Veja Condor 3 Performance Review

Since 2019, Brazil-based Veja and its sustainability-focused DNA have made inroads in the footwear industry. Not as running shoes, though technically all Veja shoes maintain that moniker, but as all day casual shoes. The Veja Condor 3 is looking to change that with a bio-based running shoe utilizing a reworked foam that can hang with modern foams from larger brands.

The larger brands are often only focused on sustainability for a small portion of their lines which allows them to ignore sustainability for their best foams. Only the recently reviewed Hylo Impact has offered a high end modern feeling foam with more than token sustainability. Can the Veja Condor 3 enter that rare air? Let’s find out in our performance review.

Performance

Drew: I fear I may be the worst judge of Veja’s new midsole cushion (a mix of sugar cane-based EVA and Amazonian Rubber with full length L-Foam at the bottom). Why? Because I tried an early version at The Running Event in December and the formulation was much squishier and more in line with modern trends. 

The version of the Veja Condor 3 that showed up at my door is still softer and more comfortable than the majority of bio-based foams, but to my detriment, I knew it could be better. The production version is similar to New Balance’s FreshFoamX (similar to what’s in the New Balance More v4). I liked that setup at $150, but at $200 it’s not the same value.

The midsole softness and overall feel of the Condor 3 put it in the daily trainer category. It’s tough to pick up speed and do anything that’s not easy paced miles. For $200, I need more versatility out of my running shoes, even if they’re built sustainably.

The midsole’s firmness, the outsole’s excessive spiky diamond lugs, and the upper’s TPU overlays and Pebax heel counter all seem to indicate the Veja Condor 3 is a road to trail shoe. For a shoe that was originally pitched to me as a road shoe, it feels overbuilt. I think this was a mistake.

The upper is accommodating and fits well. The midfoot lacing is odd but doesn’t seem to negatively impact the fit and may help lessen some lace pressure on the crown of the foot. The laces themselves are barbed and don’t untie but they’re also too long…which I’m sure Arune will talk about in detail (Editor’s Note: he always does).

Arune: Since I do not lead the fit-fluencer celebrity life of Dashing Drew Whitcomb, I have no past comparison for what the Veja Condor 3 could or perhaps should have been.

I’ve never worn a Veja shoe before, though I’ve seen them a lot (especially on the feet of WWE Superstar Sami Zayn) and I’ve had mixed experiences with socially conscious shoe brands. I love the missions but don’t always vibe with the end results.

Like Drew said, this is a daily trainer and while I enjoyed the soft midsole, it’s not one that will propel you forward with any meaningful speed. This is an easy run kind of shoe and one I enjoyed training in, but that price point puts it well above the $140-$160 options from other major brands that are much more versatile.

It’s funny that the boss man mentioned the outsole making this a hybrid road and trail shoe, because the colorway itself screams “TRAIL SHOE” to me from the design to the colors.

Whereas Drew praised the fit, I am a bit uncertain about it – my first impression was that it was too narrow and too short. My foot quickly adjusted to it, but that same feeling is present every time I put on the shoe and I have worried about what a real long run – something over ten miles – would feel like in this shoe.

And, yeah, the laces are comically long (Editor’s Note: THERE IT IS)  but I’ll take that over being too short.

Pros

• Impressive sustainability
• Durable outsole
• Accommodating fit

Cons

• Underwhelming cushioning
• Excessive fuse overlays on the upper
• Long laces
• Price

Is the Veja Condor 3 wide foot friendly?

Drew: Yes, the Veja Condor 3 is built on a wide enough last to handle most wide footers. There’s a touch of extra length in the toebox, but not enough to cause any issue. The Condor 3 fits true to size lengthwise.

Arune: As I said above, the Veja Condor 3 really expands to fit Hobbit feet like mine with wider forefoots and a relatively average midfoot. This is a shoe that folks will want to try on in a store with a treadmill so they can see if the shoe expands sufficiently.

I do agree with going true to size as Drew said. I wear a 9.5 in my running shoes and that’s what I got here too.

Is the Veja Condor 3 worth $200?

Drew: Unfortunately no. With the also sustainable Hylo Impact at $165, the $200 price point isn’t in line with other sustainable running shoe models or the running shoe market in general. $200 is reserved for more versatile, speed day capable shoes. The Veja Condor 3 doesn’t deliver enough value or technology to justify the price.

Arune: I’m really excited to try more Veja shoes as so much of this feels like a premium shoe that can really handle the miles, but Drew said it perfectly – the price doesn’t match the performance in today’s market.
If I’m spending this much, I’m probably opting for something like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 at $170 and then getting myself a nice meal from Erewhon (Editor’s Note: we get it, you live in Los Angeles, go enjoy your $18 smoothie).

Veja Condor 3 Summary

Drew: I love the way the Veja Condor 3 looks and wanted to love them, especially after my initial try on in December blew me away. But whatever changed made the official launch version less exciting and accentuated some of the Condor 3’s negative traits. 

The Veja Condor 3 needs a squishier, bouncier midsole and $160-$170 price point to make it more compelling. Right now, the negatives are overwhelming the positives. Hopefully Veja goes back to the lab and tweaks things so that the Condor line becomes a contender for best sustainable running shoe.

Arune: After trying a Veja shoe, I understand the excitement around the brand – this shoe is premium, purposeful, and doesn’t look like anything else.

But as a running shoe, this is at least $30 too expensive and not nearly versatile enough to be this expensive.

I respect that these socially conscious brands can’t cut the same corners as others and we need to pay a bit more to do the right thing. If this was a shoe that could pick up speed, I think I’d be much more ready to recommend it.

That said, I think Veja has the foundation for a truly outstanding Condor 4 that addresses these issues and delivers the knockout shoe that Drew experienced in December.

How do the Authors Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 42, 6’6″ 195lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Arune Singh (age 42, 5’11”, 215lbs): Trains daily with functional fitness programming from Deadboys Fitness, founded by Colby “Seth Rollins” Lopez and Josh Gallegos, along with logging 30-40 miles of running per week. He also has a medical history of Sleep Apnea and Myasthenia Gravis, meaning Arune’s focus is on lean muscle mass.

Disclosure

While Veja did send pairs of the Condor 3 to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and have not attempted to influence it.