Welcome to our review of the brand new Veja Condor 3 – a neutral daily running shoe that aims to deliver on easy-run performance while also leaving a lighter footprint on the planet and the environment.
Now it’s fair to say that creating non-petroleum based running shoes that live up to their fossil-fuel-reliant rivals has been difficult. The majority of efforts so far haven’t quite hit the mark. With eco-midsole foams coming up too firm, not cushioned or lively enough. So the big question here is whether this third-gen Veja Condor, with its new EVA midsole foam made from sugar cane, and its 3 ISPO Awards, finally conquers that challenge. Hit play to get into our VEJA Condor 3 review to find out.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:45 – Details
1:15 – Shoe whip round
2:41 – Fit
4:27: – The Run Test
11:43: – Verdict
Hi people welcome to the Run testers and To our review of the brand new vasia Condor 3 this is a neutral daily running Shoe that aims to deliver on easy run Performance while also leaving a lighter Footprint on the planet and the Environment now it's fair to say that Creating non-petroleum based running Shoes that live up to their fossil fuel Reliant Rivals has been difficult for Brands to achieve the majority of Efforts so far haven't quite hit the Mark with Eco kind of midsole Foams Coming up too firm not cushioned or Lively enough so the big question here Is whether this third gen vasia Condor With its new Eva midsole phone made from Sugar cane and its three ISO Awards Finally conquers that challenge let's Get into it in our vaser Condor 3 Review so let's give you some quick Details then and starting with the stack Height the vager Condor 3 has 37 m in The heel 29 Ms in the 4ot for an 8 mil Drop weightwise it tips the scales at 11.1 o or 314 G in the UK men's 8 and a Half test Sho size that I've got here That's one of the heaviest shoes going The same heft as the aex GEL Nimbus 26 When it comes to price the vager Condor 3 will set you back £160 in the UK and $200 in the US moving on to that quick shoe whip Round then and starting with the new
Mido what you've got here is a big stack Of what vasia calls L foam cushion it's Quite hard to get the exact detail of What this foam is made of it's quite a Convoluted mix from what vagar tells me But it seems to be part latex part Sugarcane Eva cushion that aims to offer High shock absorption it's also heat Resistant and it should have a good Long-term resiliency AKA it will retain Its bounceback energy for longer and V Says the foam has 80% energy return That's a big leap on now there's also a Pack R new heal insert that's added to Boost comfort and protect against impact On Landings up top the Condor 3 has Engineered mesh ERS made for 100% Recycled polyester it's got plenty of Perforations here across the top of the Toe box it's also got quite a lot of Added TPU panels here on the shoe to add Structure and help with the hold Security there's also TPU overlays Around the toe box and that should help With durability and protection there's a Fairly plush heel colors here nice Padding flat wrapped tongue with an Internal sort of booty that starts Midway down inside the shoe you've got Lock glaze style laces and an external Heel clip here for added heel security As well if you flip them over there's a Generous covering of fairly thick out Soole rubber here and it has these kind
Of little studs as well to enhance the Grip in fact there's more than a little Bit of Trail shoe Vibes going on here Overall for what is a road Shoe when it comes to fit I ran in my Regular running shoe size which is a uk8 And a half and I described the fit as Unfussy and roomy it's pretty easy to Get them feeling comfortable on the foot There's a really good amount of room in The toe box here the heels hold well for Me I did have some mild movement Elsewhere in the shoe with the midfoot Hold not being absolutely bang on it Does feel sort of spacious but there's Nothing troubling here and wait as side I think the Condor 3 does a pretty good Job of melting away into the background And letting you get on with the business Of running and overall I would recommend Going true to sizeing these shoes so fit For me in general has been very good on The vaser Condor 3 but I would caveat That by saying that vasia kind of Recommends sizing up in this year now I've had mine in a UK size eight that is My typical running shoe size now I'd say Going in that size has has been fine for Me but what I would say is that when I've run in kind of slightly thicker Socks it has definitely felt like a bit More of a snug fit here particularly up Front of the toes where maybe it can Feel a little bit cramped so I do think
Maybe it's worth looking at playing Around with those sizes because there May be an issue there in terms of going A usual size so that's something to be Mindful of here I think elsewhere I've Had no real issues in terms of you kind Of the midfoot kind of the hold there The good you know good level of padding Here at the hill it's not over excessive Inms of that padding no kind of heel rub Or slippage lock down the laces and Tongue has been fine as well for me it's A pretty skinny tongue here but that Hasn't caused any problems that hasn't Kind of moved around for me either so Yeah as I said I've had him on a UK Size8 that's my typical running shoe Size but I do think that there may be an Argument particularly when vasia kind of Does suggest it as well sizing up in This shoe because it can fit a little Bit snug and has done on some runs where I have one slightly thicker [Music] Socks Now in testing I've done around 45 km in The Vasa Condor 3 pretty much all of Those miles have been slow easy recovery Runs I've thrown in the odd faster mile During some of those runs to check the Upper Pace potential and push to kind of Middling Pace but the weight alone of This shoe at well over 300 G undoubtedly Limits it to being an easy day shoe in
My mind unless you really like to train Fast in big heavy shoes that is I don't So I've used it and judged it based on How it performs at easy Paces up to Middling pace and for that I think it's Been a very reliable performer really Now along with the new Hyo impact and The Zen running Z1 I think we're finally Starting to see that the more Eco Conscious running shoes are really Starting to improve that harsh hard firm Sort of midsole ride that many of the Early shoes suffered from has been Replaced by much more capable competent And cushioned Foams when it comes to a Plush comfortable ride I think the vager Condor 3 is certainly a big step on from Its predecessor and it's closed the gap For sure on a lot of the rivals in this Space about the New Balance 1080 v13 the Brooks G Max the aex joers 26 the ride Here is soft there's a little bit of Bounce but not a great deal and the Condor 3 I think does a good job of Taking the edge off any harshness from The road particularly when you're moving With sort of slower maybe heavier Landings it's a heavy shoe there is no Getting away from that and there's quite A lot of shoe on the foot here but I Didn't find it to be too sluggish and Ponderous like some shoes can be I Didn't find it to be burdensome when I Was clip along easy and I got really
Good stability from is quite a wide Platform and from a shoe that will Happ Take trips onto light Offroad without Any trouble thanks to what you've got Here which is a sort of slightly more Reinforced out soole tread here I'd say The overall reinforcements of the shoe Should lend themselves well as well to Getting good mileage out of this shoe They feel sort of durable from that Perspective I also like that vager has Gone for lock laces here always a good Thing in my book for some reason they're Really really long though it's a bit odd But it's kind of a minor Quirk but they Are very long you have to sort of do About 16 Loops so into that run test and I haven't done 50k in the shoe just yet So what I'm going to do is give you my Kind of more General thoughts on this Year but I have done enough running in This yearo I think to form a good Opinion of what works here what I think You know is very much still a work in Progress and whether ultimate is a shoe That has been an enjoyable one to run in Now I haven't run in the previous V Condor shoes I have run in other kind of More sustainably made running shoes from W birds from the likes of Zen running Club and also kind of more established Obviously running Brands so myuno saky With things like the Triumph rfg so I've Got a good sense of what is working what
Still needs Improvement where the kind Of you know where we are with Sustainably made running shoes and I Think we are going the right direction But it is still a little bit of work to Be done and I think on that front I Think there was two key things I was Looking for from the Condor 3 in my time Was how it kind of managed getting the Weight down because ultimately I think Generally I found kind of the shoes that I've running that's where it's been an Issue the weights and compared to kind Of less sustainably kind of made running Shoes and also the mid what you're Getting from the mid whether you know It's it's delivering a riding experience That makes it a nice shoe to run in in a Shoe that you're going to want to run in On a regular basis I start with the good Stuff and the good stuff being that it Looks like a vasia shoe and if that's Something you want something that looks Good then ultimately that is what you're Going to get here and I've had no Problems going out and just kind of Walking around in the shoe you know Delivers that kind of good look so from That point of view it works well on the Upper for me has worked really well as Well too that's never for me not really Been an ISS in terms of the progress of Sustainably made running shoes so those Are all kind of positives for me and we
Talk about the weights now mine weighs In 300 gram so that is definitely Heavier than other cushion daily trainer Shoes which I think this is where the Vel Condor 3 sit it's not a performance Shoe vager doesn't you know make it out To be a performance shoe it really is a Shoe that you're going to get a good Level of comfort something that you're Can to use for kind of easy runs long Runs regular runs where it's kind of Pressures off kind of type uh of kind of Runs and maybe you want to run a little Bit quicker but you know it's not going To be speed workor type of um kind of Faster running so the weight yeah it's It's heavier than a lot of Cushing daily Trainer shoes but I found that you know It's not been a cumbersome and bulky Shoe to wear either I definitely would Like it to be a bit lighter But Ultimately it hasn't felt like a Hindrance for me in the runs that I've Done in it now the mid so I think that's A key thing for me and where the biggest Work needs to be done on kind of Sustainable running shoes and I think in Terms of what you're getting here on the Vasia Condor 3 so it's kind of a sugar Cane based um EVA foam then you've got Kind of Amazonian rubber in here as well So what I think you know I found in Other shoes they always seem to be a Little bit on the firm side and that was
My major concern with the Condor 2 but Actually I was surprised to find that it Runs relatively kind of soft it's not Overly plush in any stretch of the Imagination but it definitely isn't Overly firm either what I found in the Ride it actually has a kind of nice Rocker in it it's pretty smooth Transitions are pretty nice on it and You know it felt pretty good at easy Pac I think that's where it excels best and I've tried to pick the pace up a little Bit in it kind of maybe dropping it down To kind of 750 minute mile Pace I think Maybe it's a bit more of a chore to run In this year but I ultimately I don't Think that's what it's built for but When I've kind of gone up a little bit a Little bit slower than that maybe kind Of 810 820 it's felt absolutely capable Of running at that pace I mean easy pace For me is kind a 9 minute mile so to Give you a sense of how I'm running my Slowest and maybe running a little bit More Up Tempo in this shoe absolutely Isn't a shoe that you're going to want To run quicker in and I feel feels a Little bit awkward when you want to run Quicker in the shoe but I don't think That's what it's built for ultimately And that's I think when you stick to What it's ultimately good for I think it Works really well now that that midsole Kind of you know it's it's a little bit
Kind of Clifton esque I would say in Terms of the experience and I think the Types of runs probably feel similar in Terms of what I would use the Clifton For and what I'd use a vager condor Three in it maybe isn't as agile as Something like the P velocity n 3 things Like the night Pegasus as well I think Outso wise I think you know there's a Good amount of rubber here um I've Generally been running in kind of dry Conditions I did run after it had been Raining so there was some slightly Wetter kind of parts of my routs on the Pavements and it you know it was fine Maybe did slip around slightly but there Is definitely plenty of rubber here to Kind of make sure you're going to get Good grip maybe the formation layer Isn't absolutely been nailed but I think In general I think durability wise the Types of run you're probably going to Use it for it feels Well Suited so yeah Based on my kind of General the runs That I have done and I've got kind of 25 Miles in this shoe I felt like my Experience has been pretty good Surprisingly I think when you're running Kind of easy in this it works well when You want to slightly up the tempo it's Absolutely fine get a little bit faster It feels a little bit more Awkward to do That but there's a nice kind of rocked Ride in there it's pretty smooth in
Terms of that ride and yeah pretty Surprising in terms of my experience in The v Condor 3 um particularly as this My first version of the Condor that I've Run In verdict then there's a lot right About this shoe even if it's not perfect Now for the miles I've run I've enjoyed This shoe more than most of the Sustainable shoes that I've tested over The years I think we're finally getting To a point where kind of so-call Eco Running shoes look and perform like Regular running shoes which is a good Thing now the Condor 3 suggests that the Days of compromising on the ride when You're trying to do something better for The planet are coming to an end and That's a great thing for me this is Standard easy day Fair big cushion Stacked with a bit of Bounce it's a shoe That might have the Nimbus looking over Its shoulder it's certainly a shoe that Has a casual Runner everyday kind of Wear crossover here it will suit heavier Runners too I'm pretty sure of that it's Not as Lively as the new Hyo impact Another eco-friendly shoe that launched Recently got video on the channel about That if you want to go and find out that But it's a long way ahead of the recent Or Birds shoes and I really like the Fact that it's almost built a Handle Road to light off-road too it's a kind
Of noons shoe in that sense yes it makes It heavier but I reckon this shoe should Still be going strong well over 500 Miles however there is one big caveat Here they've priced it 20 to30 too high In my book take away the environmental Story and there are equal or better Shoes for logging easy miles that are Cheaper or similarly priced the so ride 17 the Brooks ghost Max even the aex Nova blast 4 which is a slightly Different proposition but can do Everything that the Condor 3 does and More for much less so I feel you're kind Of still paying a premium here whether That's for the vager name or for those More sustainable credentials and Materials do they cost more to produce Those kind of things it's not entirely Clear where that money goes but as much As I think this is a perfectly capable Easy day shoe I have to say for that Reason I don't think it would be my First choice as a perchase I think you Can do better for Less out there so some Thoughts on the VOR Condor 3 and I have To say I'm actually been pleasantly Surprised with my experience running This shoe I think my feeling of most Sustainable running shoes that I've run In is that i' probably you know they've Been fine but i' maybe have I wanted to Run more in them and you know pick them Up again and run with them maybe not so
Much I feel like with the vasia Condor 3 There definitely is a kind of cushion Daily trainer Feld to this Sho Definitely more easy Pace cushion daily Trainer field things like the new B 1080 V13 kind of things like the cliff Things like the aex Jael Nimbus that Kind of type of cushion daily trender Shoe now is it a shoe that's bettering Those shoes I don't think it is but from A sustainable kind of running shoe kind Of category I've definitely preferred This to something like the what I've got From the or Birds I think kind of things From like Zen running club I think that Has more of a slightly more uptempo Edge To it but I found like the general the Overall kind of feel of the shoe I feel Like I found this more comfortable Overall and felt like a shoe that I Would actually pick up and want to kind Of and feel comfortable running in again It is one of those shoes where I think If I had one shoe to kind of take away And I just wanted to do some running Some casual kind of running maybe wanted To just log like some kind of easy long Runs and I feel like this is a shoe that I'd be happy to do it in um the other Way to kind of look at it is yeah a Cushion daily Trainer shoe when you Compare it to £60 you compare to what Else is out there as I said is it better Than things like the GEL Nimbus the 1080
V13 Um things like P velocity Nitro 3 no it Isn't ultimately there's absolutely Different shoes that I would pick over This but I think if you are conscious of Having a more sustainable running shoe You are looking for a cushioned daily Trainer shoe that is mainly Predominately built those kind of easier Runs and slightly quicker runs but not Absolutely not kind of speed and kind of Interval work then this is a shoe that Can absolutely do it I think from a Sustainable running shoe point of view I Think there's a lot of progress here Which I think is a real kind of step Forward here yeah I mean Weight Wise Definitely would like it a little bit Lighter looks great but I do think that You know against other Cushing daily Traines that are not so sustainably made Would you pick it over those maybe not But I think if you frame it in that Sense that it is sustainable running Shoe and what it wants to deliver and How it delivers it I think absolutely There's a lot that vasia gets right here On the Condor 3 so there you have it That's been our review of the new vager Condor 3 we hope you found it helpful Don't forget to like subscribe and ring That Bell for more great run testers Videos when they land on the channel if You're interested in more sustainable
Shoes you might want to check out our First run look at the higho impact a bit Of a livel faster shoe that might Interest some people I'm going to pop That on the channel right about now Otherwise thanks for watching and we Hope to see you again soon on the Run Testers happy running people
