The New Balance SC Pacer v2 is a short-distance racing shoe that uses elements from higher-stacked marathon racing shoes. Namely, there's still a soft and bouncy PEBA race foam as well as a full-length carbon plate stiffening the midsole. The biggest change from the taller-stacked SC Elite v4 is a lower stack height and revised upper (read: tighter). The former means there's more groundfeel and a lighter weight, while the latter delivers a snugger fit. Across a speed workout (6 repeats of 800 meters) and a 22 mile long run, we found the shoe fun, fast and more stable than expected. While it's not as aggressive as other elite road racing shoes—and not as light weight as the lightest marathon shoes like the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris—it's comfortable, easy to run in and has great rubber coverage for grip and durability. If you're looking for a lower stack racing shoe that you can put a lot of miles on during training, this is it. If you want more protection in your fast racing shoe, consider the Hoka Rocket X2. If you're looking for stability and bounce in a lightweight package, check out the Saucony Endorphin Elite.

Category

Race day

Release Date

July 2024

Plated?

Yes

Type of Plate

Full carbon plate

Foam

FuelCell

Foam Compound

PEBA

Ride

Bouncy, Ground Feel, Soft

Heel Stack (mm)

35.0

Forefoot Stack (mm)

27.0

Drop (mm)

8

Weight (mens size 9)

7.4

Support

Neutral

Fit

Snug