In production · road · Daily / Long run · $180
New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v14 GTX: 31 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 261 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for daily, long run, at a target pace of 7:30–10:00 /mi on road.
The midsole is Fresh Foam, tuned firm (2/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 31 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 8 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. The forefoot flexes easily, so the shoe adapts to slower, shorter strides. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
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 $0.45 per mile at $180.
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
257 g / 9.1 oz
18 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
31 mm
5 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$180
20 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
2 / 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.
New Balance Fresh Foam 680 v9
259 g / 9.1 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110
New Balance Fresh Foam 680 v9: 30 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 258 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Brooks Revel 8
246 g / 8.7 oz · 32 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
Brooks Revel 8: 32 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 244 g — specs from independent lab testing.
New Balance Fresh Foam Roav V2
238 g / 8.4 oz · 32 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
New Balance Fresh Foam Roav V2: 32 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 238 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Nike Rival Fly 4
235 g / 8.3 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
Firm, low and cheap — the no-frills speedwork trainer.