Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 113, December 2018 | Page 36

TRIED & TESTED
Cracking the
Rubix
Shoe
With its innovative Rubix model, New Balance has produced a maximum stability shoe that doesn’t feel like a maximum
stability shoe. – BY SEAN FALCONER
the heel-landing phase and provides more medial
support, and then the two layers become fairly even
in the forefoot.
Recently, however, various manufacturers have
developed innovative solutions using lighter, softer
and more flexible materials to reduce overpronation.
These shoes cut down on some of the negative
attributes associated with stability shoes, such as an
uncomfortably noticeable post, or overly stiff midfoot
area, while still offering the required anti-pronation
protection. And with the new Rubix model, New Balance
has taken this approach to another level, using cutting-
edge design and technology to reduce overpronation
while maintaining a comfortable, supple ride. Having been blessed with neutral feet, I have never
needed to wear stability shoes, but many of my
favourite pairs of shoes over the years have featured
a small post that definitely helped later in longer runs
or races, when my legs began tiring and my feet
began to roll a wee bit more than normal. However,
a maximum stability shoe would normally not even
feature in my thinking… but the Rubix is different.
Banked Support
The shoe features two differently contoured foam
midsole layers, of differing durometer (density), that
work together to prevent the foot from rolling inward.
New Balance calls it the Guidance Ramp System, and
it is inspired by the banked surfaces of roads, cycling
tracks or a bobsled track, which are designed to create
a consistent guidance path for the car, bike or bobsled
to follow and thus stay on track. Similarly, the ramped
midsole layers create a series of underfoot adjustments
(banks) that run the length of the foot, to provide
responsiveness, cushioning and guided stability.
The shoe comes in at an ‘average’ weight of 305
grams (men’s) and 255g (women’s), with an 8mm heel
drop, so that’s pretty standard, but another notable
feature is that the outsole is mostly Ground Contact
foam, with firmer outsole rubber sections only added
in the high-wear heel and toe areas, but otherwise you
run on the midsole.
Put to the Test
This system of banked foam rubber still provides the
same great cushioned ride of most neutral shoes,
coupled with the stabilising features, but without that
clunky heaviness or stiffness that stability shoes often
have, which means that even a neutral runner should
The upper (green) layer is constructed from the softer
Acteva Ultralite 50, while the lower (white) layer is
made from slightly firmer Ground Contact 58, and
the ramp sizing and angles were designed using data
collected by analyzing pressure points on the bottom
of the foot. Basically, there is more softer rubber on
the outer side of the heel, and more firmer rubber
on the inner side, which guides your foot through
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ISSUE 113 DECEMBER 2018 / www.modernathlete.co.za
feel comfortable in this shoe. The bonus for a neutral
runner would be in the protection of that stability in
long runs such as marathons or ultras, when the legs
are super tired.
Another huge plus point is great flexibility of the
midfoot and forefoot, courtesy of two deep flex
groove cut-outs in the Ground Contact layer, all the
way through to Ultralite layer, which automatically
makes this stability model impressively more flexible
than others I have tested over the years, but still
offering a pleasantly smooth transition from heel to
toe. It’s also quite a contrast from other New Balance
models of recent years that featured solid full-length
Fresh Foam midsoles, which offered great cushioning
but not quite as much flexibility.
The Bottom Line
If you’re an overpronator looking for a softer, more
flexible running experience, you should definitely
go check out the New Balance Rubix at your local
running store. It is a pricier shoe, retailing at R2999,
but the shoe lives up to the hype of the technology in
my opinion. I found it a most enjoyable ride, in spite
of being a neutral runner in a maximum stability shoe,
and I reckon this shoe solves an old problem in a new,
exciting way.
H
istorically, maximum stability shoes have been
rather stiff, even clunky at times, earning what
some consider a reputation as a necessary evil
for runners who overpronate. (In other words, their
feet roll too far inwards after landing, often resulting
in foot and knee pain, not to mention worn down,
collapsing shoes on the inner, medial side.) That saw
most shoes in this category feature a medial post on
the inner side of the midsole, midway between the
heel and arch areas – basically a section (insert) of
slightly denser, harder foam rubber (or TPU plastic)
designed to slow the inward rolling of the foot.