Anta Bellero 4 Plus Review - $110 punch above it's cost class

Anta is among the top 3 sportswear companies world wide (Behind Nike and Adidas only) and the largest in China.  They have Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving with endorsements of their basketball shoes.  

They have opened a brick and mortar Anta shop in Los Angeles, have a US website that is active and also sell on Amazon.  At this point they are only selling a segment of their running shoes in the US. 

They have recently bought 29% shares in Puma, which makes them the majority owner from a shares perspective.  In addition they have partial ownership/joint ventures in other brands such as Amer Sports.  I mention that, because brands under Amer Sports include Arc'teryx, Salomon and Peak Performance.  

This may be the largest running shoe brand you have not heard of (it was for me). 

So, my first lesson in running shoes from the East is that they mostly don't provide the specification details that we are used to in the West. So, some of this is my best guess on compiled information from reviews and ChatGPT. 

Weight: My size 12's came in weighing: Left 11.1 Ounces, Right 10.8 Ounces
Sample size weight: No data found
Heel Stack: Between 36 and 39, but that is not including insole and/or outsole.  My guess is around 42mm total heel stack (feels similar to Nike Vomero Plus)
Drop: 8 MM
Upper: Engineered mesh with TPU overlays
Outsole: A full-length, zoned outsole design provides targeted traction while reducing unnecessary rubber for a lighter feel. Strategically placed flex grooves promote smoother heel-to-toe transitions.  Abrasion resistant and anti-slip material

Midsole: I can find material saying it is a nitrogen infused EVA of some sort and some saying PEBA infused EVA.  The underfoot feel suggests to me it is PEBA infused as it is a denser bounce similar to ZOOMX or Hyperburst. 

MSRP: $110 on Anta's website (not sold on Amazon)
*First orders, you can get 10% off

Use cases:

I ran 50.1 miles in mostly dry conditions on concrete as well as a test run of a couple miles in wet conditions.  I also walked an additional 6-8 miles in them as I used them at the office and walked the parking lot at lunch and around the office area during the day.   I was alternating these with the PG7's I recently reviewed in the office.  My office colleagues think I have a shoe issue...........

My longest run was a 14.6 mile run with medium long runs mixed in around that.  I did steady pace runs with some up tempo and easy pace mixed in as well as intermediate walks.  

Model: Bellero 4 PlusThere is not a lot of history or info on this model within the US information pool.  There is a Bellero 4, so this is the upper model of that shoe.  The foam uses PG (Peak Gravity) naming conventions, which can be confusing between Anta models for those of us new to them. 

Here is a link to the model
https://anta.com/products/anta-bellero-4-plus

Laces: Nice strong laces with a grid pattern in the threading that did a great job of holding the laces in place
Tongue: The tongue is a lightly padded tongue with a full gusset system and lace loop.  The tongue and throat are spot on in their set up for a daily trainer type of shoe
Upper material: Engineered mesh with some TPU support.  The upper fairly thick with a dual layer, so may not be the best for hot summer days in Houston, but it is very comfortable, supportive and durable
Heel: The heel is a fairly rigid set up in combination with the collar that has a slight flare to it.  I had no issues with heel slippage.  The collar has a corrugated type of soft to the touch material that I wasn't quite sure of at first glance, but it is a very very nice step in feel and helps hold the foot in place with the corrugated design.  It is a unique design that I am a fan of now for daily trainer type of shoes.  It will however probably be a sweat magnet in August
Toe Room: I had no hot spots from the toe room and felt like I had good wiggle room without any slippage.  It feels like their is plenty of room in the toe box with solid lock down in the midfoot and heel. 
Fit: The shoe fit perfectly true to size in my size 12's.  No adjustments needed at all, great fit. The fit may be more accommodating to those with a slightly larger foot or higher volume foot

The outsole is a softer rubber with built in grooves to allow additional flexibility.  When the shoes first arrived I was concerned that the outsole would be a harder/plasticy type of outsole found in some cheaper shoes.  When they showed up with a very thick layer of an outsole, I was not expecting the very soft and organic feel underfoot that this provides the runner. 

I am showing wear pretty early at 50 miles, however there is so much outsole on this shoe that I still expect to get better than average wear on the outsole of the shoe.  It had great grip in dry conditions and great grip in wet conditions.  The softness of the rubber material used allows for the traction I experienced on the run. 

Midsole underfoot feel:The underfoot feel is reminiscent of the latest version of the Vomero Plus by Nike and Aero Burst by Skechers shoes.  It is not an exact match to either, but rather has that similar dense propulsion with the lighter weight of the Vomero Plus foam and the stability of the Burst foam. 

The foam has a denser propulsive feel to it, which was very nice........especially on my longer runs

Geometry:Anta has a rocker geometry that is very pleasant underfoot on the run.  It is reminiscent of the Skechers Spark at initial step in and walking.  In that the back of the shoe has a rocker to it that makes you almost feel like you are tilting backwards a bit, but this breaks in fairly quickly.   On runs, the geometry in the back and front of the shoe are very smooth, it is great symmetry with the foam for a more traditional daily trainer feel.

Ride:
As noted a bit above, the ride is very pleasant.  The outsole, geometry and foam make for a nice symmetrical combination underfoot that works well with steady pace and can transition into some tempo work as well as handle easy pace and walking.  On my 14 plus mile run I worked in all the variable speeds and the shoe did very well changing speeds.  I would not use it for speed work as there are better options for that and it may be a bit too much foam for that from a stability stand point, but for a traditional trainer usage stand point this shoe shines and shines at a much better value proposition than most shoes on the market in the US. 

This shoe would slot in around the On Cloud Surfer / Hoka Clifton / Brooks Glycerin / Nike Vomero type of shoes if it were sold in your typical shoe store.  It is very competitive with those shoes at a price that is much lower than those shoes.  If I had this shoe, the Saucony Ride, the Coud Surfer in front of me I would pick the Bellero 4 Plus to run in over those shoes.  That is before even considering the price point advantage it has.  

I used this shoe as an office shoe, walking shoe, running shoe and travel shoe.  it is a multi-functional running shoe that is very good at running (it's main function) with a great price. 

If you are looking for a more traditional daily trainer at a better value proposition than you are liking on the current market, I would recommend giving this shoe a chance.   An advantage is these do ship from the US, so you do not have to wait for international shipping.  

See you on the run