The New Balance 1080 is designed to bring buckets loads of comfort to your easier daily training miles. Over the past few generations, this shoe has gone through a few gear changes, moving from firmer to softer. And with the new New Balance 1080v14, some of the stiffer, snappier resilience seems to have returned. So if you’ve been wondering: is the new New Balance 1080v14 better than than 1080v13 – or better suited to your running – you’re in the right place. Hit play for our New Balance 1080v14 vs 1080v13 review.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:32 – Details: Drop, Stack Height, Weight, Price
1:07 – Shoe Comparison: 1080v14 vs 1080v13
2:21 – The Run Test
13:38 – Verdict
18:26 – How’s the fit?
22:18 – Now watch this: 1080v14 review
Hey people welcome to the Run testers Now the New Balance 1080 is designed to Bring bucket loads of comfort to your Easier daily training miles and over the Past few Generations this shoe has gone Through a few gear changes moved from Firmer to softer and with the new New Balance 1080 v14 some of the stiffer Snappiness seems to have returned so if You've been wondering if the New Balance 108 v14 is better or better suited to Your running than the previous gen the New Balance 1080 v13 well you're in the Right place cuz we're about to tell you Let's get into it First up the key details then and the 1080 v14 stack height retains the same 38 32 mil wedge of fresh foam X across The mids salt and the same 6 mil drop That we got on the 1080 v13 when it Comes to weight the v14 has stacked on a Bit of Timber in our UK men's 8 and a Half tesoe It Now tips the scales at 10.1 o or 285 gram that compares to the B13 at 9.2 ooun or 260 gram the price Stays the same at £160 or $165 sitting Firmly in the mid-range bracket for a Daily Trainer moving on to a quick shoe whip Brown then straight out of the box the New Balan 108 v14 looks very much like The v13 has the same stack rocket Midsole mesh uppers ample padding both Shoes shout Comfort the changes to the
New balanced ten v14 are modest the main Difference comes in the midsole with Small changes to the geometry design to Improve stability and support what that Means is some increased stiffness in the Forefoot to help with toe off that Equates to a midsole that feels like It's tuned slightly firmer than it did With the v13 up top the New Balance 1080 V14 has new engineered mesh up is Designed to improve breathability but These are now More Hugging than you got With the v13 there significantly Less Flexx in the toe box making for a more Wrapped and less Airy fit overall the Heel collars and the gusted tongues Offer the same plush padding and the Lacing structure looks untouched if you Flip them over the out soole rubber has Moved from a flex Groove style grip to a Horseshoe kind of around the mid to 4 Foot and a single pad of protective Rubber in the middle of the 4ot the Rubber patches in the heels look thicker On the v14 and more durable than they Did on the V13 so sometimes shoe brands will Consistently make a a line of shoes that Is largely the same across the board These two shoes are actually really Really different um the main reason for This is the Ten v13 unlike the previous Versions of the shoe it has a new midell Foam in it which is really really soft
And that radically changes what the shoe Can be used for and um The Experience You'll get when running it it's a a much Softer midell foam so you get a very Nice comfortable ride it's really nice For easy runs really nice for Recovery Runs anything that is above that so if You you're going faster sessions if You're going to do longdistance runs I Don't use this shoe because um it just It doesn't give you anything back it's Not it's not giving you loads of energy Return it's not giving you lots of Responsiveness it's just a very very Comfortable shoe that really is one of My favorite shoes for easy day runs and Recovery runs those sorts of runs I Really like a soft shoe um but it it's Not very versatile shoe so um if you're Looking at the 10TV 13 you're really Looking at a shoe that is designed for Those those um those slower runs where You just want comfort and you're not Bothered about getting ngy return or Anything like that the ten v14 uh it has A much more balanced Midol foone so it's A bit firmer there's a bit more to it It's a bit more stability in it um it's A little bit more like the previous Versions so the 108 V12 and 11 um but There's a bit more to it as well the Mids sofam is a bit in the in between The 1080 v13 and those those older shoes That were very firm and thick um as a
Result you get a shoe that still very Very good for easy runs very very Comfortable um and really takes a lot of Boxes if you're looking for a shoe that You can do a lot of different runs in um But it's there's a bit more to it it's a Bit more responsive it's not loads of Energy return in it but it's just Because it's a bit firmer you get a bit More responsiveness and you can go a bit Fast faster in it as well um so the main These two shoes mainly come down to the Sort of run that you're doing in it I Definitely think that the 10 v14 is a Shoe that is the sort of shoe that if You just going to buy one shoe and You're going to do lots of different Types of running and you probably Weren't going to be doing loads of Intervals or race uh racing in them or Anything like that 10 v14 would be the The shoe that youd go for 10 v13 it's a Bit of an anomaly cuz it doesn't fit in With any of the older versions of the 1080 range um and it's it's more in that World of easy sessions and things like That um the outside on both of these Shoes slightly different um they've Changed the coverage on the ten v14 I Didn't notice a massive different in Neither of these shoes it's very solid Outso rubber um it's not the grippiest Around but it's pretty good for it's Pretty average that you're going to get
For most shoes I've not had any major Problems in it um but there are quite a Few exposed sections especially on the Teny v14 uh I've not seen any wear or Tear on those over about 70k running in These so it's pretty good and the the Rubber on the out outs soole is pretty Thick as well so it take a while to wear It down to get to that midso midsole Foam um but all in all pretty solid outs All on both of these shoes so onto the Run test and I think these two shoes are Quite interesting in that they show off The differences in preference is on the Run tester team at large and probably in The general running community at large As well because there's a lot of Similarities between the two shoes Obviously and on paper they have the Same foam in the midsole but as always With New Balance you get a different Feeling foam you know a different Modulation of the Fresh Foam depending On what they put in that time you the Name isn't always an indication of how a Shoe is going to feel and they do feel Quite different on the run so I do think Overall they're both pretty solid shoes That do the same kind of job as cushion Daily trainers that you know have a Little bit of Versatility but are mainly There to provide a nice comfortable ride I think they do it in quite different Ways and I certainly have a more of a
Preference for the newer 1080 v14 even Though I think probably the 1080 v13 is A little bit more popular with the Run Tester team at large anyway so OB we Tested the 1080 v13 last year when it Came out and it was the softest 1080 to Date that I've tested for sure like I Had a much squishier feeling than past Models which were all was fairly Balan Shoes quite firishta Got doing anything where I want to mix Up my Paces a bit I just found a little Bit too soft for my taste like landing At the heel I found I wasn't really Transitioning that smoothly it with the Shoe I wasn't really pushing onto my Toes well enough I didn't really get Much resiliency from the foam and I kind Of got lost in that soft foam and as a Result I found it just a bit mushy and Although I guess that's comfortable for It to be squishy it's not really what I View as comfort on the run like a Comfortable shoe to me just feels very Natural and ticks over better and that Is what the 1080 v14 does for me like You balance obviously have called it Fresh F Max again but certainly a firmer Material get a bit more resiliency gives Bit more energy return I think but just Having that slightly firmer platform to Push against I think makes the ride a Bit smoother and more controlled and Enjoyable for me uh in the 1080 v14 and
Makes it a little bit more versatile as Well I've got that platform to push Against if I do want to try and run fast And it's something I definitely notice On longer runs you know at any Pace like On an easy long run I'd rather have that Slight bit of firmness it's still a soft Shoe a comfortable shoe the 1080 v14 Want to stress that for sure we're Talking you know fine margins here but That little bit of extra resiliency you Get there I think makes it just a more Natural shoe for me to run in I get a Smoother transition from Heel To Toe it Just turns over more nicely and I kind Of forget it's on my foot a lot more Than the 1080 v13 which had a more Intrusive ride and if you really like That soft feeling that squishy feeling Like it does deliver that but I didn't Get the level of rebound I wanted from It h certainly for you know kind of like I say there's longer runs or anything at Any kind of pace however like you know That difference in ride field I think Doesn't really change the role I'd use These shoes for much I think they're Both pretty solid cushion day TR like Four quite cushion shoes they are both Reasonably lightweight and that does Mean you can maybe pick up the pace for Short periods in them but I don't really Think they're very verse style shoes I Think the 1080 v14 I think has a bit
More about it and could be used for kind Of longer sessions and maybe longer Races and if you're a newer Runner then You want something that's you know a bit More of a cushioned all rounder I think It does do that job quite well Especially as they're both quite Nimble Shoes you know even though they are high Stacks of cushioning they're not hugely High Stacks they're not really wide Bases either so you don't get the kind Of really big feeling on the foot that You do get with some cushion shoes uh so Yeah didn't really find much of a Difference in terms of their actual Performance I'd say do prefer the ride Field on the 1080 v14 in my run test so In testing I've run more than 40 miles In the New Balance 1080 v13 and the v14 That's mostly been easy plotting with Some runs up to 90 minutes and as usual I covered a mix of Road and some light Off-road River paths I also put them Through some faster pce just to see how They would coope with that as well Biggest change from the v13 to the v14 Comes from the way the midsole feels Under Foot the v14 is back to being Marginally firmer with a bit of Stiffness to the out soole and some Additional resilience I think that Smooths the transition and makes the Ride a bit more immediate there's a Quicker response with the phone
Returning faster than you got with the V13 it's perhaps ha back a bit to the Ride we got from New Balance V12 now if You really like the v13 for that Supreme Softness some of that has gone however Even with the updates the New Balance 1080 v14 still ticks all the boxes for a Plush and softer Max cushion comfort Shoe it's a very capable easyday Recovery option that definitely Rivals Shoes like the Nimbus 26 from aex or the Sakon Triumph 22 convincible 3 the Softest cush and comfort of the 1080 v13 Appeal to you you won't get quite as Much but if you wanted a little more Response then the v14 brings some of That back the softness of the New Balance 10x v13 meant I reserved it Mainly for my lowest and slowest and Easiest miles the v14 almost kicks me Out of those bottom gears but because There's a chunk of extra weight in the Shoe it still feels like a big shoe on The foot so while it's more versatile And would be a great Workhorse for a Beginner Runner I still find it a bit Limited when you sort of move up through The gears so in terms of my running time In these two shoes I would describe them As being kind of very reliable Consistent daily trainer performance There nothing particularly spectacular About either shoes but I think in terms Of being shoes that you can spend a lot
Of time in you can take off a lot of Your running mileage you know they Really kind of do tick those kind of key Boxes I think the key differences for me I think the first one would be the Weight of the two shoes the 108 v13 is The lighter of the two you know Surprisingly light for a shoe of this Kind and I think what that enables you To do at least for me is just kind of You know roll a little bit kind of Quicker in that shoe just feels a little Bit more agile a little bit more Sproutly for me compared to the 1080 v14 The 1080 v14 isn't a heavy shoe but that Is something that I have noticed or Experienced in my time between kind of Running in these two shoes I think the Other area is you what you're getting in Those Midsoles you know what that does to the Riding experience and it's not just About the Foams here it's the same foam Here but the the the feeling experience Of that foam is very different I think The 1080 V5 is noticed be the more Plusher feeling foam now it's not a Super kind of firm foam or feeling foam In the 1080 v14 but it does just feel a Little bit denser compared to the 1080 V13 I think the other thing for me is With the 1080 v13 it's you know super Plus super soft you got a nice kind of Rocker in there not too aggressive and
With that kind of lighter weight you do Roll through a little bit nicer and I Have found been able to get up up to Kind of moderate Paces for me so you Know I still think it's a shoe for kind Of relaxed easy runs but I do think for Me personally because of that kind of Lighter kind of feel I have found I've Been able to get up to slightly quicker Paces in it compared to the 1080 v14 I Think 1080 v14 I think where it takes Over from the 1080 v13 is being I think More capable over longer distances I Think the 1080 v13 what you're getting Around that Pham there's not a huge Amount to give you that kind of I think Stability I think or natural stability In that shoe which I think there's a bit More going on in the 1080 p14 and what I Found is when I've gone longer in these Shoes I think Beyond 10 11 miles the 1080 v14 has felt more comfortable to do That more protective to do that and when You know maybe your legs are tiring a Little bit more there's a little bit More going on in the 1080 v14 to kind of Counter that I think for me you know You're still getting that kind of you Know moderate bounce in that shoe you're Getting that kind of you know moderate Rocker kind of feeling in the 10814 as Well and I think you know Again in that shoe easy to moderate pace Is absolutely fine I think the key thing
For me is that when you I've gone longer In these shoes the 1080 v14 has felt More you know controlled and more stable Shoe to do that so for me yeah those are The key difference for me I think the Weight you looking at I think in terms Of the ride and the types of runs that It enables you I think particularly from Length of runs that these shoes feel More comfortable at when you look at the Outsoles there's not a huge amount in it I think you know there's maybe a little Bit more rub On the tv14 but I think you know in Terms of where Howard use them the level Of durability maybe getting a little bit More from the 1080 v14 but I don't think There's a huge amount in it for me Personally so gripping side of things It's going to be pavement and Roads Lighter trousers probably going to be Fine but I think you know you're Sticking to kind of roads and Pavements In these two shoes so yeah for me those Are the key differences for me in the 1080 v14 compared to the 1080 v13 Verdict then would I choose the 1080 v13 Or the v13 it's a tossup both are great For easy cruising miles there's loads of Comfort here and these are shoes I I Definitely recommend for beginner Runners however I personally want a shoe That's a mash up of both I want the Lighter agility of the new Balan 1080
V13 but with the extra stiffness and Immediacy from the stiffer 4 foot that You get in the v14 but if I had to Choose one shoe as a runner who prefers A firmer Snappy and more immediate ride I think it would have to be the v14 for Me if you want the softest ride go for The v13 if you want a daily train that Still soft and plush but with a bit more Stability and marginally more pop I Would say go for the v14 other shoes I'd Seriously consider that can offer Similar include the sakon ride 17 the Adidas Supernova Prima the Nike Pegasus 41 and the Puma velocity Nitro 3 to Check those out if you're looking in This area comes to my verdict I would Get the new Balan 108 v14 I prefer the Ride feel you get from it I think you Get a nicer balanced home in the mids Solar the 1080 v14 which is still soft And comfortable and certainly very good For lots of easy miles nice and Protective good for cruising along but That little bit extra resiliency and Firmness you have there just means the Eye transition a bit better from Heel To Toe in that shoe find it easier to tick Over in the shoe and yeah like I say Having that fir mile to push against Gives me a bit more rebound I think it's A slightly more versatile shoe as a Result one that is a bit more Comfortable at PACE even though I think
It mainly excels just as those easy runs Or again I like that slightly more Resilient phone because I tick through And I kind of forget about the shoe on My foot if you do just want the softest Shoe a really cushy shoe on the foot the V13 does do that I just think it lacks a Bit of rebound which which means I Didn't get on with it that well when I Was looking at longer runs in particular Might get a good deal on 10 v13 now like I would say if you really like that more Resilient feeling it wouldn't be the Shoe I'd go for in deals you probably Can find shoes like the Brooks Glycerin 21 or some like the aex Gel Nimbus lines Which are you cushion shoes with a Slightly firmer feeling that might suit You a bit better but when it comes to This versus in particular it does come Down to you how you want that midell to Feel and I prefer the slightly more Resiliant feel off the 108 b14 so my Verdict on these two shoes it's pretty Easy if you classify them differently so If you were looking for a daily trainer That you could do all loads of different Runs in you could do easy runs you could Do long runs maybe you're a runner that Only wants one pair of shoes and you're Looking to do some races but maybe not Really fast ones where you're trying to Get you know sub three Marathon or Something like that you're just going to
To maybe um do some of your first races Tv14 is a really good shoe to go for That it's a it's a daily allrounder Issue it's not there's better all Rounders there shoes that can go faster Than this shoe but um it's it's a solid All round uh daily training shoe whereas V13 isn't it's an easy day shoe it's a Recovery day shoe I wouldn't suggest This to anybody uh who was looking to Buy just one pair of shoes to do all They're running in um and they might Want to get faster if you're just going To go out and do comfy 5Ks and 10ks 10 108 v13 would be fine so really I think It comes down to that I much prefer the Tv13 ride because the the way that I use The shoe is purely for those easy Comfortable runs and I I like having a Really soft shoe for that so I use the 10v 13 a lot for those those training Sessions um so I would pick the 10 v13 Because of the type of Runner that I am And what I'm using this shoe for but I Do think the 10 v14 is a superior shoe For a lot of Runners and there's a lot More to it so you're getting more bang For your book with the 10 v14 and to be Honest there's not that much in it as Well if the 10 v13 didn't exist I'd Still be happy to use the 10 v14 those Easier recovery runs I just think that's Where the the v13 really really ticks The boxes um over the the 10 v14 so in
Terms of picking between the 1080 v14 And the v13 what I would say is since This shoe has launched I've been back Out more in this shoe so the 1080 v13 Would be the one that I would be going For I prefer the fact this is a lighter Shoe I prefer the feeling of the midsole In this shoe and I do think it's going To work for same types of runs the shoe It just for me feels a little bit more Com comfortable to do that and a little Bit more agile For Me overall I think This shoe is going to be the 1080 shoe For more people I think if you like the 1080 of old this is going to give you More of that it's not as plush it's not As unstable as the 1080 v13 so I think For most people this is going to be the Shoe to go for but if you like the idea Of a lighter kind of 1080 shoe one that I think is a lot softer feeling under Fur and you maybe not going to Particularly want this you to run your Longest runs in then I would go for this And you're probably going to be able to Pick this up for a little bit less money As well so for me personally I'd be Going 1080 v13 I think most people Should probably go for the 1080 v14 I Think particularly if you're looking for A shoe that can handle kind of longer Distances a little bit better it's a Little bit more protective I think a Little bit more stable and controlled
And is a bit more of the 1080 of old as Well So it comes to the fit of the two shoes I've got a uk9 in both which is a us99.5 That's the size I've used for the 1080 Line for the last you five or six Generations and it's always fitting me Well and it does fit me well with the New shoes as well with it being a uk9 Us99.5 new balance sometimes can come a Bit tight with some of their shoes Especially the more racing shoes but I Didn't have a problem like that with Either of the 1080s they fit me very Well enough room in the toe box good Hold around the heel and midfoot so no Concerns I'd stick to your normal Running shoe size so the fit for me in These shoes I'm a size eight in the UK These are both size eights there's Plenty of room in the forefoot before The big toe and around the side of the Shoe um uh the upper is very comfortable Uh they're slightly different uppers on Both of the shoes but I found to be um Quite forgiving they're not particularly Restrictive or anything like that uh and There's plenty of padding around both as Well so I definitely state to my UK size 8 in both pairs of these shoes quick Word on fit then and in both of these Shoes I ran in my regular New Balance Size which UK and a half that comes up As a US 9 and a half you've got the v14
Main differences here on fit I think They're slightly shorter in the toe box Than the v13 the v13 just has a little Bit more room overall there I also think There's a bit more kind of flex and a Bit more room into the toen knuckle area So they just feel a bit more comfortable It's a bit less snug but not any less Holding than or security than you'll get The v14 to me just come up a bit tight You can see it's a bit more cramped Across the top of the midfoot I've got Quite high feet and into the toe Knuckles I think it's maybe because Those uppers they feel thicker Ed or Maybe the tongu are a little bit more Padded but generally speaking it just Feels a little bit more enclosed so if You like that that's great if you don't If you want a bit more of a roomy fit Then maybe think about going for the Wide in the v14 overall I think I prefer The fit of the v13 just to have a little Bit more kind of air and ruinous which I Really like in an easy day shoe like This when you go back up the shoe I Think heel cers and tongues do pretty Much the same job overall I've had no Slipping and no problem with the Comfort Around that stability security into the Heels all been good in both of these Shoes you can see maybe there's a little Bit more Padding in the v14 up the back of the
Heel here but overall I think they're Pretty much identical for the way they Feel on the foot so my recommendation Would be go true to size in the 1080 v13 In the 14 I think if you've got wider Feet or you've got higher volume feet or You want a little bit more length maybe Go half a size up or look at the wide Option which comes in the v14 so fit for Me personally has been very good in These two shoes I would say that these Aren't the broadest fitting shoes now I've got pretty skinny feet so that's Been fine for me but I do think that's Mainly felt I think actually in the Front of these shoes and the toe boxes Which aren't overly generous or spacious And I think there may be an argument for Some people to go half size up in these Shoes as I said it's been fine for me But I I could appreciate that some might Want that extra little bit of room up There you know in that toe box elsewhere Pretty similar I would say midfoot hold Very similar similar level of padding in The tongue the kind of lock down that You're getting with the laces you get Into the hill collar again similar level Of padding and support there um I think The 1080 v14 you may be getting a little Bit more in terms of support in that Area so if that's something that you Want and I think the 1080 v14 is going To give you that I think the other thing
I would say is the difference in the Upper materials I think with the 1080 V14 it feels like there's just a little Bit more volume around your feet well I Think with the 1080 V13 I think it just sits a little bit Closer and a little bit more snug I Would say but I think the key takeaways For me is that I think yeah I think it's As I said not the broadest fitting shoe And I do think in my usual UK size 8 it Hasn't been the most generous in that Toebox area so that may be something to Look at and as I said maybe going half a Size up in both of these shoes so there You have it that's been our head-to head Of the new and old New Balance 1080s I Hope you found it useful give us a like If you did maybe hit subscribe if you're Not already if you're interested in a Full review of this new New Balance 1080 Then there's a full review that I'm Going to put up on the channel now Otherwise thanks very much for stopping By and until next time happy running People oh
