Through a new (and excellent!) connection to NB Design, I've been able to take advantage of a really nice discount on product. I took the opportunity to try out the full spectrum:
I mention this only because I took the Road shoes out for an inaugural flight this evening at my gym's indoor track. I suspect I'll write up my full thoughts when I've had more substantial time with them, but for now some quick thoughts.
Having put about 50 miles on the Trail shoes, the differences in the Road variant are, to my feet, fairly pronounced—according to the official specs, the Roads are 2mm thicker across the board. They share the same 4mm drop from heel to toe. I would say that the sole is also less flexible, and those two things combined reduce the overall 'road feel'. They also feel more cushioned in the upper, especially at the achilles heel.
The biggest difference, however, is the arch. I have no numbers to quantify it with, but it was absolutely a surprise when I first put them on. The surprising side-effect of that arch is the perception of a more dramatic heel-drop than there actually is. I was really concerned that it would be counter-productive in practice, encouraging a runner to heel-strike. That would officially be A Bad Thing.
I was surprised to find how little difference all of that made on the track.
Now, clearly, I'm neither an experienced minimalist runner nor even a barefoot tyro, but to my feet New Balance struck the right chord with the Road variant—it absolutely feels like a transitional product, sacrificing feel for a very modest additional cushion.
I intended to put in a 10K, went 8 miles instead. I felt some soreness on the outer metatarsals, but that was it. For the moment, I'll mark that a success.
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