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Review: New Balance Fresh Foam Gobi v3

Written by

Athena Farias

Exercise Physiologist, Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Run Coach.

This expert review is written by

Athena Farias

Exercise Physiologist, Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Run Coach.
Athena has been running for 31 years. She ran her first race, which was a marathon in 2002. She has run everything from a 5K to Ultras and 7 consecutive years of a 223 mile relay.

She is an Exercise Physiologist, Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Run Coach.

Running is her safe haven and it is also her passion, which she loves to share with her community.

Weight

We usually consider 10 ounces a "medium" weight for a running shoe: less than 10 and we are entering the lightweight category and above 10 the shoes start to be heavy.

Heel-to-toe drop

Heel drop is the measurement in mm of the difference between the height of the heel and the toe of the sole.

A lower drop (0mm - 5mm) promotes running on mid-foot and fore-foot, while higher drops (8mm - 12mm) are more traditional and meant to support a heel-striking gait.
Expert score
4/10

Expert Review: New Balance Fresh Foam Gobi v3

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Quick overview

Best for
Regular training
Terrain
Best for on dirt trails, on paved trails, on paved roads, sidewalks, etc..., through grassy sections or cross-country courses
Grip
The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 provides excellent grip and traction on all kind of terrains and surfaces
Lack Traction
Average Traction
Provide Traction
Cushioning
The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 offers little cushioning
Little cushioning
Medium cushioning
Highly cushioned
Weight

8.9

 oz
252 g
Heel to toe drop
Drop

6

 mm

Pros and cons according to our running expert

Pros and cons according to our running expert

  • It is a lightweight shoe compared to others I've run in.
  • Versatile, they look like a casual shoe. You can go from a light trail run to brunch.
  • The sock like bootie verses a tongue was a nice surprise. No need to adjust mid run.
  • Toe Protect was nice so you can kick a rock or root and not smash your toes.
  • The width of the shoe was narrow creating a pretty uncomfortable sensation on my right foot.
  • Not intended for technical trails or wet conditions.
  • The bootie was quite difficult the first time and by the last run it was a little stretched out and debris did get into the shoe.

Our verdict

The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 was not the trail shoe for me. I do love the way the shoe looks, it's very fashionable. I do not usually buy shoes because of the look, I buy them because of the feel.

This shoe is supposed to go from trail to road but with my experience I would be more comfortable heading off to brunch in them. The upper became loose after several runs and even more so after they went through water and rain.

The pain and discomfort I felt on my right foot after wearing these shoes has gone away after deciding not to do any more training runs in these shoes.

Introduction New Balance Fresh Foam Gobi v3

The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 is a $99.99 lightweight, flexible, crossover trail running shoe that features a HydroHension rubber outersole that gives you a sense of traction on road and trails.

It also has the bootie (socklike) upper that doesn’t allow debris from getting into the shoe and you can go sans socks with this shoe.

It also provides moderate cushioning with the one-piece Fresh Foam midsole. An added bonus was the Toe Protect, a rubber compound which protected your toes and forefoot from the rocks and roots. This neutral shoe weighs in at 7.7 oz with a 6mm drop.

Cushioning Type
The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 is more responsive... Read more than plush: provides energy return and some
Responsive
Plush
Cushioning Amount
The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 offers little... Read more cushioning
Little cushioning
Highly cushioned
Flexibility
The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 is extremely flexible... Read more at the expense of some structure
Rigid
Flexible
Stability
The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 is not stable: not... Read more indicated for runners that need support
Not particularly stable
Very stable

Impressions New Balance Fresh Foam Gobi v3

I like the causal look, and how lightweight the shoe feels. I was excited to try these shoes out on the trail because they do not look like a traditional trail shoe. They are pretty sleek and flexible.

I slid them on like a compression sock the first time I put them on, but it does get better after the initial lace up. The right shoe did feel a little tighter and I could feel as if my outersole was not sitting right in the shoe. Made some adjustments and was on my way.

Unfortunately, I only made it out a couple of miles because of the discomfort I was feeling along the outer part of my right foot. I wasn’t going to give up just yet. The way the shoe is made I could tell that they would stretch out a bit.

So I decided that I would run 2 miles on various terrain to see how the shoe handled technical, rocky, dirt, paved, and concrete trails. I would not take these shoes on technical terrain, especially if you are injury prone.

By the 4th and 5th run, the shoes did stretch out but of course the midsole and outersole does not, so I would still feel the discomfort under the right side of my foot. I also felt my foot sliding a bit the more when I ran trail vs road. I ran a few more short runs which happened to be in rain with lots of puddles and this shoe does not take water well. My socks were drenched and my feet looked like prunes after.

My final run in the FF Gobi v3 was a long run on non-technical dirt trail. I was surprised that I didn’t feel any of the pain and/or discomforts I felt on the shorter run but it also was very cold and I really couldn’t feel anything. It was a different story after the run, the pain was definitely worse once I warmed up. So as soon as I got home I submerged my lower leg into an ice bucket for 15 minutes, so painful. I did it 2 more times that day and continued for the next few days. Thankfully that did the trick along with other things to help reduce chance of injury.

Protection New Balance Fresh Foam Gobi v3

One thing that this shoe did provide was the Toe Protect which acted as a barrier to the terrain for your toes and forefoot. It is a rubber compound that is tough and when you kicked a rock or root you wouldn’t feel it on your toes.

Rockplate
The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 does not have a rock... Read more plate.
Not present
Solid protection
Lugs
The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 provides excellent... Read more grip and traction on all kind of terrains and
Lack Traction
Provide Traction
Water resistance
The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 performs badly in wet... Read more weather conditions, getting wet rapidly and
Poor
Water Resistant

Durability New Balance Fresh Foam Gobi v3

From my experience I am not too sure that these shoes would handle going long on technical terrain. The mesh upper and the bootie (sockline) did lose the fit from the first run to the last run. I believe that after taking them through water made the shoe even less durable.

Responsiveness & Speed New Balance Fresh Foam Gobi v3

The responsiveness of the shoe on technical terrain was not up to par as other trail shoes I’ve run in. I never felt quite comfortable running over rocky and rooty terrain in these shoes.

My feet and ankles did not feel stable going over such terrain, so I was a little on edge during those runs. Once I got them on a non-technical dirt trail I could go without thinking of losing balance or twisting an ankle because there was no lateral movement.

The bootie that was supposed to keep debris out did not live up to their standards. I would need to pull off to the side to get a rock out and when taking the shoes off after the run I would pour dirt out of my shoes.

They were a different ride on asphalt and concrete. I could run with ease and speed. I still would experience the pain on the right side of my foot after about 2 miles.

Comfort and Fit New Balance Fresh Foam Gobi v3

The first time wearing the shoes they felt tight and my foot was snug and secure. I did feel as if my right foot was not quite sitting on the midsole well, like if my 5th metatarsal was hanging off.

After several wears they did get looser which then caused my feet to slide from side to side when running on technical trail where there was more lateral movement vs straight on running ahead. I know that this shoe has a wider option but I have never had to wear a wider shoe and I was only experiencing the issue with my right foot.

Sizing
The Fresh Foam Gobi v3 fits a little small:... Read more buy half a size bigger than usual
Buy size smaller
Buy size bigger

Conclusion New Balance Fresh Foam Gobi v3

I was initially excited to try out these new trail shoes from New Balance. They felt lightweight, flexible, and I like they way they looked. I went out for a shorter technical trail run and I had to stop at mile 2 because it felt like something was pushing up on my 5th metatarsal. I stopped and tried to adjust the booty or see if something was in my shoe and didn’t find anything. The next several runs were a very similar experience on various terrain but I didn’t experience pain or discomfort after the runs only during.

I broke them in over a months time and was finally able to knock out some big miles but this time no pain or discomfort during but after there was some major discomfort. I did notice on the last long run on trail that my right foot was sliding more than normal and when I would ride over the rocks my ankle would get a little beating and more debris got into that side.

Price comparison:
New Balance Fresh Foam Gobi v3

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