Heavy at 11.78 oz /334g men’s US9, 9.98 oz /283 g women’s US8 Sam/Jacob/Derek/Ivan/Nils/Jeff/Sally/Adam Sam: Agree with the guys, Shift is a firmer but better pure running shoe than Lerato and a far less expensive and lighter one. As far as wearing them more casually or for work at least for me I much prefer the classy Lerato.

The midsole uses New Balance’s highest rebounding foam and you get 37mm of cushion in the shoe along with an aggressive 10mm drop. You also get a carbon plate in the forefoot to help with toe-off and responsiveness making the midsole highly performant, but also nice and stiff. The outsole features a mix of blown-in solid rubber but there is a ton of it down there and that has to be where a significant portion of this weight is coming from. It is absolutely runnable and a great choice for easier no agenda runs. I was surprised how effective the material combination of FuelCell as in New Balance’s latest highest performance shoes and a carbon plate was here for different more easy going purposes. The Lerato delivers a mellow, soft, pleasant ride with some fun energy (plate and foam rebound) one tthat is nearly bottomless in cushion but also never bottoms out or feels ponderous and hard to move at moderate paces, and especially so given the weight of the shoe at 11.78 oz / 338g in a US9 The resulting feel is one of bottomless soft bouncy cushion that is never mushy or sloppy in feel thanks to the combination of the carbon plate, rear clips, and outsole.The cushion feel is soft but never bottoms out.

Sam: New Balance accomplished exactly what it set out to do with the Lerato, deliver a 21st century and then some, successor to the 990: a super premium very comfortable run shoe built with the very latest state of the art materials and with a richly detailed deep in textures, appealing and conservative look that can fit in “anywhere”.

Renee: The details of midsole are well described by the others. The midsole is luxurious: soft, comforting, with the carbon plate in the mix to propel and save energy. The midsole is a great balance of comfort and responsiveness. I agree that the midsole creates a soft ride but not a mushy or unstable one.This quote from a High Snobbery New Balance sponsored content article at least partially sets the scene for the Lerato: It really has an amazing fit. I think its very clear that we are dealing with a top-quality upper. Its a knitted upper which is in many ways similar to Flyknit in Nikes running shoes and Primeknit in the ADIDAS Ultraboost, but it is still just more exclusive. It has a slim-fit, but is still super flexible and provides great room for your toes. And if I have to say something negative, it would have to be that its a shame that it has a somewhat boring look in relation to how amazing it actually is! In my view, Lerato is a world class running shoe which really sets new standards. It will help many runners reach their targets. 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. The New Balance Lerato came in a bit under the covers for most of us. It was treated very cautiously because it was definitely a behind-the-scenes-style project where New Balance wanted to really launch something new. And once we receive the shoe there is no question that this is clearly hitting a new area that a number of brands will be trying to touch on. Who will be the first to make a carbon plated, high cushioned, stable road shoe, that normal people can use instead of elite athletes or performance enthusiasts.

The Lerato is comfortable, has a soft, responsive midsole with a carbon plate AND good outsole coverage.. The “N” has a translucent overlay filling it for support but also creates a subtle contrast while the knit collars and tongue add a darker contrast. I am going to use it myself for my long runs regardless if I am cruising or will do pacy stretches during the workout. As it is quite a heavy shoe, it won´t work as a shoe for intervals or racing for me but instead it will certainly be my preferred shoe for long runs thanks to its ultimate comfort, responsiveness and stability. 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. Ivan: As my fellow reviewers all have pointed out, there is no doubt that this is the New Balance version of a premium trainer. Quality all the way around and a modern take on a classic look, which I really like in this case. There seems to be a trend of heavier trainers/sneakers going on, but this is the first time I’ve tried one with an incorporated carbon plate. I can’t wait to give it a go.New Balance Lerato is a competition shoe with an integrated carbon plate in the midsole which makes it an obvious choice when you are working on your pace on longer distances where you need a soft and comfortable shoe which also works well for racing. New Balance Lerato Specifications I found the Tarantula to be a strong smoother trails to road shoe with outstanding grip and stability. I agree with Jeff its Vibram rubber is too firm and not as well matched to the rest of the platform for road running leading to a firmer ride. Soften and reduce that rubber and for me it would be no contest, the spider. In the meantime I will go smooth with the Lerato for running and sort of like the more aggressive style and daily wear easier going comfort of the Tarantula Nils: As said by the others there is outsole rubber to last for ages. The rubber however is soft which led to some minor wear signs on my pair after roughly 80k of running. I never ran a 990 but an older good friend, a very accomplished entrepreneur, swore by them in the 1990’s and it was all he ran road or trail.