SCORE: 8/10

Weight: 7.4 oz

Heel Drop: 6mm

Type: Lightweight plush, neutral daily trainer shoe

Pros

• Exceptionally lightweight,
• You can use it for long runs or short marathons, or even fast runs.
• It is a well-cushioned trainer shoe
• Very stable
• Seamless ride
• Extremely breathable

Cons

• It is not highly responsive. The responsiveness is average
• Minimal rubber on the outsole makes it slippery on wet surfaces like grass.

Take Away

The New Balance Beacon V3 comes with significant updates, especially in the upper, midsole, and outsole components. It has a highly stacked midsole. The upper layer is smoother than in the Beacon V1 and V2. Hence, the Beacon V3 looks more premium than the V1 and V2. The midsole extends upwards. Therefore the foot sits right into the midsole to enhance stability and performance. The Beacon V3 has borrowed a lot from the New Balance 1080v10 in terms of design. With the uniform, highly stacked, and single-density midsole, expect a smooth ride. Most importantly, the Beacon V3 is a versatile trainer shoe. It is incredibly lightweight for fast runs and well-cushioned for long-distance running.

New Balance Beacon V3 Instant Impression

The third version of the New Balance Beacon is comparable to the beacon V1 version except for the lug patterns in the outsole. However, running in both shoes feels the same since they both have fresh foam midsole.

Compared to the beacon V2, the V3 has an altered configuration in the upper, midsole, and outsole. The New Balance toned down the upper part, stacked up the midsole, and did away with the traditional outsole rubber design. However, New Balance did not take away the great features available in the V2.

My first impression of the V3 was that it looked like the New Balance 1080v10.

I felt that the shoe did not fit true to size until I got a half size down of my usual size. The actual size was too roomy on the toe box, and I could feel my toes swimming in the shoes.

My first run was easy and smooth. I have tried the V2 and V1, and with the V3, I could not notice the difference.

Apart from its smoothness, you will notice a snug fit in midfoot and a roomy toe box that keeps the foot off from tiring when you get the right size.

It continues to use the regular Fresh Foam but not the Fresh Foam X as it is thought to be. Still, it does well to maintain the squishiness.

 New Balance Beacon V3 Sole Component

 The beacon V3 has a firm and cushioned midsole. However, it is not as squishy as the Novablast or the Nimbus 23. Its midsole is less dense but more forgiving than in the Nike React Infinity Run Flyknit and Pegasus 37. It is pretty similar to the midsole of 1080v10, which also utilizes the EVA foam material. You can even notice the raised sidewalls at the midsole. It allows the foot to sit right into the midsole. Therefore, the foot maintains its natural position when running.

The New Balance Beacon V3 offers both the frills and technology to give a runner a superb running experience. Evidenlty, the midsole is somehow the outsole (It is a single-density that performs as an outsole). The New Balance refers to this as the "midsole ground contact Fresh Foam."

I could feel the snappy feel from the midsole when I tried fast short runs. Running long marathons also felt effortless because the Fresh Foam midsole gives excellent energy return. Hence, I can confirm that the New Balance Beacon V3 is quite an economical shoe.

You can crack up more miles with the Beacon V3 because the Fresh Foam midsole sacks up a magnificent amount of ground impact. It also performs wells in short and speed runs. Moreover, because of the stacked up midsole, the Beacon V3 is more cushioned than its predecessors. It outperforms the V1 and V2 in long runs.

The lug patterning in the outsole is different from the V1 and V2. In the V3, the lugs have Y-shaped channels dug on their surfaces.

There are only five exposed lugs on the forefoot and the heel. They have been strategically placed where most ground contact and abrasion are high.

The strategically placed lugs rubber on the outsole complements the ground contact Fresh Foam midsole to increase traction, stability, and push off. The rubbers are for increasing the durability of the sole. Even without the abrasive runner running throughout the outsole like in the traditional shoe, these five protruding rubbers will give you enough traction on the road and trail.

When I tried the beacon V3 on the road, I felt a firm grip and excellent push-off. However, the abrasive rubbers on the critical zones like the heel feel slightly slippery when running on wet surfaces, especially when it is drizzling.

I have run on the Beacon V3 for about 9 miles, and my take is that its outsole is not meant for critical terrain. I have noticed some wearing off in the Fresh Foam exposed rubber lugs. Hence, because of the limited rubber on the outsole, one needs to take it easy on the beacon V3 to reduce the wearing rate. I think road runs will give this shoe more lifetime. Besides, Beacon V3 running shoe performs excellently on the road.

New Balance Beacon V3 Upper Component

  Visibly is the similarity of the upper with that of 1080 V10. The beacon v3 has a cool, thin, and somehow transparent mesh. The mesh is smooth, and it gives the shoe a premium look. It is also highly breathable.

The Beacon V3 has slight padding in the collar and the heel counter's inner layer, just like in the Metaracer, the Nike Alphafly, or the Pegasus 37. The padding in the Beacon V3 is not plush and yet not too little. It is just enough to give you the right needed cushioning. The Beacon V3 did the same to the tongue. It has just enough cushioning to keep you going. However, it is not gusseted.Therefore, you are likely to experience it moving sideways.

The toebox touches me. It has a frill, smooth, ample size, and depth, making it roomy enough to allow the toes to spread naturally. The New Balance logo reinforces the structure of the upper mesh. Also, at the midfoot cage area is the laminated shining overlays that extend towards the heels. They not only form the outer layer material but also give the shoe a premium appearance.

The slightly rigid heel counter has a design almost similar to 1080v10. The heel counter holds down the foot exceptionally by wrapping around the Achilles tendons to provide a secure fit. The extended heel collar reinforces stability around the ankle. Despite its minimal cushioning, it is pretty comfortable.

However, since the collar of the heel extends below the ankle, the top of the collar sometimes rubs against the ankle's ball, creating a bit of discomfort. The discomfort is more noticeable when running at a slow pace. Interestingly, I did not feel such uneasiness the next time I wore long socks.

Another thing is the extra eyelet on the upper layer. It has been positioned further downwards. It makes the upper closer to the ankle, especially when looking for that enhanced snug fit.

Overall, the upper part is comfortable and accommodating. Its structure guarantees a snug fit.

Conclusion

The New Balance Beacon V3 is a versatile shoe. You can take it out for long runs, recovery runs, short marathons, and short fast races. It does not come with any unique change except that it is pretty stacked up, very lightweight, and looks more premium than the Beacon V1 and the V2. It is a great training shoe. Still, don't expect a lot from the Beacon V3, even if it performs above average.

I noticed that it is not as snappy as the Pegasus 37 or as durable and responsive as the Asics Gel-Nimbus 22, but it provides good competition to these trainer shoes. However, it is a go for shoe because it is a versatile trainer shoe that guarantees you a smooth ride regardless of the pace or distance. Besides, it appeals to anyone who loves the New Balance 1080v10. It is a perfect shoe for midfoot and forefoot strikers.

Written by: Oliver Cohen, running coach.