If you like Vaporfly-style racers, the New Balance SC Elite v6 might be your next marathon shoe

Introduction to the New Balance SC Elite v6

THOMAS: New Balance’s road to a legit marathon race-day shoe has been less “linear progression” and more “Homer Simpson backing into the hedge, then re-emerging.” We’ve liked plenty of its swings, but liking a shoe and trusting it to get you to a PR are two very different relationships. Next to the competition, New Balance’s options were heavier and offered less energy return.

I raced London, Chicago, and New York in the SC Elite v5 in 2025, and to be clear, it did the job. The v5’s main character traits are cushioning comfort that holds up across all 26.2 and a platform stable enough that your late-race form collapse won’t end in a highlight reel. What it doesn’t have is punch. There’s less snap off the toe than some of its competitors, and the scale isn’t doing it any favors either. It’s the shoe equivalent of a very reliable friend who has never once been the reason a night got interesting, but you made it home safe.

Where the v5 absolutely eats is long training runs and the treadmill, where it’s a certified star. But now the SC Rebel has entered the rotation, and here’s the awkward part for New Balance’s marketing team: the new SC Rebel feels more like the true SC Elite v6 evolution than the actual SC Elite v6 does. So how does the totally redesigned race day shoe stack up? Let’s get into it, but before we do, here are some of the highlights.

New Balance went sheer with the upper; they call it FantomFit, but it is really like a screen door/butterfly net. This upper is breathable. The PEBA midsole in the v5 stays at the same 40mm stack and 8mm drop, but now the foam is ATPU. New Balance shaved almost a half ounce off the weight, which felt more substantial than the actual number. For traction, it went with a smooth layer of tacky rubber that does exactly what it is supposed to do: provide traction and toe-off grip.

KARL: How does that saying go, “The sixth time’s the charm?” Jokes aside, it’s no secret that the premier marathon racer from New Balance has always felt like it was a step behind the competition. That said, I have enjoyed the SC Elite v4 and v5 and have felt the shoe get better with each iteration. We here at Believe in the Run loved the SC Elite v4 as a democratic racing shoe, though I ended up using it more as a super trainer than anything else. The SC Elite v5 went a bit further and slimmed down the silhouette while dropping weight, which was a welcome change.

And now we’re here with the SC Elite v6, which has been revamped from the ground up. But the race day category is hot, and every brand has come out swinging in this department. Has New Balance finally caught up to the rest of the competition?

TINA: I got on the New Balance train later than most; I’d worn a few pairs of streetstyle sneakers in the past but hadn’t dabbled in their running shoes. Then, in mid-2025, I picked up the Rebel v5 as a daily trainer and was so impressed I raced the Marine Corps Marathon in the SC Elite v5. Both had PEBA foam, the latter combined with a carbon plate, and I was pleasantly surprised by the propulsive but comfortable ride.

This feels like a safe space to admit I give a lot of credit, or sometimes criticism, to a shoe after a race. If I PR, I’ll stand ten toes down for a shoe, and after my marathon I was convinced: New Balance knows how to make a top-of-the-line racing shoe.

Cut to this summer, and I got the opportunity to run in the highly anticipated SC Elite v6. With the update, New Balance said goodbye to PEBA foam and hello to Infinion, a nitrogen-infused ATPU foam, which, per my internet deep dive, is meant to increase energy return while maintaining responsiveness over time. Where most race shoes lose their oomph after a certain mileage, Infinion is meant to last longer.

I had high expectations for the update but was also unsure what could be improved upon. Why fix what’s not broken, right? Let’s talk about how it went.

What we like about the New Balance SC Elite v6

THOMAS: For me, this whole shoe boils down to the ATPU midsole. This is the first New Balance marathon racer that actually feels fast underfoot, not just competent. The tuned ATPU is bouncy in a good way, popping you off through the stride instead of politely absorbing your effort and keeping it. When it came time to hunt paces in a workout, turnover felt silky. This is also one of those rare shoes where you can genuinely feel the plate doing its job, not just riding along collecting a paycheck.

The midsole reads slimmer, but my foot never filed a complaint about protection. Two things seem to make it feel less cushioned than the v5. First, the 8mm drop puts your forefoot closer to the road, but the v5 had the same 8mm drop, so that theory falls apart faster than my late-race form, so my money’s on the carbon plate’s placement.

The second suspect is the big cutouts in the midsole. They save weight, sure, but they may also be collapsing a bit and flattening things out, handing you extra ground feel whether you asked for it or not. The new outsole formula, meanwhile, has been excellent, holding up beyond 50 miles of tempos, workouts, treadmill sessions, and a few longer, slower efforts.

The new upper fit my foot perfectly in a US M10.5. New Balance’s gossamer mesh is thin enough that you can literally watch where your big toe makes contact. The simple lacing setup dialed in without any drama. Overall, I achieved a fit very close to the SC Elite v5, but with materials that feel a notch or two more premium.

Lastly, if we’re talking about looks, I like ‘em.

KARL: I’ve always enjoyed the look of the SC Elite series, but the latest v6 definitely “looks” the fastest and most race-ready out of all the previous iterations. The FantomFit mesh upper is super light and breathable with a neat translucent effect. The padding in the heel and tongue is perfect in terms of comfort and performance. My only knock would be the laces and the fact that they’re not the sawtooth ones you often see on race models, but they’re still flat and ribbed, so getting a good fit dialed isn’t hard (but a race day shoe without sawtooth laces? Sacrilegious!)

If you were a fan of the overall platform and width of the SC Elite v4 and were disappointed by the slimming in the v5, you may be disappointed again as New Balance definitely kept that narrow, snug fit here in the SC Elite v6. But as someone with a slightly wider foot, I thought this shoe fit great. I’ve had no problems with rubbing or anything feeling out of place. I also found stability to be quite good for a lightweight, aggressive racer, so good job to the team for refining what they did with the Elite v5.

Moving onto performance, the ATPU foam in this Infinion recipe is money. This foam composition is the same that’s found in the SC Rebel v1. But I know some of our other reviewers weren’t too fond of the underfoot feel compared to the SC Rebel, mainly because of the ground-feel effect. This lends itself to feeling a bit firmer, even with the foam composition being relatively soft. But as someone who isn’t necessarily looking for something super soft on race day, this hasn’t been an issue for me.

It definitely falls into the category of racing shoes like the Nike Vaporfly or Puma Deviate Elite Nitro 4 as opposed to the Nike Alphafly or Puma Fast-R3, which have a bit more tech and “wow” factor built in, with ways of feeling higher stack while remaining World Athletics compliant.

Speaking of Puma, Thomas and I agree that this shoe feels similar to the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4, another race shoe that I loved this year. This, along with the Puma, just felt bouncy and propulsive, yet still maintaining a certain level of softness that isn’t overbearing. ATPU may be my favorite type of foam given how many shoes I love this year have used it. There’s a certain blend of pop, softness, and resiliency in ATPU that makes it a winner. The Infinion foam combined with the cutout in the midsole, which is meant to give more space for the EnergyArc plate to compress and bounce back, gives the SC Elite V6 a more energetic ride than its previous iteration.

I don’t think this has any exciting factor like shoes that the Nike Alphafly, Asics Metaspeed Ray, Saucony Endorphin Elite 3, Mizuno Hyperwarp, or On Cloudboom Strike 2 may have in terms of tech and slightly more exciting underfoot sensation or lighter weights, but I think that’s fine. It may not be the most exciting spec-wise on paper, but it’s still a solid marathon racer, and I hope to see it being worn at more races.

TINA: Alright, let’s start with some positives. The color scheme of this shoe feels like it was made for me. From the neutral base with the pop of color in the foam, to the ombre design and darker outline of the New Balance logo, all the layers meshed together well. The green midsole also had a hint of shimmer, which added a fun touch.

Next, let’s talk about the weight loss. Before I even noticed the intricacies of the design, I was amazed by the lightness of the shoe. New Balance cut back (literally, in the midsole) a few ounces from the last version, leaving it at 5.5 oz for a US W7, and the drop is noticeable. There is a minimalistic feel with each stride, and this stayed consistent no matter the distance I ran.

Lastly, the upper was snug but breathable. The toe box also felt wider than the last version, but my foot felt secure, no matter the speed. Unfortunately, that’s it for me.

What we don’t like about the New Balance SC Elite v6

THOMAS: Personally, I’ve become a full convert to rockered midsoles, and the more dramatic the better. Start that rocker right behind the fat pad and kick the toe up like it’s trying to launch you into the next zip code. It accentuates that feeling of quick, effortless turnover, where your legs are doing less negotiating and more cooperating.

So consider this my formal request to New Balance: make the next version more aggressive with the rocker, and keep hunting for grams to shave. The bones are here; now go be unreasonable with it.

KARL: My main gripe with the New Balance SC Elite v6 is the price. $275 is starting to creep into the territory where you expect some of that “wow” factor I mentioned earlier. For that price, you’d expect something more than just a race day foam and carbon fiber plate, whether it’s some sort of tech like an air pod or an even lighter weight.

I think if you’re a New Balance fan and already train in their shoes, then I think it’s worth the price. I still think the value is good; it just may be a harder sell to certain crowds when there are a lot of comparable race day options priced slightly lower.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the laces. If I’m shelling $275, I want my beloved sawtooth goshdangit!

TINA: The color scheme I can absolutely get behind; the midsole cut-out, not so much. It brought me back to fashion trends from 20 years ago, and I had to question whether the design was a gimmick or would actually enhance performance.

I took the shoe on a 7-mile run and gave myself the first few miles to get used to my stride; unfortunately, every mile after felt like a conscious effort. Where I hoped to feel some energy return with the Infinion foam and carbon plate, I was left with a hard ground-feel and tired legs, as if I were pumping on the brakes with every step. I also felt the toes on my right foot cramp the farther I ran and caught myself actively moving my foot in the toe box; I’ve never felt a size difference in my feet, so I’m unsure what the issue was or why only one side was affected.

With how competitive New Balance racing shoes have been in recent years, updates in the technicalities of foam and carbon fiber lead to higher prices; however, for $275, it simply did not deliver what I expected and hoped.

Final thoughts on the New Balance SC Elite v6

THOMAS: Is this the best marathon shoe New Balance has made? I’d say yes, though Meaghan and Tina might want a word. Karl brought up the Puma Deviate Elite 4, and annoyingly, he’s right. It feels similar, weighs less, and costs less. That’s a math problem New Balance is going to have to solve, because “same vibes, but heavier and pricier” isn’t going on a billboard anytime soon.

That said, if you’re a New Balance loyalist, an extra $25 and half an ounce probably isn’t costing you any sleep. The good news is that New Balance looks like it’s on the right path. It still isn’t as fast as I’d like, but the arrow is pointing the right direction. The SC Elite v6 is race-ready, and it’s a perfect option for the runner who wants something stealthy and closer to the ground than most of the race day options out there.

PS: I called the SC Rebel an evolved SC Elite v5 earlier, and I’d like to amend that testimony. It’s really more of a cross between the SC Elite v5 and the SC Trainer (pour one out). For some people, it’s an excellent training partner that pairs beautifully with the SC Elite v6. For others, the Rebel could quietly be a great affordable race day shoe in its own right.

KARL: I do believe this is New Balance’s best race day shoe yet. I think they took what they learned from the previous two iterations and made something really worthwhile here. And while some may think it’s a little too late, I think it’s better late than never, especially for the fans of New Balance trainers. It won’t be for everybody, but if you enjoy a more traditional feeling long-distance racer — meaning you’re Team Vaporfly over Alphafly, Endorphin Pro over Endorphin Elite, Hoka Rocket X 3 over Hoka Cielo X1 3.0, etc. — then I think it’ll be hard not to like the New Balance SC Elite v6.

TINA: I desperately wanted to love this shoe as much as the v5; I really did. Between two speed workouts, one mid-distance run, and one easy run, I’d say there was enough time spent in the shoe to admit it’s not making it into my shoe rotation. While the design had potential, it sacrificed energy return, comfort, and bounce for aesthetics.

For the price point of $275, it’s also an investment. If you appreciate a groundfeel and a lightweight shoe, this would do it for you, but if you want any sort of bounce or extra padding, I would look elsewhere.

You can pick up the New Balance SC Elite v6 for $275 from New Balance by using the buttons below.