In production · road · Daily / Recovery / Long run · $150
Soft, rounded easy-day cruiser built for relaxed cruising miles.
Built for daily, recovery, long run, at a target pace of 8:30–11:30 /mi on road.
New Balance tuned this midsole very soft (5/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. At 40 mm of heel stack this sits in max-cushion territory; legs stay fresher on long efforts, but the platform is tall. 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 6 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. 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 450 miles from the outsole, about $0.33 per mile at $150.
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
272 g / 9.6 oz
3 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
40 mm
4 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
6 mm
Level with the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$150
10 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
5 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~450 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 taller than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Saucony Hurricane 26
262 g / 9.2 oz · 41 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $170
Plush max-stack stability trainer on incrediLUX foam.
Mount to Coast P1(2025)
265 g / 9.3 oz · 42 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $190
Max-cushion road ultra shoe designed for hours, not miles.
Mount to Coast R2(2025)
250 g / 8.8 oz · 40 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $190
Softer, higher-stack road-ultra trainer with pressure-free lacing.
Hoka Skyflow
283 g / 10.0 oz · 39 mm · 5 mm drop · — · $170
Plush, smooth cruiser slotted between Clifton and Bondi.