Discontinued · road · Recovery / Long run · $145
Earlier generation of the New Balance Fresh Foam More v3 line, kept for replacement lookups.
Built for recovery, 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 Fresh Foam More v5.
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. At 43 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 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 rocker is moderate — enough curve to smooth the roll-through without dictating your footstrike. 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 500 miles from the outsole, about $0.29 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
43 mm
7 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
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 taller than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
New Balance Fresh Foam More v5(2024)
303 g / 10.7 oz · 43 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $165
Max-stack, wide-platform cruiser for the softest possible easy miles.
Hoka Bondi 10(2026)
305 g / 10.8 oz · 43 mm · 5 mm drop · — · $175
Maximum cushion, maximum forgiveness — the recovery-day default.
Hoka Bondi 9(2024)
297 g / 10.5 oz · 43 mm · 5 mm drop · — · $170
Maximum foam under everything. Recovery-day armchair with a wide platform.
New Balance Fresh Foam X More v6
306 g / 10.8 oz · 44 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $165
Maximal Fresh Foam slab for the softest easy days.