Discontinued · trail · Trail / Long run / Recovery · $145
Earlier generation of the New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v6 line, kept for replacement lookups.
Built for trail, long run, recovery, at a target pace of 9:30–13:00 /mi on trail.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v9.
New Balance tuned this midsole very soft (5/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is modest, so the ride feels protective and damp rather than springy. 37 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 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. The forefoot is stiff, so it rolls rather than bends — a lever, not a slipper. 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 450 miles from the outsole, about $0.32 per mile at $145.
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
310 g / 10.9 oz
35 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
37 mm
1 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
4 mm
2 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$145
15 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
1 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
5 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
1 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~450 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 taller than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Brooks Caldera 8
309 g / 10.9 oz · 39 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $150
Max-cushion ultra trail shoe with a roomy fit for swollen late-race feet.
Salomon S/Lab Ultra Dust
315 g / 11.1 oz · 41 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $280
Ultra Glide platform with an integrated gaiter for desert stage races.
Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide 2
302 g / 10.7 oz · 41 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $250
Max-stack ultra racer with a pressure-diffusing relieveSPHERE outsole.
New Balance Fresh Foam X Garoe
300 g / 10.6 oz · 36 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $130
Comfortable mid-price trail trainer with a roomy fit.