Discontinued · road · Daily / Long run · $120
Early Fresh Foam daily with a soft, low-drop ride.
Built for daily, long run, at a target pace of 8:00–11:00 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v16.
New Balance tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 30 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 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 low 4 mm drop encourages a midfoot landing and keeps the ankle working through a fuller range. 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 standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.30 per mile at $120.
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
265 g / 9.3 oz
10 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
30 mm
6 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
4 mm
2 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$120
40 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the New Balance line it is lighter 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.
Skechers GO Run Elevate 2.0
270 g / 9.5 oz · 30 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $80
Ultra Go daily trainer with an easy, soft footstrike.
Adidas Duramo Speed
263 g / 9.3 oz · 29 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $100
Lightstrike budget speed option — simple, firm and quick.
Saucony Freedom 4
269 g / 9.5 oz · 28 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $180
Saucony Freedom 4: 28 mm heel stack, 4 mm drop, 227 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Altra FWD VIA 2
274 g / 9.7 oz · 37 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $180
Altra FWD VIA 2: 37 mm heel stack, 4 mm drop, 272 g — specs from independent lab testing.