncier, more responsive ride. It retains a similar geometry to last year’s model, but introduces an entirely new midsole foam.
The Midsole
The biggest difference between the two shoes, other than the aesthetics, is the midsole compound. In the SC Elite v5, they utilized a PEBA foam that we found to be comfortable, soft, and bouncy. In the SC Elite v6, New Balance went with an all-new foam compound that they are calling Infinion. Infinion was introduced in the 1080v15, but in that iteration, it was a TPEE/EVA blend. In the SC Elite v6, they are saying it is an ATPU foam. On the run, we didn't find the foam to feel that much different than the one in the previous version. It was still protective, on the softer side of goldilocks, and bouncy. New Balance also claims to have put a carbon fiber plate that gets thicker from the back of the shoe to the front to provide a snappier toe-off experience. While the v6 may seem slightly firmer in the forefoot, the difference was not dramatic.
The Specs
On paper, the SC Elite v5 and v6 are quite similar. They both have 40mm of stack in the heel with an 8mm drop. In the SC Elite v6, they were able to drop some weight with a lighter upper and some midsole cutouts that resulted in about a 10 gram difference. The Men's US sample size 9 is reported as weighing 198 grams while our Men's US size 10.5 came in at 208 grams compared to our v5 which came in at 222 grams.
The Price
New Balance kept the pricing of the SC Elite v6 pretty competitive. While it is not the lowest priced marathon race shoe on the market, since shoes like the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4, On Cloudboom Strike 2, and new Topo Specter Elite are all being sold for $250, the SC Elite v6 will be sold for $275. This is a $10 increase over the previous version.
First Run Review
For Yowana's full first-run video review where he took the SC Elite v6 on a 23 mile long run right out of the box, check out the Supwell YouTube channel:
Summary
Overall, New Balance kept much of the same DNA of the very popular SC Elite v5 and delivered a very nice update with the launch of the SC Elite v6. For people who enjoyed the previous version, we expect it will be a welcome update. They managed to improve on all of the things that we liked about the SC Elite v5—the comfort, softness, bounce, smooth rocker, and approachability. The SC Elite v6 will be a fantastic marathon training shoe for a wide variety of runners with different foot strikes and paces, and we expect to use get lots of miles on it during long runs.
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