The New Balance 1080v14 is a daily shoe built for comfort and accessibility. In the previous version of the shoe, New Balance modified the Fresh Foam X midsole to be noticeably softer, but with that came a dip in the stability and versatility of the shoe. The 1080v14 addresses that with a slightly firmer version of the foam and the overall midsole geometry.
The Novablast 4 sees some big changes from the previous version. The biggest of those is the new FF BLAST ECO PLUS foam that aims to provide a softer ride with more energy return when you want to pick up the pace. There’s also an updated shoe geometry that combines the trampoline-inspired midsole with a higher stack of midsole foam.
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Hey Tommy from the in testers in this Video we are going to be doing a Comparison of two quite popular daily Shoes the new Balan 1080 v14 and the aex Nova blast 4 let's take a [Music] Look the New Balance 1080 v14 costs £60 Or $164.99 it weighs 287 G or 10.1 o for Men in a size 8 and the drop is 6 mm the A6 Nova blast 4 costs £135 or $140 it Weighs 256 G or 9 oz for men in a size 8 And the drop is 8 [Music] Mm the New Balance 108 v14 is a daily Shoe built for comfort and accessibility In the previous version of the shoe New Balance modified the fresh FX midsole to Be noticeably softer but with that came A dip in the stability and the Versatility of the shoe the Tennesse v14 Addresses is that with a slightly firmer Version of the foam and the overall Midsole geometry in addition there's an Updated engineered mesh upper to improve The fits and provide better Breathability that also includes a good Level of padding as well as a soft Gusseted tongue on the outsole is a Modest layer of rubber across the key Areas of the shoe although this doesn't Cover the full length of the Midol foam The Nova blast 4 sees some big changes From the previous version the biggest of
Those is the new FF blast Eco plus foam That aims to provide a softer ride with More energy return when you want to pick Up the pace there's also an updated shoe Geometry that combines the trampoline Inspired midsole with a higher stack of Midsole foam there's an engineered waven Mesh upper offers a plush fit as well as Plenty of breathability and flexibility As well as a gusseted tongue to prevent Slip and there's a healthy covering of Ahart outso rubber across the shoe to Improve grip and [Music] Durability so in terms of fit with the Nova blast 4 and the 1080 v14 I've had Both in a UK size 8 that is my typical Running shoe size now what I would say About New Balance is shoes I do have Some slight differences in terms of that Sizing sometimes I need to go half size Up sometimes I need to go full size up And that's kind of what I've seen in my Experience now with the 1080 V4 it feels Like a more true to size shoe for me and Having in a size eight has been Absolutely fine I think with uh kind of Aex shoes in general it's a bit more Consistent in terms of that sizing and That's kind of what I would say about The Nova blast 4 in a size eight feels Absolutely fine for me and the fit has Been very good so I think in general the Fit has been very good for me on both of
These shoes I think there are some Slight differences in terms of Experience or how they kind of fit I Think that's really down to the nature Of the uppers I think with the Nova Blast 4 I think the upper feels like it Fits a little bit more snug where I Think the um the 1080 v14 I think the Upper generally offers a little bit more Room around your foot maybe doesn't lock In in the same way and it really is About being a bit more accommodating in En now what I would say about the 1080 V14 it has more I think more traditional Shoe kind of qualities in terms of the Kind of tongue the padding um just being A very kind of unfussy shoe to get on I Think it's slightly different with the Nova blast 4 it's got a slightly Different tongue the kind of makeup of The Hill kind of color encounter is Slightly different I think ultimately it Has been very comfortable for me just in A very different way so I think yeah the Main thing for me is in terms of their Fits I think I think for me they are Very much true to size I think the 1080 V14 is very traditional in terms of that Fit you know not sucking or kind of you Know really kind of sitting very closely To a foot and really make sure you've Got that good level of room and support In the right places the NOA blast 4 Definitely justes slit a little bit more
Snug maybe slightly narrow in terms of That midfoot um maybe it's locking Things a little bit more but ultimately There's not a huge amount in it and I Think going through size should be Absolutely fine for most people so the Fit for me in these two shoes pretty Similar actually um I found them both to Be very very comfortable shoes I'm size 8 in the UK the New Balance 1080 v14 it Is a shoe pretty much designed to be Accessible it has fairly roomy toe box It doesn't have a restrictive midfoot um And it just feels very comfortable from The off I really like the upper on the Uh 1080 v14 it's got this nice level of Padding it's not too padded doesn't feel Too chunky um but it does feel like it's Got a nice level of comfort in this shoe So I definitely stayed my size in the 1080 v14 the Nova blast 4 I've had a few Issues the previous versions of the Nova Blast where the fit disc didn't quite Work for me early versions were a little Bit narrow um but the Nova blast 4 I've Just found to be very comfortable it Seems like they've added a little bit More comfort in the for foot of this Shoe and I found it to be um a great Shoe to wear in my UK Size8 okay so these are two shoes that You might be looking for if you want a Daily training shoe uh to complement Your other shoes in your collection or
It might be that you're just looking for One shoe to do all of your running in And these are both uses designed for That essentially they're um comfortable Daily Cruisers plenty of cushioning in Them um quite well balanced midsoles Neither of them is particularly soft um So they're they're pretty good for Pretty much anybody who's looking for a Solid comfortable daily training shoe I'll start with the 1080 v14 now um 1080 Range has changed quite a lot over the Past few versions The 1080 v133 Massively uh softened up from the pre Versions I wasn't a massive fan of the 11 and 12 I just found them to be a Little bit too firm and just didn't have A lot of life in them for me they were Fine a lot of Runners like them as quite An accessible shoe that wasn't too soft Um but I like a soft shoe and I like a Shoe that is really squishy for easy Days really comfortable and the tensy V13 was that for me I really enjoyed That shoe definitely a massive Improvement for me on the the version 12 Um but uh that not Everyone likes really Soft squishy shoes one of the the Reasons that people like the 108 range Was that it was accessible for a lot of People so you could buy it if you liked Slightly soft shoes you could buy it if You like slightly firm shoes it sort of S sat in the middle there and ticked a
Lot of boxes whereas the 10n v13 was a Little bit polarizing and some people Just didn't like the softness of it so The T8 v13 um it it removes a little bit Of that softness it's a little bit Firmer it's not massively firm shoe it's A little bit more balanced than uh the 108 v13 and as a result it's a bit more Stable as well cuz that's one of the Things that people said that they lost With the 1080 v13 because of that Softness and that squishiness you lost a Bit of the stability as well and Obviously Sho Brands don't want you Losing stability because people need Stability sometimes um so uh the result Is this which is sort of a combination Of the 13 and the 12 so you get a little Bit of softness in that midsole but it's Not really really soft like the 13 um And I think it's a really good shoe uh I Think it's a a lot more accessible for People than the v13 is I prefer the v13 To the v14 cuz I really like soft shoes But I know that's not the case for Everyone uh and possibly new runners or Runners that just want a shoe to use for Everything probably don't want a really Really soft shoe because the B13 was Pretty limited to easy runs I would Never use it for a faster run interval Session or anything like that just Because it didn't have any Responsiveness uh in the midsole whereas
The new version is a little bit more Responsive and you you can pick up the Pace a bit more it's not by no means a Versatile shoe I wouldn't use this for All of my training but it's definitely a Shoe that you can run a bit faster in Than the v13 Uh now the Nova blast 4 big fan of Nova Blast 4 actually I uh the Nova blast one Was one of the most surprising shoes I Ever tested because um I wasn't sure I Was going to like it when I got it and I Absolutely love that shoe I thought it Felt really bouncy love the soft Mido That still had loads of Nur return in it Um I know some people didn't like that Shoe but it really worked for me uh and I wasn't a fan of the Nova Blast 2 and Three just didn't get on with those Shoes they just felt like it lost some Of the enjoyment of that first shoe uh And just never W them for anything no Blast 4 um goes back to it a little bit More to the first version but also mixes It with the the the positive elements That people liked from the the second Two versions so a bit more stability um But still it's just it's got a bit more To it it's not the bounce issue in the World but it definitely does have a good Level of Bounce and energy return in it For those daily runs uh and all in all It's I it's got a lot of cushioning in It but it's not a really soft cushioning
So you can still pick up the pace quite A bit in it uh and I'd even say it's Probably a bit B more versatile than the 1080 v14 I definitely used the Nova Blast 4 if I was going out for an Interval session and I didn't have any Other the shoes over the 108 v14 because It just feels like it's got a little bit More pop in it and it's just got a nicer Rocker action to it as well so um They're very similar shoes in a lot of Ways but I think it really comes down to That that bit of Versatility you get From the NOA blast 4 I just enjoy Running this shoe more if I'm going to Go a bit faster um and in many ways it It took it's taken learnings from the Super blast as well so uh the ride is It's not really comparable with a super Blast because and super Blast 2 um it's Not as fast it's not as great at Tempo Sessions or anything but it does feel a Little bit like that shoe and you can Definitely see that aex has leared from Their development of the super blast and Used some of that in the Nova blast 4 as Well other thing to say about these Shoes is that the outsole is pretty Similar on both of them it's not the Most amazing outsole in the world um the There's open bits of midsole on the out Soole so they're not massively covered With um really grippy outside rubber but They're absolutely fine I've had no
Issues at all in either of the shoes When it comes to gripping on wet Surfaces or anything like that uh Absolutely solid and the midsoles that Um they have seem to wear quite well Against um uh the on the sections that Haven't got rubber uh on them so it Seems to be a fairly hard wearing Midol On both of these sh shoes as well so in Terms of my running time with these two Shoes what I would say is these are very Solid daily trainer shoes these are the Type of shoes if it's just one shoe you Have that you kind of turn to for all of Your runs these are absolute shoes that Can do that they're good for kind of Ticking off that kind of mileage and you Know if you're training for a marathon Um I think they are they have some Versatility to them as well too I think Probably one more so than the other but In very you know there's definitely some Overlap but I do think there's some Differences as well too that may you Know appeal to a certain type of person That wants a certain type of daily Trainer style shoe now I'll start with The new B 1080 v14 which is the shoe That I've tested more recently and is a Bit of a departure from that kind of Kind of really plush kind of super light Um kind of cushion shoe that we've got In the 1080 v13 very much felt like a Easy kind of recovery Day star shoe one
That I found I could run more moderate Places in I don't think everyone found They could do that but that's kind of What I got from it I think with the 1080 V14 as a daily trainer I think it really Prioritizes that kind of protection I Think that Comfort being very consistent And stable um and I think ultim what That does it makes it you know again Best suited for those kind of easy Paces Can handle that moderate Pace as well And you've got kind of a a nice rocker In there it's not too kind of prominent It's just enough there to kind of gently Kind of push you and P you forward a Little bit um I think UL you're getting Here is a shoe now that is a better Shooter run longer in compared to the 1080 v13 and I think that's a quality That it has over the Nova Bloss 4 I Think that the Nova BL 4 is Absolut you Can run longer in as well too but I Think the 1080 v14 is probably better Equipped for that I think no blast four I think in my experience is a shoe that Can work for those easy recovery runs as Well too but in terms of you're getting In terms of that fit in terms of what Aex is done with its midsole and the Midsole um f that you're getting an IT Shoe it definitely feels a little bit More it has a bit more of a responsive Edge to it it definitely feels more Comfortable at more uptempo paces and I
Think if you're looking for a daily Trainer that can handle a kind of a Mixture of runs and definitely get up to Those more uptempo speeds and absolutely That is a shoe that can do that Particularly compared to the 1080 v14 That's kind of being my experience with That shoe I think in terms of as I said ABS you can run long in that shoe I Think the 1080 v14 is probably better Suited to that type of running but if You're looking for a daily Trainer shoe That can handle recovery Paces easy Paces but let allow you within that run To up that Tempo no blast 4 feels better Equipped to do that at least it does Kind of in my experience ter of Durability you know I think there's Probably not a huge amount in it these As I said these are daily trainer shoes Designed to soak up a lot of your Running time I feel well equipped to do That I think maybe you're going to get a Little bit more out of the 1080 v14 I Think there's a little bit more rubber There ultimately I think you're going to Get a bit more durability that's kind of It's not a huge amount on the Nova blast 4 and I think that maybe you know might Sway it if you want that kind of extra Durability but yeah ultim I think they Are going to be well equipped to handle A lot of your kind of running time but I Think UL maybe that makes 1080 v14 a
Better shoe to kind of run a little bit Longer in uh but gripping traction wise I think you know maybe the 1080 Point Has a slight Edge but I don't think There's a huge amount in it so yeah for Me two very good daily trainer shoes a Bit of overlap in terms of types of runs But I think ultimately the Nova blast 4 Has a more Up Tempo Edge to it I think The 1080 v14 has a more protective Comfortable kind of um kind of angle to It and definitely feels like it's more Suited to longer runs particularly Compared to the 1080 V13 okay so my take on whether you Should go for the Nova blast 4 or the New Balance 1080 V 14 now my take is That I think these are daily trainer Shoes kind of cushion daily trainer Shoes that have slightly different Profiles I think they are both good in Their own right I think it really Depends on what you want from a daily Trainer I think if you want a daily Trainer that can have you know a good Range of Versatility in terms of types Of runs you can use it for particularly For kind of slightly faster runs or Modate to faster Paces then I think the NOA flast 4 is the shoe you're going to Go for and ultimately that is the shoe If I had to pick you know being one Daily trainer that I could use you know For a lot of runs that's probably the
Shoe I'd go for I think the New Balance 1080 v14 I think ultimately is a very Comfortable kind of consistent kind of Shoe to run in again I think it's Probably a better shoe to run longer in Does it have the same well factor that I Think you know it has that new the Nova Blast 4 has in terms of those kind of Quicker Paces I don't think it does but There is a lot to like about it still And I think maybe it's got a little bit More in terms of the durability side of Things but if it was me and I had to Pick between these two shoes knowing That I want a shoe that's going to Handle a mixture of runs I would be Going for the NOA blast 4 it's slightly Cheaper as well too and as I said if you Want a standout kind of daily trainer That is versatile you know feels nice to Run a little bit quicker but also ease Off the no blast war is one I would be Going for okay my verdict on these two Shoes is fairly easy one actually um I If this was between the ten v13 and the Nova blast 4 I'd probably go for the Teny v13 cuz I really like the softness In that shoe shoe but these this is a Different shoe it's 10 v14 is is a Notable difference from the v13 uh and As a result I would go for the no blast 4 um just because while one it just has A little bit more energy in it in it it Just feels a little bit better for those
Faster sessions I don't think it's by Any means the best uh versatile shoe out There if you wanted to get a daily Trainer that you going to use largely For Interval sessions and faster Sessions I wouldn't say get the no blast 4 but if you're a runner who just wants One pair of shoes or you want a daily Trainer just just clock off miles and Sometimes you might want to run a bit Faster node 4 is a good option for that Whereas the tenness v14 it's more of a Easy day shoe for me but that can do a Little bit more but I'd definitely go For the no BL 4 if I was doing faster Sessions or running slightly faster Occasionally um the other thing I'd say Between these two is the price so no Blast 4 comes in in the UK about30 Cheaper than the 1080 v14 which is quite A big difference in price for a shoe That I actually prefer so i' definitely Go for the no blast for um on that Account as well um so yeah going no Blast for all the way between these two Shoes that's it from us on this versus Thanks a lot for watching don't forget To like subscribe click that little bell And if you're going to to catch B you Can find into our podcast which comes Out a couple of times each month thanks A lot for watching catch you next time [Music]
