New Balance Vazee Rush Trainers - oh boy, they're good!

New Balance Vazee Rush (on sale for £55) 

"Built for athletes who seek the ultimate in cushioning and flexibility for their workouts, these running shoes deliver a comfortable ride mile after mile."

Recently I was lucky enough to be gifted* a pair of New Balance trainers. When it comes to trainers I tend to have two "active" pairs. One pair for running, which are filthy because we do a lot of running along the canals which can be really muddy. And then I have a pair that I wear indoors for the other workouts that I do. 

Having two pairs of trainers on the go at the same time sounds a little indulgent but it only really came about by accident when I bought a pair of Asics for running in but I couldn't get on with them so I "relegated" them to my indoor workout trainers. And you know, we get along quite nicely like that. The house doesn't get all muddy, the Asics look pristine plus they get worn rather than being abandoned and it's probably good for me to swap between the two pairs. 

And then the New Balance came along and they've well and truly upset the apple cart, to the point that I fear that the Asics may well be abandoned after all. But first a little by way of background...

Although I'm generally a size 6, because trainers always come up small, I opted for a size 7. I wasn't sure whether they might be too big but I could tell as soon as I put them on that they fit perfectly. 

And then I walked around in them. Oh boy are they light? (181g or 6.4oz to be precise). I don't think that I've ever worn trainers as light as these. But at the same time they are really substantial around the heel so they feel really snug and supportive, which I like. 

I haven't yet worn them outside for running in but I think that I may give them a whirl around the block tomorrow when I do some hill work. Frankly I need all the help that I can get and a lighter pair of trainers may just give me a little something. Plus, much as I love my usual running brand, they are a bit boring on the looks front (shallow comment alert) and it would be nice to see something a bit more interesting at the end of my legs when I'm plodding the streets. 

And this is what they look like at the end of my legs. I always think that it's funny seeing things from someone else's perspectives. You get so used to seeing how you look and I bet right now, people are thinking "Oooh she's got short legs" or "Oooh she's got long legs" or "Oooh she's got chunky thighs" or "Oooh she's got skinny thighs" because these things are all relative aren't they?

 

So there we go. It's always risky reviewing an item but trainers must be one of the trickiest because it's so important they are not only right but more than right. And these are. In fact given the choice tonight (for HIIT training) and last night (for resistance training) between the Asics and the NB, I chose the NB, which pretty much says it all.

In addition to neutral running trainers, NB also make trainers for those who pronate and trail trainers too. I have to say that I'm new to NB so I would love to hear whether anyone else out there wears them and if so, what do you think? 

*For disclosure purposes, I realised that I was going to receive a sample pair of trainers but I assumed that this meant that I had to return them after I'd worn them briefly (indoors). However when I enquired about how best I should return them, I found out that I was able to keep them - which I am delighted about as they are rather lovely. 

The juxtaposition of a smarter jacket with jeans and trainers

Outfit: Mango jacket, Nike trainers, New Look skinny jeans, GAP clutch

 

Golly I've got gremlins in my computer today. Nothing is loading properly, things keep on crashing and it's all generally a bit of a dog's dinner but nevermind.

 

I was in town for most of yesterday working and (as usual) I wanted to be able to dash here there and everywhere.  Compared to shoes, trainers are just a million times more comfortable and I hate my speed being impeded by my choice of footwear, so the Nikes made another appearance.

 

For something similar, I really like these New Balance 574 pop safari trainers from Schuh (£70) and even more I love their year long returns policy, which is great for those who are indecisive/live a long way from town/need a while to locate their lost receipt. These trainers also come in more muted colours as admittedly these aren't for the faint hearted.

 

 

The Mango jacket that I am wearing was nearly returned several times but now the jacket and I are good pals. It doesn't get a huge amount of outings but whenever it does, people always comment on it (usually in a positive way!) It just seems to catch people's eyes and I always find those things really interesting. Whenever I do an event there are always a few things that pretty much everyone, without exception, gravitate towards. Anyway, that aside, I like wearing a smarter jacket with trainers - it's that whole juxtaposition thing that it so big right now - and more importantly a smarter jacket stops me (well almost) from feeling such a scruffy bum!