Types of New Balance Fresh Foam Shoes [Differences Explained]


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There is a wide range of New Balance Fresh Foam shoes on the market today. If you are searching for a Fresh Foam running shoe, quickly, here’s what you need to know:

  • New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 – In my opinion, this is the most comfortable option. Max cushioning under the foot with squishy midsole. Neutral, 8mm drop. Lightweight upper. If you prefer support, 860 will be better. Click here to view the New Balance 1080 at NewBalance.com.
  • New Balance Fresh Foam 880 – My choice for second most comfortable. Provides “sink-in” squishy comfort under foot. Neutral runner, with 10mm drop. Click here to view the New Balance 1080 (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
  • New Balance Fresh Foam 860 – This option is more supportive than 880 and 1080, but not as soft under the foot. Still, very comfortable, but not squishy. Medial post for stability. 10mm drop. Click here to view the New Balance 860 at NewBalance.com.
  • New Balance Fresh Foam Roav – This option is more breathable than other options. Very lightweight, with squishy comfort under foot, but not as squishy as 1080. Neutral, with 8mm drop. Click here to view the New Balance Roav (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
  • New Balance Fresh Foam More – Comes in both a road and trail version. Thick, oversized foam midsole with breathable lightweight upper. Comfortable, but not as squishy as 1080. Neutral with 4mm drop. Click here to view the New Balance Fresh Foam More at NewBalance.com.
  • New Balance Fresh Foam Tempo – Low profile design. Neutral. Very comfortable under the foot, but with a bit more stability than other neutral options. Stretch, breathable upper. Made with a 6mm drop. Click here to learn more about this shoe.
  • New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo – Has a large midsole, but is sort of a mix between cushioned comfort and support. Soft under forefoot, a bit more support near heel. Made with medial post. 8mm drop. Click here to learn more about this shoe.
  • New Balance Fresh Foam 680 – New Balance markets this shoe as a good running shoe for beginners. It is a road/indoor running shoe with good cushioning, but not as much cushioning as the 1080. High drop. Click here to read more about this shoe.

In this article, let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular New Balance Fresh Foam shoes so you can find an option that fits your needs.

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080

How it Responds on My Foot

This is how the 1080v12 New Balance Fresh Foam Shoes respond on my foot:

This New Balance shoe provides max cushioning under both the heel and forefoot. The upper is lightweight and breathable.

Flexibility

This shoe is very flexible and responsive. In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible this shoe is:

Details

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 is a neutral road runner with 8mm drop. I found my size 12 men’s shoe to weigh 12.32 ounces per shoe.

The upper is breathable, but it wasn’t the most breathable option (Roav).

new-balance-fresh-foam-shoes

Sizing

The 1080 fits within the realm of true-to-size for most people. However, when I compared it to other options with side-by-side sizing photos, I found it to fit just a little bit longer. This is where you can see the sizing photos I took for the 1080.


New Balance Fresh Foam 880

How it Responds on My Foot

This is how the 880v12 New Balance Fresh Foam shoes respond on my foot:

This shoe provides max cushioning under both the heel and forefoot. Although it is very comfortable, I thought the 1080 provided just a little bit more cushioning (880 has larger drop).

Flexibility

This shoe is very flexible and responsive. In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible this shoe is:

Details

New Balance Fresh Foam 880 is a neutral road runner with 10mm drop. I found my size 12 men’s shoe to weigh 12.48 ounces per shoe.

The upper is breathable, but it wasn’t the most breathable option.

new-balance-880-on-foot

Sizing

The 880 fits true to size for more people. I ordered my normal sizing and it fit comfortably. This is where you can see the side-by-side comparison sizing photos I took for the 880.


New Balance Fresh Foam 860

How it Responds on My Foot

This is how the 860v12 New Balance Fresh Foam shoes respond on my foot:

This shoe is not as squishy under the foot as the 1080 and the 880 (New Balance 860 vs 880). Yes, it is still comfortable to wear, but it is built more for support. It has a medial post in the heel for stability.

Flexibility

Even though this shoe is built for support, it is still flexible. In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible this shoe is:

Details

New Balance Fresh Foam 860 is a supportive road runner with 10mm drop. I found my size 12 men’s shoe to weigh 13.28 ounces per shoe.

new-balance-860-on-foot

Sizing

The 860 fits true to size for more people. I ordered my normal sizing and it fit comfortably. This is where you can see the side-by-side comparison sizing photos I took for the 860.


New Balance Fresh Foam Roav

How it Responds on My Foot

This is how the Roav v2 New Balance Fresh Foam shoes respond on my foot:

This shoe is soft under the foot, but not as squishy as the 1080 or the 880. But one thing that stands out about this shoe is it has a more breathable upper than the 1080 or 880, and it is extremely flexible.

Flexibility

This shoe is very flexible and responsive. I think it is probably the most flexible New Balance Fresh Foam shoe that I tried. In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible this shoe is:

Details

New Balance Fresh Foam Roav is a neutral road runner with 8mm drop. I found my size 12 men’s shoe to weigh 9.76 ounces per shoe.

The upper on this shoe is very lightweight and breathable. To help you understand how breathable this shoe is, when I hold mine up to the light, you can see light passing through:

new-balance-roav-breathable-material

Sizing

Although the Roav fits true to size for more people, some people find that the toe box is a bit snug.

new-balance-roav-on-foot

I would recommend you visit my Roav sizing guide for more information. This is where you can see the side-by-side comparison sizing photos I took for the Roav.


New Balance Fresh Foam Cruz

How it Responds on My Foot

This is how the Cruz v1 New Balance Fresh Foam shoes respond on my foot:

This shoe is soft under the foot, but not as squishy as the 1080 or the 880. The thing that makes this shoe very unique is it is made with a stretch-knit upper that fits snug against the foot almost like a thick sock.

Flexibility

This shoe is very flexible and responsive. In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible this shoe is:

Details

New Balance Fresh Foam Cruz is a neutral road runner with 8mm drop. I found my size 12 men’s shoe to weigh 11.04 ounces per shoe.

The upper on this shoe is very lightweight and breathable. Again, the material is stretchable, but it does fit snug:

new-balance-cruz-on-foot

Sizing

The New Balance Fresh Foam Cruz have a snug design that I found to run a bit small. I would recommend you visit my Cruz sizing guide for more information. This is where you can see the side-by-side comparison sizing photos I took for the Cruz.


New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi

How it Responds on My Foot

This is how the Arishi v3 New Balance Fresh Foam shoes respond on my foot:

This shoe is soft under the foot, but not as squishy as the 1080 or the 880. This shoe has a very comfortable fit and has a lower profile than other options.

Flexibility

This shoe is very flexible and responsive. I thought this shoe, or the Roav, was the most flexible New Balance Fresh Foam shoe that I tried. In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible this shoe is:

Details

My New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v3 is a neutral road runner with 8mm drop. This shoe does also come in a trail version. I found my size 12 men’s shoe to weigh 10.40 ounces per shoe, making it one of the most lightweight options.

The upper on this shoe is very lightweight and breathable.

new-balance-fresh-foam-arishi-material

Sizing

The New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi fits true to size for most people. I ordered my normal sizing and they fit comfortably. This is where you can see the side-by-side comparison sizing photos I took for the Arishi.


New Balance Fresh Foam More

How it Responds on My Foot

This is how the More v3 New Balance Fresh Foam shoes respond on my foot:

This shoe is soft under the foot, but not as squishy as the 1080 or the 880. It has a larger, more exaggerated midsole.

Flexibility

This shoe is very flexible, but I found it wasn’t as “twistable” as other options. In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible this shoe is:

Details

My New Balance Fresh Foam More v3 is a neutral road runner with a low 4mm drop. This shoe does also come in a trail version. I found my size 12 men’s shoe to weigh 11.04 ounces per shoe.

The upper on this shoe is very lightweight and breathable.

new-balance-fresh-foam-more-on-foot

Sizing

The New Balance Fresh Foam More fits true to size for most people. I ordered my normal sizing and they fit comfortably. This is where you can see the side-by-side comparison sizing photos I took for the Fresh Foam More.


New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro

How it Responds on My Foot

This is how the Hierro v7 New Balance Fresh Foam shoes respond on my foot:

This shoe is soft under the foot, and one of the softest trail shoes I have tried. Because it is a trail running shoe, it has a more aggressive outsole.

Flexibility

This shoe is very flexible and responsive. In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible this shoe is:

Details

My New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v7 is a trail shoe with 8mm drop. I found my size 12 men’s shoe to weigh 11.84 ounces per shoe.

The upper on this shoe is very lightweight and breathable.

new-balance-fresh-foam-hierro-material

Sizing

The New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro fits true to size for most people. I ordered my normal sizing and they fit comfortably. This is where you can see the side-by-side comparison sizing photos I took for the Fresh Foam Hierro.


Alternatives to New Balance Fresh Foam Shoes

New Balance offers many other running shoes besides just the Fresh Foam series. They offer other max-cushion neutral runners and max-support stable runners.

For example, one of the most comfortable options I tried was the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2. In the video below, you can see how soft it is under the foot:

It was also the most flexible, most lightweight, and most breathable New Balance running shoe that I tried.

New Balance also offers a wide range of supportive runners. A good example of this is the New Balance 1540v3, which has New Balances’s ROLLBAR technology for support and stability in the heel. Here’s how the 1540 responds on my foot:

The 1540 will provide more support and stability than any of the New Balance Fresh Foam Shoes (but it won’t be as breathable and it is heavier).

Here’s what you need to know about some of the best alternatives to New Balance Fresh Foam shoes:

  • New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 – Very soft under the foot. This was the most lightweight and most breathable New Balance running shoe that I tried. Click here to read more.

Which New Balance Fresh Foam Shoes Are Right for You

The most comfortable option – I found the 1080 and 880 to provide the most cushioning under the foot. Both provide that “squishy” feeling under the heel and forefoot. Click here to read more.

The most supportive option – I found the 860 to be the most supportive. It is a nice blend of comfort and stability. However, if you need premium support and stability, none of these Fresh Foam shoes offer as much support as the New Balance 1540v3. Click here to read more.

The most lightweight, breathable option – The New Balance Fresh Foam Roav was the most breathable and most lightweight option that I tried. Click here to read more.

The best for trail running – I like the Hierro v7 New Balance Fresh Foam Shoes for trail running (click here to read more). It is very soft under the foot, but still provides needed stability. The Arishi and More also come in a trail version.

Paul Johnson

Paul is a lead content creator for Workwear Command. He has had several blue-collar jobs which have provided him a wide range of experience with tools and gear. He also has a business degree and has spent time in business casual office settings.

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