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New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 review

9 expert score
9 user's score
As editorial policy, we do not accept free samples. We purchased this pair at Running Warehouse with our own money.
Review written on 29th November by Larry Lam Larry runs since high school any distance up to 50k.
14 other reviews

New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 Verdict

The New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 is a highly cushioned daily trainer that will feel soft and bouncy on your feet. It’s a great all-around shoe that can handle high mileage along with the occasional speedier runs.

The pros

  • High cushioning
  • Comfortable and bouncy ride
  • Soft upper

The cons

  • Not stable

Where to buy

Best offers today in Hong Kong, all prices in AUD

Rating breakdown

Comfort
10
Build quality
10
Upper
10
Sole unit
10
Landing
9.0
Transition
9.0
Toe-off
9.0
Traction
10
Durability
9.0
Value / Price
8.0

Facts / Specs

Model
Fresh Foam X 1080 v13
Family
Previous model
Weight
9.2 oz (261 g)
MSRP
A$165.00

Heel
37 mm.
Toe
31 mm.
Heel drop
6 mm.
Carbon plate
No plate

Size/Fit

Sizing
True to size
Heel fit
Normal
Midfoot fit
Normal
Toebox fit
Normal

Cushioning & ride

Type of cushioning
Plush
Amount of cushioning
Highly cushioned
Stability
Not particularly stable
Flexibility
Medium

Usage

Racing
Speedwork
Daily training  
Long distance racing
Ultra distance racing

Who should buy the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 ?

This is a shoe for just about any runner. If you’re looking for a daily trainer that can handle just about any kind of run than look no further.

Who should not buy the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 ?

The only person that might not like this shoe is someone who is looking for a some stability. This is a shoe that has very little stability to it so it can make you feel a little unsettled on uneven terrain or tight turns.

New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 Introduction

The New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 is a daily trainer with a high amount of cushioning from New Balance’s Fresh Foam technology.

The Fresh Foam X technology is made for high amounts of cushion while also giving it a bouncy feel to help provide a smooth transition.

This is a shoe that compares to the Asics Gel-Nimbus 25, Puma Magnify Nitro 2, Brooks Ghost Max, and Skechers Max Road 6.

All of these are the brand’s high cushion shoe that doubles as a daily trainer. At $165, it’s price is right in line with many of the options from the other brands.

New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 First Impressions

Picture of New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13

When first taking this shoe out of the box, I couldn’t help but notice how light it felt even though there was a fairly thick midsole.

When I first put it on my feet, it really felt like I was walking on clouds. My first run in the shoe was a fartlek workout. I felt like I was bouncing during the faster parts of the run while gliding comfortably during my easier parts of the run.

The shoe handles high mileage with ease and is also a great recovery shoe. I used this shoe on my first few runs post-marathon and my legs were thankful for the soft ride.

New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 Upper

Picture of New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13


The construction of the upper on this shoe is great.

The tongue and heel collar feel very soft and neither created any issues with hot spots or blisters for me. The tongue is gusseted (i.e. attached) and the heel collar is padded.

The laces were fine and never came undone when tied with a single knot. The whole upper is made of a soft knit mesh that is very breathable yet can handle some of the colder air. The shoe fit true to size for me with plenty of room in the toe box without making it too roomy.

New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 Sole Unit

Picture of New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13

The midsole is the feature element of this shoe with the Fresh Foam X technology. There is a thicker midsole than in v12. The heel drop in v12 was 8mm and this version it is now 6mm.

Because of the change in foam, this version is lighter than the previous iteration as well – a weight difference that feels notable. As noted earlier, you will feel the bounce on this shoe throughout your run while also feeling you’re riding on a cloud with the soft underfoot.

There is a rocker technology that New Balance has added to this shoe to help with the ride. The shoe has a stiffer forefoot which is supposed to help with a faster transition from heel to toe. It was noticeable when running as easy runs feel easier while some of those faster runs also seemed like a good ride.

Picture of New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13

The traction on the outsole is good even in slick conditions. Running in the rain a few times never seemed to raise any concerns on my part. The only parts of the sole that were uncomfortable was the stability of the shoe. I never felt comfortable taking tight turns quickly.

I also had difficulty during some of my single leg warmup moves. I typically have decent balance but felt like I was working much harder while wearing this shoe.

New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 Conclusions

Picture of New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13

The New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 is a great daily trainer that will remain a part of my rotation.

While I think it can be used for nearly any type of run, I will mostly use it for easy and recovery runs and some of my longer runs.

I will likely avoid using it for any tempo runs, speed workouts, or fast-finishing long runs.

I don’t think it’s the best shoe for it but I do think there are plenty of folks where this shoe can be everything for you.

I can even imagine enough folks using this for their first marathon to keep their feet happy.

How does the Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 compare?

Asics Gel-Nimbus 25
New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13
Brooks Ghost Max
Expert score
8
9
8
User score
Retail price
US$160
US$164.95
US$150
Weight
10.2 oz
9.2 oz
10 oz
Heel Drop
8 mm
6 mm
6 mm
Recommended for
Daily training, long distance racing
Daily training
Daily training
Cushioning type
balanced/plush
plush
balanced
Cushioning amount
Highly cushioned
Highly cushioned
Highly cushioned
Flexibility
medium
medium
medium
Stability
very stable
not particularly stable
very stable
Sizing
buy half size bigger
true to size
true to size

Why you can trust us

As editorial policy, we do not accept free samples from companies.
We purchased this pair of New Balance at Running Warehouse  with our own money.

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our policy.
Lowest price:

A$259

New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 price comparison

Best offers today in Hong Kong, all prices in AUD

Reviewed by Larry

This review was written by Larry Lam on 29th November.
Larry lives outside of Raleigh, NC with his wife, 3 kids, and his dog. He's been running since high school and loves pretty much any distance up to the 50k. Larry enjoys running for both fun and competition - in that order. Outside of running, Larry chauffeurs his kids around to their various exploits - soccer, swimming, track, dance, music, etc.

User feedback (1)

  • avatar-comment-1034299
    John
    7 months ago
    9 score

    Most comfortable running shoes I’ve ever had. I’ve been running over 40 years, low-key, though I did run the Portland Marathon in 2005. Long runs, easy days. Soft without being too plush, and has good rocker toe-off. Not intended for speed days, but still lively. A 10 rating would be for a shoe that excels at everything, not sure how many there are of those!

Lowest price:
A$259

Where to buy

Best offers today in Hong Kong, all prices in AUD

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