At only 24 years old, Jamie Foy is built like a trojan warrior, ready to destroy any handrail in his path. Originally from Florida, he burst onto the scene a few years ago dropping four video parts and captivating everyone’s attention with gnarly handrail tricks done with effortless style. No one knew who he was at the time, but it was safe to say the tricks he was doing had the skate scene shook; this stocky no-name skater was pulling off handrail tricks that proved he had what it took to be in the professional ranks. In 2017, the parts just kept coming, Thrasher invited him to join the Am Scramble tour, and Ty Evans’ We Are Blood featured more gnarly tricks from Foy, including the infamous FS Crook down El Toro…first try. Foy was rightfully awarded the SOTY award by Thrasher that same year, solidifying his spot in the history books. New Balance Numeric soon put him on the team, took him on tour during his off time from competing in Street League, and knew the momentum Jamie had going was right on track to start a design process for his pro model shoe. Earlier this year, New Balance Numeric officially released the Numeric 306 model, Jamie Foy’s pro model shoe that was designed for impact and stability, resonating with Jamie’s own style of skating. Working closely with NB Numeric designer Jeff Mikut, Jamie mentioned that he doesn’t like too much technology in his shoes, which leads us to wonder what hidden details are presented in the Numeric 306 that can combat the wear and tear of Foy’s handrail destruction. Let’s read on below to see how the NB Numeric performed in our 10-hour weartest.
The New Balance Numeric 306 fits true to size.
The durability of a vulcanized shoe has three major structural components which includes the upper, the lateral outsole and the sole. After our weartest, it’s safe to say that the durability of the New Balance Numeric 306’s upper is incredible. For this model, New Balance Numeric used a high quality suede which resulted in almost no visible signs of wear. Secondly, one of the main design and technical elements of the shoe is the usage of a reinforcement band that’s visible on the lateral side oft he shoe. This band stretched around the upper and also serves as a second layer of defense underneath the suede in the toe area; even if the suede would get an ollie-hole there is another layer of protection underneath. The shape of the toe‘s upper panel is also designed quite cleverly. It covers the ollie-area very well and the stitching is so far stretched to the midfoot area that it’s far from direct griptape contact and prevents the stitching from ripping. All in all, the upper durability of the New Balance Numeric 306 is excellent. In addition, the lateral outsole proved to be quite surprising. Usually, it is one of the first areas to show wear, however, the outsole material held up very well. In combination with the upper, these two elements make a extremely good durability. With that said, the sole showed clear signs of wear. In our 10 hours test there was a decrease in grip, but this area will be the first one to get worn down compared tot he other components oft he shoe. To sum up, the durability of the New Balance Numeric 306 is quite an amazing package for a vulcanized shoe.
Jamie Foy’s pro model’s sole construction is a modern vulcanized sole. It has a very thin outsole and the cushioning element is essentially a basic foam sockliner. This is a good way of adding a cushioning element to a vulc shoe, allowing for both cushioning but also maximizing boardfeel. The sole can absorb regular impacts from flatground and medium sized gaps with no problem. It is a vulcanized sole with typical vulcanized cushioning but has the advantages of a cupsole in regards to the support of the foot. The sockliner has a solid thickness with the aim of offering a softer feeling of cushioning for the heel. Overall, the cushioning of the shoe was average.
The shape of the New Balance Numeric 306 is classic with a well rounded toe box. The silhouette is not as slim as the usual vulcanized shoe due to padding in the heel area. As a result, the shoe fits very well in both the heel area and the toe area, hugging closely to close to the foot. The model offers more space the midfoot section, which is perfect if you have a wider feet.
New Balance Numeric sole construction can be described as a classic vulcanization; it features a very thin sole with a big lateral outsole. The foam sockliner increases the cushioning, reducing the boardfeel slightly, however, since the toe area’s sockliner thins out, there is not too much supporting material between board and foot, which was great for flip tricks. The grip was solid due to its flexibility in the forefoot. A vulcanized sole usually adapts better to the grip tape over time, which does help increase the effectiveness of grip.
When it comes down to comfort, the silhouette of the shoe provides a very good foothold for a vulcanized shoe. When worn and skated, the foot feels extremely secure in the heel area because it has a rather high cut design around the ankle which also features additional padding. Breathability was average and the inner design is quite minimal, so there is no risk of pressure points. Even though cushioning wasn’t fully focused on, the vulcanized construction lives up to a great feel of stability. The shoe has an inner and outer heel counter, and the sidewalls are reinforced with a strap. Not to mention, the toe area has three layers of structural material. All these elements result in an excellent stability.
Jamie Foy’s vulcanized New Balance Numeric 306 pro model exceeds in durability, stability and boardfeel, however the grip and cushioning elements of the shoe can be seen as minor flaws.
