Shoe Review Tuesday #1 (New Balance 890)

This is a little segment I'm going to try to do every Tuesday called "Shoe Review Tuesday." Basically I'll give you the specs on the shoe and my personal experience with it and hopefully we can all learn a little bit about shoes in the process.
New Balance 890

Support Category: Neutral
Weight: 9.7 Ounces
Cost: $100
Available in Widths: Yes
Multiple Colors Available: Yes
Durability: 300-500 miles
Updates from Previous Model: Debut Shoe!
Upper: Light and Meshy
Arch Height: Medium

My Take on the Shoe
There was a lot of hype on this shoe before it came out. I heard radio commercials, saw online ads, and was given information on it from the New Balance reps way before the official release date. With all the hype, it had quite a name to live up to already. My thoughts? LOVE IT! Compared to other New Balance shoes I have had in the past, the 890 is much lighter and has a more prominent arch than any previous model. I have tried many times to explain this to my friends, coworkers, and loyal customers, but the way the 890 fits and feels is like nothing I have ever felt before. It feels secure in the arch and instep like a nice heavy duty training shoe, but it also has a light, minimal feeling upper like my lightweight trainers. I want to stress this fact: The 890 is not a lightweight trainer! Even though it feels so much lighter than the rest of the competition, like the Asics Cumulus or the Nike LunarGlide, it still has the same kind of durability those shoes have. This is due to the new cushioning New Balance has come out with and is starting to put in some of their newer models, RevLite. RevLite is a cushioning system that is as durable as it's competitors, but an amazing 30% lighter. With this being said, high school kids love this shoe, lightweight enthusiasts love this shoe, and even some ultramarathoners are starting to get in on this action.

A Little Personal

I run in this shoe between 1-2 times a week. It's not that I don't like it, it's that I like it so much I really don't want it to wear out! After my first run, it instantly became the new long run shoe, replacing my Nike LunarEclipse. A shoe with this kind of durability and weight, in my eyes, should be utilized by every neutral runner, and even some runners in need of light stability (for races and speedwork). If I had the budget for it, I would easily have about 3 or 4 of these in my closet, all in different colors, for all different kinds of workouts.

A few specific things I like about the New Balance 890:

1. Secure feeling in the shoe, even with the minimal upper.
2. Lots of different colors to choose from, 4 for each gender!
3. The cushion in the shoe is soft, but you can still feel the road under you.
4. The weight! I love light shoes!
5. The versatility, I can use it Sunday for my long run, Tuesday for my track workout, and Thursday for hill repeats!

Obviously I can't get enough of this shoe. If you use it, let me know what you think by leaving a comment. As much as I like giving my opinion, I also love to hear what you have to say. If you have an idea for which shoe I should review next, let me know and I might just spotlight your shoe next week! I hope you learned a little bit today and I am very glad you could experience The Life Of A Runner.