In production · road · Tempo / Daily · $140
New Balance Fresh Foam X Tempo v2: 28 mm heel stack, 6 mm drop, 244 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for tempo, daily, at a target pace of 6:30–8:30 /mi on road.
The midsole is Fresh Foam, tuned firm (2/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. 28 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as snappy at 4/5 responsiveness.
A nylon (or PEBA-blend) plate adds structure without the harsh stiffness of carbon. You get a firmer, more propulsive toe-off that still flexes at slower paces, which is why nylon-plated shoes double as workout and long-run shoes rather than race-day-only tools.
A 6 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 $0.35 per mile at $140.
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
260 g / 9.2 oz
15 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
28 mm
8 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
6 mm
Level with the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$140
20 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
2 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 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.
On Cloudmonster Void
288 g / 10.2 oz · 30 mm · 6 mm drop · Nylon · $180
On Cloudmonster Void: 30 mm heel stack, 6 mm drop, 289 g — specs from independent lab testing.
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.
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.
On Cloudswift 4
278 g / 9.8 oz · 31 mm · 8 mm drop · Nylon · $170
On Cloudswift 4: 31 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 291 g — specs from independent lab testing.