Discontinued · road · Daily / Long run · $180
Maximum motion-control trainer with a huge, stable platform.
Built for daily, long run, at a target pace of 9:30–12:30 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is New Balance 1540 v4.
New Balance tuned this midsole soft (4/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is modest, so the ride feels protective and damp rather than springy. 32 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as muted at 1/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A tall 10 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. The forefoot is stiff, so it rolls rather than bends — a lever, not a slipper. It offers real guidance through the gait cycle — useful for runners whose form collapses when tired.
The toe-box is wide, with space for the toes to spread late in long runs. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 600 miles from the outsole, about $0.30 per mile at $180.
For the foams and plates New Balance uses across its line, read the New Balance brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
335 g / 11.8 oz
60 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
32 mm
4 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
10 mm
4 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$180
20 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
1 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
4 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~600 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the New Balance line it is heavier than the brand's median (278 g / 9.8 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
New Balance 1540 v4
335 g / 11.8 oz · 32 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $190
Maximum motion-control trainer with a huge, stable platform.
Nike Journey Run
305 g / 10.8 oz · 34 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $90
Extra-plush entry trainer built for comfortable first miles.
Adidas Runfalcon 5
303 g / 10.7 oz · 33 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $70
Sub-$70 starter shoe for short runs and gym duty.
Adidas Duramo Protect
290 g / 10.2 oz · 32 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $90
Weatherized Duramo for wet-weather road and path miles.