Discontinued · road · Daily · $100
Roomy, honest budget daily with a traditional feel.
Built for daily, at a target pace of 8:30–11:30 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v4.
New Balance tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is modest, so the ride feels protective and damp rather than springy. 30 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as calm at 2/5 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. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is wide, with space for the toes to spread late in long runs. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 500 miles from the outsole, about $0.20 per mile at $100.
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
280 g / 9.9 oz
5 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
30 mm
6 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
10 mm
4 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$100
60 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~500 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.
Adidas Duramo SL 2
265 g / 9.3 oz · 32 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $80
The classic cheap-and-cheerful Adidas trainer.
Under Armour Pursuit 4
275 g / 9.7 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
No-fuss entry trainer for new runners and easy miles.
Nike Run Defy
295 g / 10.4 oz · 33 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $80
Simple, durable budget trainer for everyday road miles.
Asics Gel-Contend 9
275 g / 9.7 oz · 31 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $75
The classic first running shoe — durable, affordable, uncomplicated.