The New Balance 880v15 is a daily cushioned running shoe designed for eating up miles in comfort. The Fresh Foam X midsole sees an increase in stack height compared to the previous model and a redesigned geometry. The shoe aims to provide a balanced ride, a good level of support and a smooth heel-to-toe-transition.
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00:00 – Intro
00:14 – Stats
00:29 – Design
00:59 – How’s the fit?
02:53 – The Run Test
08:21 – Early Verdict
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers in this Video we are going to doing our first Run review of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 V15 the New Balance 880 v15 costs £140 Or $139.99 it weighs 275 G or 9.7 o for men In a size 8 and the drop is 6 Mm the New Balance 8880 v15 is a daily Cushioned running shoe designed for Eating up miles in Comfort the Fresh Foam X midsole sees an increase in stack Height compared to the previous model And a redesigned geometry the shoe aims To provide a balanced ride a good level Of support and a smooth Heel To Toe Transition the upper uses a structured Engineered mesh for comfort and Breathability while the out soole Features a modest level of rubber at the Front and back with some exposed Sections of the Midol foam in the center The shoe is also available in standard Wide and extra wide versions Quick word on fit then and I ran in my Regular running shoe size which UK 8 and A half sometimes in a New Balance shoe That can come up a little bit snug I Know it did in the 1080 v4s other shoes I found a little bit tight as well but In this shoe fits like a glove got loads Of room here in the toe box towards the End or a good amount of room that's you Know enhanced by the fact there's lots
Of flex in the uppers again it's got What I really like which is you hold the Toe Knuckles here but there's lotss of Wiggle and flex so they feel sort of Nice and and hugging but not restrictive Easy to get a good lock down across the Midford from the lacing these nice Balanced padded tongues help there Really nicely the big padded heel collar Have helped to keep my heel nice and Secure everything just feels good so Yeah you've got good instant steeping Feel good Comfort plushness disappearing Feel on the foot and I would recommend Going true to size in these shoes so fit For me in this shoe I'm size 8 in the UK This is a size eight Um when I first put these on I did find Them quite a restrictive shoe I felt Like my my feet were um struggling a Little bit with the uh with the upper um I changed my socks they were relatively Thick socks I had on I changed them to a Thin pair of socks and it felt fine After that um but when I first put them On they it did feel a little bit Restrictive um and I'd probably say There's not as much space as some people Might want um around the foref foot and Around the sides of the shoe so you Might want to size up half a size in This shoe um first run I didn't it was a Half marathon off the bat um and it it Loosened up a little bit over the course
Of that it felt fine didn't have any Issues with it no rubbing or anything Like that um and I often bu I I prefer To have shoes with a little bit less Space than most people do so you Probably want a half size up in this Shoe if you go for that sort of that Thumbs width um space before the big Toe okay so first run in the shoe I went Straight out and did a half marathon in This shoe uh fairly comfortable pace for Me about 5 minute kilom which is um my Easy Pace um I probably get out about 5:30 easy Pace but did about five five Minute kmers um and really enjoyed it I've never used an 80 before um and I Wasn't quite sure what to expect um it's One of the shoes that I've seen sort of Floating about the previous versions of It and I've never really known that much About it because other shoes seem to be More um prominent than it within new Balance's range but New Balance seems to Have really up the game on this one Because um it's a really nice shoe it's One of those shoes that it it doesn't do Anything special it's not the most Exciting shoe in the world um when I'm Running in it I didn't think about it And that's really what this this shoe Does well you don't think about it it's Very comfortable it's very stable that Midsole is nice and balanced um it Reminds me of like the ride 18 it's a
Shoe a daily shoe that just ticks all The boxes it's just a great shoe that You can use um for a nice comfortable Run um if taking a shoe out for half Marathon the first time is a bit risky Um and it was absolutely fine on it that Midell was nice and balanced it's not Too hard it's not too soft um I Definitely felt I can maintain a nice Comfortable Pace in it didn't think About the shoe while I was doing it it's Got nice heel too transition in it felt Like I could I was rolling forward Nicely without thinking about it doesn't Feel too heavy on the feet um all in all Really enjoyed that that that running it Um I think it's a really solid SHO it's A tricky one to classify with the other Shoes that um New Balance has got Because the 1080 uh v14 is probably Doing the same sort of thing as this Shoe um but I think I probably preferred This based on that first run it just Felt a bit nicer for me I it just worked For my running style a bit better um and I like the 108 v14 but um I'm not Amazing fan of it um but I think this One is just a little bit just works a Little bit better for my um my to toe Transition just felt absolutely fine and Comfortable from the off um so yeah it's It's a tricky one to to sort of review Because it's one of those shoes where There there's not really a lot to talk
About with it it's comfortable uh it's Got nice upper on it it feels nice On The Run um and the mido's just very very Um comfortable and does the job so um Solid all around shoe really when it Comes to daily shoes uh and I definitely Think this is going to be a uh Contender Um for those those sorts of comfortable Easy day daily training shoes that um we Will talk about throughout the year I've Really enjoyed uh this based off that First run and I wasn't looking forward To going out and doing a half marathon Run because um I'm not very fit at the Moment so it was nice to have a shoe That I didn't think about and did the Job very comfortably uh the out soole And I was running on quite a lot of wet Ground when I went out on it I've washed These since because it got very muddy um Absolutely fine um nice bit of grip on These rubber sections there is a bit of Exposed midsole um but it's quite uh Does feel like quite durable phone this Um so after one run there's no signs of Wear or tear or anything like that but Um yeah pretty solid rubber on the Outside so yeah I expect that should do A pretty good job over the next few days Of testing so for my initial miles in The8 v15 I've actually done three runs I've done a steady Six Mile a really Slow and easy 4 and a half mile and I've Done a close to marathon pace 5K as well
I also only recently ran in the 880 v14 So it's been interesting to come to These pretty quickly from those with the Significant changes that you've got to The stack height and the geometry here Now my first impressions actually for The shoe are pretty positive the a880 V14 has a lovely step- in Comfort Instantly feels good on the foot from The moment I laced it on it felt like it Belonged I don't always get that nailed On Comfort immediately from the New Balance shoes I actually got this more From this v15 than the v-14 and the a80 They can sometimes come up a bit narrow And short in my usual size in New Balance but this one really works got Nice flexi uppers and a decent kind of Roomy toe box everything holds really ni Ni seat just feels plush and comfortable Now once you get them on you can Instantly tell that this is a Less Direct shoe than the more traditional A880 v14 the move to the bigger stack Here has swallowed another simpler shoe Then on the run I enjoyed the balance of Cushion and response from that now Bigger stack it's a soft enough but not Too sinky ride it's just got some nice Immediacy in the return but it maintains A good level of protection as well to me It feels like the Fresh Foam X here is Tuned softer than the a80 V4 14 or at Least you notice the extra stack which
Dampens the road more in this v15 but They're still firmer these shoes I think Than the 1080 v14 which I really like Particularly avoid being clumpy or Slappy for a big stack shoe it's Certainly not what you would call bouncy But there's more energy return than I Got from the more traditional a80 v14 if That shoe was a bit too direct for you I Think this is a step change but it's More between you and the ground if you Like the more connected ride of that Last generation of this shoe this change Might not float your boat with having More stack underf foot uh interestingly I've just come from a lot of test miles In the S endorphin trainer as well which Is a similar stacked super trainer Though that has a carbon plate in it but For me they ride very similar or they Would be used for very similar runs and I think I actually prefer the firmer Edge of the a80 v15 which is good Because this sh is a chunk Cheaper First Impressions then and I Like what I've seen from the 80 v15 I Like the comfort of the uppers I like The wider more accommodating fit I don't Mind the bigger stack because it's not Too soggy though some may feel they want More bounce from a higher Sack or expect More bounce but all the early signals I'm getting from this shoe point to a Competent daily trainer that's geared
Towards the easier end of things maybe Up to what I call kind of cruising Pace Somewhere just below your kind of Marathon pace though I didn't mind it For marathan Pace miles as well I logged Some sort of 645 minute miles in it During that 5K and it did a good job It's a bit big and heavy to be ideal for The faster end of things and unless You're only intending to buy one shoe It's probably not one that I'd lce up First for that but it coped and at a Push it can do that it's a big change From the simpler more traditional a80 V14 the stack change moves the shoe Probably closer to a more V4 H I'm going to be interested to side By side this one against the 1080 v14 as Well my gut feeling is the 1080 v14 Might be a bit bouncier and a bit faster And a bit more versatile but £40 I think There's a lot to like with this version Of the 880 I think it's a better shoe Than the last version I also really like the colorway okay so My early verdict on the 88 v15 really Liked it off that first run uh wasn't Expecting to didn't know a lot about This shoe it's not a range uh that we Hear a lot about um it seems I think It's one of the sort of shoes that um New Balance has which people just buy Because it's comfortable um it's not the Most expensive shoe they've got but I
Was pleasantly surprised I think it's a Really nice shoe I've been running a lot In the ride 18 um over the past few Weeks this feels very similar to that For me cushioned daily shoe nice Balanced midsole you can probably up the Pace a little bit in it so you can do a Lot of different daily runs in it it's Not a fast shoe um but it does feel like It's a little bit more to it like the Ride 18 um and really the sort of shoe That I think it it's probably the sort Of shoe that somebody's going to buy if They're just looking for one shoe uh They want Comfort they want bit Stability they want um a bit of Flexibility to do a bit more than maybe What you get from like the more V5 or Something like that so yeah really Enjoyed that first run I think it's a it Was a solid half marathon uh very much Enjoyed it and looking forward to doing A bit more in it I think this is going To be an interesting shoe to talk about Over over 2025 that's it from us on this First run on the 880 v15 thanks a lot For watching don't forget to like Subscribe and click that little bell and If you go the catch below you can find To our podcast which comes out a couple Of times each month thanks lot for Watching catch you next time
