SIZING

The shoe fits slightly big so we recommend going a half size down.

DURABILITY

To kick things off, we evaluate Franky’s 417 durability by taking a look at the sole and upper. The sole’s foxing tape is very thick in the forefoot area, which not only increases the flick but also proves to be extremely durable. The thickness of the sole in the side area also helps to protect the upper from wear and tear. This is especially true to the forefoot (kickflip) area, which was very durable during our 10-hour wear test. Looking at the upper as a whole, it featured several different material panel overlays that are all double stitched. However, the more overlays and the more stitched panels also pose a higher risk for griptape attack. With that, one of the most critical areas, the Ollie-area, did have a piece of the suede worn down. But since it was double layered, no hole developed which helped extend the lifespan of the shoe. Aside from some light visible wear on the canvas side panel, the durability of the upper is fair. All in all, the construction of the sole was the highlight in contributing the most to the durability of the shoe while the many overlays on the upper was more of a risk.

CUSHIONING

It’s difficult to create maximal boardfeel while upholding a high level of performance cushioning for vulcanized shoes. For the 417, the sole is quite thin, so the main cushioning element of the shoe is the insole, using NB# Abzorb tech. The insole has a very noticeable wedge shape, which helps enhance board feel in the forefoot, while improving the cushioning in the heel area. Overall, Franky’s shoe has a really nice step-in feeling and the actual cushioning performance is adequate for small to medium sized impacts.

SHAPE

The shape of the 417 is cut quite slim from the forefoot to the heel area. A huge plus of the shoe was the mid-top height, which sits above the ankle and was important to deter blisters from forming since the seams did not directly touch the ankle. When it came to the midfoot area, it goes almost parallel towards the toe area and ends up in a rather pointed end.

BOARDFEELI&IGRIP

As with most vulcanized models, boardfeel and grip are the highlights of the shoe. This was definitely the case with Franky’s 417.  The grip is well balanced and had the perfect “dose”, where it wasn’t overly grippy as some vulc models become. This helped immensely for readjusting your feet into position for tricks, especially when some shoes’ grip make this much harder. Also, the grip stayed stable throughout the 10 hour wear test and had plenty of life in them for future sessions. The key to boardfeel lays within the shoe construction and the sole thread pattern. Boardfeel of the shoe was great because the insole flattens out much more in the first third of the shoe and the outsole itself was fairly thin, which provided for a responsive boardfeel for the feet. In addition, the thread pattern increases flexibility which helps sink into the concave, creating close contact to the board and improving boardfeel and grip.

COMFORTI&ISTABILITY

The NB# 417 offers solid comfort and great stability. Since the shoes have a slim silhouette, and also features locked-in tongue straps, the foot feels close to the upper and minimizes the space for the foot to slip around. The key to its great stability performance lies within the sole. The sole’s foxing tape was quite high, so the shoe helps the feet feel sunken in and well protected. Also, the risk of ankle rolls are decreased due to the mid-top construction and since the feet sit low in the pocket of the shoes. The overall weight was a bit heavier, but is also understandable as the shoe is a vulcanized mid top model with several material overlays on the upper.

SUMMARY

Overall, the Franky Villani’s newest NB# shoe was a nice surprise in the constantly updated NB# product line. The shoe’s boardfeel was great, featured well balanced grip and exceptional stability with a secure sink-in foot feeling. However, the durability and the cushioning of the shoe could still use improvements.

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SIZING

The New Balance Numeric 913 fits true to size.

DURABILITY

The three main areas to evaluate the durability of a skate shoe include the toe area, the mid foot area, and the outsole. Starting with the toe area, the New Balance 913 features an abrasion resistant suede. They used a special treatment by compressing the normal suede to increase resistance. Under the suede is a layer of TPU as well. These features significantly increase the durability by showing almost no sign of wear. In the toe area, the outsole wore down a bit but not the shoe’s upper material. The second area, the midfoot, didn’t show much sign of wear, and a positive feature of the shoe is the protection of shoelaces, which worked very nicely. Normally, laces that ripped aren’t always deemed a negative feature, since it  can always happen, but with the 913, this was a noticeable highlight. As we mentioned, the third and last aspect of evaluating the durability of a shoe is the shoe’s outsole. The side areas of the outsole helped protect the toe area and the durability was very good. The bottom of the outsole showed very slight signs of wear, so all in all the durability of the 913 is excellent.

CUSHIONING

The 420 has a REVlite midsole which is extremely light and provides decent cushioning for impact absorption. The 913 has a quite complete sole; it consists of the REVlite midsole foam for impact protection, a TPU heel stabilizer, an additional N2 heel element and the outsole which holds everything together. The sole felt quite stiff in the beginning and becomes slightly softer while maintaining its initial strength. This is good for impact skating, however, it decreases the flexibility of the sole. As a result, the 913 is definitely a shoe tailored for impact skating and it remained rather stiff throughout our 10 hour test. 

SHAPE

Just from the aesthetic of the shoe, you will instantly be lured into wondering how the shoe fits and skates. Upon first impression, the shoe felt quite narrow. The shape of the 913 feels like it tapers from the midfoot to the toe, and stops quite drastically into a sharp square edge, instead of becoming a pointed tip. The heel, midfoot and toe area sit quite snug on the foot. 

BOARDFEEL AND GRIP

The boardfeel of the New Balance 913 is average. As a cupsole model, the midsole in the back two thirds of the shoe proved to be quite stiff and inflexible. However, after a few sessions, the whole sole and midsole of the shoe broke in much better, but far from the level of a vulcanized shoe. New Balance used a very wide tread pattern for the sole in the toe area and they added additional grooves for flexibility. The sole is quite grippy compared with the stiff sole and the outsole also did not show any blow out spots.

COMFORT AND STABILITY

Comfort and stability are highlights of the shoe. To start with the comfort we usually consider breathability, weight and initial step-in. Breathability is a feature showcased in the lateral area with a big ventilation mesh and it helps to increase air flow in this area, but not in the rest of the shoe. The 913 feels light in the foot and the initial step-in is very comfortable due to the usage of a nice synthetic material. When it comes to stability as mentioned earlier, the shoe itself has a snug fit, with a few different factors working together to ensure a tight and compacted fit. For starters, the shoe’s heel collar sits quite high, which stabilizes the ankle and heel into a deep pocket. The heel area feels stiff and secure due to a harder TPU external support element, it holds the foot securely in the right place. Overall, the suede which is supported in different areas, did not lose its strength, which helps the shoe to keep its shape even after our 10 hour test. To sum it all up, comfort and stability are very good.

SUMMARY

The Brandon Westgate’s New Balance Numeric 913 pro model exceeds expectations when it comes to durability, comfort and stability. A few elements that can use improvement includes the shoe’s  flexibility of the sole and the boardfeel, which, compared to the overall excellent performance of the shoe, are rather small issues. New Balance has set the technical standard for a skate shoe in 2019 and we definitely recommend trying out a pair of the 913’s.

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COMFORT AND STABILITY

Another highlight of the shoe was it’s stability. The shoe itself is a snug fit, with a few different factors working together to ensure a tight and compacted fit for the feet. For starters, the shoe’s heel collar consists of a high quality breathable mesh stuffed with a foam composite that stabilizes the ankle and heel into a deep pocket. The tongue of the shoe is made of the same material, but is held in place by two flexible straps that work to stabilize the superior surface of the feet. The sidewalls of the shoe really highlight the comfort and stability of the shoe; each lateral sidewall is made of an extremely breatheable mesh panel that is held up by a seamless imprinted overlay called Fantom Tape. This allows maximum breathability without sacrificing structural support and leaving seams vulnerable to abrasion. The feet were completely stabilized within the shoe, which eliminated slippage and helped with the consistency of flick tricks. During the whole weartest, breathability was exceptional which made the shoes quite comfortable to wear. The high quality materials used in the 868 really do show a difference and help wick away moisture rather than trapping it. Often times, good stability of a shoe is overlooked and not really focused on, but when it came to the 868, it was an excellent surprise.

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Sizing

The New Balance Numeric 868 runs a half size small, we recommend going a half size bigger than what you usually wear.

Durability

If there’s one thing we want to get right into about how the shoe performed, it would be the durability test. This shoe was impressive. Impressive in the sense that most shoes we weartest have holes in the toe or kickflip area after 10 hours, or have a limited lifespan left after the weartest. The 868 however, had zero holes come out, had a lot more sessions left in them, and the durability didn’t falter even as the shoe was introduced to strenous wear and tear. The upper of the shoe uses New Balance’s Fantom Fit technology, which is a skeletally designed upper that fuses two extremely thin materials together via high temperatures to create an upper that is lightweight, structured, and in skateboarding’s case, durable. When skating, the first layer of durability is the grey upper that you see in the pictures; this first layer of defense is made out of a synthetic leather material that coats the shoe, and is fused to another thicker layer of high quality suede underneath. Although the first layer is thin, don’t underestimate it’s strength. The consistent griptape abrasion against the shoe’s upper only wore the upper down to a few patches here and there, and at most, revealed the second layer of suede underneath, but was far from tearing open. The added bonus was that it was a seamless construction on the upper, so no bumming out on ripped seams leading to open patches. Lastly, the second layer of suede was not only a defense mechanism, but also a point of structure and stability; the area where kickflips and ollies take the most abuse was well structured and further reinforced the points of contact, whereas other shoes’ uppers may start getting flimsy and reveal more vulnerable points of abrasion to wear out faster.

Cushioning

The 868 has 2 NB Numeric patented technologies and a polyurethane insole that attribute to the cushioning of the model and work together towards shock absorption. The shoe’s main cushioning feature is their C-Cap midsole, which is a dual density foam composite that is thicker and stiffer from the midfoot to the heel to be focsed more on shock absorption, and thinner from the midfoot to the toe, which allows for more boardfeel. In the heel of the midsole, lies New Balance’s second patented technology, a neon colored underfoot material that is low to the ground and works with the C-Cap midsole to provide additional support to prevent heel bruises. Lying on top of this midsole construction is a closed cell PU insole that consists of tiny gas bubbles that are trapped within the insole that help with the structure and cushioning of the insole. While all these cushioning elements contribute to a 3 part shock absorption system, the cushioning of the shoe itself was only ok. In fact, the C-Cap midsole and the closed cell PU insole turned out to be quite stiff, and although much better than most shoe models on the market, it wasn’t the highlight of the shoe.

Shape

Just looking at the running shoe inspired sihoulette of the shoe will lead you to wonder how the shoe fits and skates. Upon first impression, the shoe feels quite narrow and short. The shape of the shoe itself feels like it tapers from the midfoot to the toe, only to flatten and round out in the front, instead of becoming a pointed tip. Moreover, the shoe itself looks a bit bulky, but doesn’t feel like that when worn and skated. As aformentioned, the upper’s Fantom Fit helped reinforce the upper of the shoe, which didn’t make the upper sink inwards and helped maintain the shape of the toe. All in all, the shape of the shoe was different, took time getting used to, but turned out to be effective.

Boardfeel and grip

The boardfeel of the New Balance 868 took some time getting used to. As a cupsole model, initially the C-Cap midsole in the first third of the shoe proved to be quite stiff and inflexible. However, after a few sessions the sole and midsole of the shoe broke in and the boardfeel greatly enhanced. One downside was that after a few hours of skating, the glue on the heel of the sole came apart and became a loose flap as seen in the pictures. With that said, the grip of the sole was exceptional; New Balance used their patented Ndurance rubber compound for the tread of the sole, and it was extremely grippy, with absolutely no blow out spots on the sole. Not to mention, the overall outsole of the shoe was also made out of this compound and proved to be extremely durable and grippy.

Comfort and stability

Another highlight of the shoe was it’s stability. The shoe itself is a snug fit, with a few different factors working together to ensure a tight and compacted fit for the feet. For starters, the shoe’s heel collar consists of a high quality breathable mesh stuffed with a foam composite that stabilizes the ankle and heel into a deep pocket. The tongue of the shoe is made of the same material, but is held in place by two flexible straps that work to stabilize the superior surface of the feet. The sidewalls of the shoe really highlight the comfort and stability of the shoe; each lateral sidewall is made of an extremely breatheable mesh panel that is held up by a seamless imprinted overlay called Fantom Tape. This allows maximum breathability without sacrificing structural support and leaving seams vulnerable to abrasion. The feet were completely stabilized within the shoe, which eliminated slippage and helped with the consistency of flick tricks. During the whole weartest, breathability was exceptional which made the shoes quite comfortable to wear. The high quality materials used in the 868 really do show a difference and help wick away moisture rather than trapping it. Often times, good stability of a shoe is overlooked and not really focused on, but when it came to the 868, it was an excellent surprise.

Summary

The New Balance Numeric 868’s running inspired silhouette may seem unsettling at first, but the skate adapted shoe was full of pleasant surprises. Durability, comfort and stability were the highlights of the shoe, while boardfeel and stiffness could be improved. For those who are curious, these shoes are definitely worth trying out. You won’t be disappointed.

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Sizing

The New Balance Numeric Brighton 344 fits true to size.

Durability

The shoe features a completely seamless one-piece toecap that is made up of New Balance Numeric’s patented NDure synthetic material. The material itself has the flexibility of suede but the stability of canvas; when skating, the durability of the shoe was extremely impressive. The outsole of the shoe, is made of New Balance’s Ndurance rubber compound, designed to increase the lifespan of the shoe’s outsole. Lastly, this specific Brighton 344 model features an additional rubber screen overlay that covers the outer toe cap of the shoe for added durability. These three features made the durability of the shoe extremely impressive. Since there were no seams to be ripped, direct griptape abrasion mainly came into contact with the rubber outsole. As the outsole slowly started to mold into the upper, the majority of the abrasion was then directed towards the rubber screen overlay, which proved as an extremely successful defense tactic. Throughout the 10 hour weartest, the Ndure synthetic material showed absolutely zero signs of wear, and absolutely no ollie or kickflip holes appeared which shows that the lifespan of the shoe can bear skating for a much longer period of time. The only thing that could use more attention to is the New Balance logo on the side of the shoe, which was made of stitching that was easily ripped apart from the griptape, giving the shoe a more weathered look than normal.

Cushioning

The cushioning of the Brighton 344 starts with an insert made of PU (Polyurethan). This type of cushioning is effective since PU has more consistent support compared to EVA which is used in most skatehsoes and breaks down more over time. There was another special feature in the New Balance Brighton 344 that provided additional cushioning for the shoe. Underneath the EVA foam, there was a multi layered synthetic material that ran from the midfoot to the heel, which rested upon a special tapered crating system. In the half cut photo, you are able to see the fine details of this overall cushioning system. The tapering system is basically a support system that spans from the midfoot to the heel, and has evenly placed grooves that basically extend from the sole of the shoe. This creates many pockets, and also rigid walls in the midfoot area, that help to provide stability and also protection from heel bruises. When put to the test, the shoe was cushioned very well for medium impacts of up to 6 stairs, however, the heel of the cushioning still felt a bit thin and the impact was felt extremely close to the heel with larger impacts.

Shape

The shape of the Brighton 344 feels quite long, especially when looking down at the shoe, it feels the one-piece toe-cap almost starts from the midfoot section of the shoe. Despite for being how slender the shoe looks, it fits wide feet quite well; there was a lot of spacing from the midfoot to the heel to ensure that the foot was snug and tight, and would not slip out or off during pushing. The shoe also felt more like a low top fit, so the heel seemed a bit exposed since there was minimal cushioning around the heel collar of the shoe.

Boardfeel and grip

Since a lot of the focus for the added cushioning elements was geared towards the heel of the shoe, the midfoot to the toe of the shoe was extremely flexible and boardfeel was on point. The PU midsole also covers the front section of the shoe, but is evely distributed so that boardfeel isn’t negatively affected and cushioning isn’t sacrificed. The vulc of the shoe was extremely grippy, throughout the whole 10 hour weartest, grip only got better, as the vulc wore down to better adapt to certain flip tricks. Moreover, New Balance used it’s own patented rubber compound called Ndurance Rubber, which is also used in their tennis and running shoes, with the aim to combat for maximum durability in high-wear areas, which is in this case, the outsole of the shoe.

Comfort and stability

The comfort of the shoe was an issue for us, with one main characteristic of the shoe that proved to be a bit irritating when skating. But firstly, we’ll start with the pros. For starters, the insole of the shoe had grooves and a tread pttern on the bottom, which really helped stabilize the insole with the sole of the shoe; this prevents any slippage that may occur when pushing. Also, the shoe itself is a low profile model that fits well to your foot, especially with the added feature of an elastic gusseted tougne. The tougne itself has an elastic band that connects to the sidewall of the shoe, and stabilizes the feet within the shoe very well. The shoe can also be worn as a slip on without any laces. With that said, the tougne is situated quite low, and the material it is made of is extremely stiff and sharp, which ended up cutting into the front of the ankle whenever the ankle bent forwards. With thicker socks, this is a bit more bearable, but without socks, the tougne definitely pokes into the front of your foot. Apart from that, the overall comfort of the shoe is nice, especially with the snug fit provided by the elastic gusseted tougne.

Summary

Marquise Henry’s colorway of the New Balance Brighton 344 proves to be a sleek and stylish low-profile vulcanized model that has extra features to highlight durability, cushioning and boardfeel, but could use more attention to detail when it comes to comfort.

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