New Balance Fresh Foam: All You Need To Know
The New Balance Fresh Foam line is long and varied. Its full of New Balance womens running shoes, mens running shoes, walking shoes and general sports footwear.
This technology is the softest, lightest foam yet, and is taking New Balance shoes to a whole new level.
New releases have upgrades to include the fantastic foam technology, making them the best version in the lineup.
We focus on a single release in this article: the New Balance Fresh Foam 860v11 stability running shoes.
But, well also cover:
- What New Balance Fresh Foam is.
- The best Fresh Foam shoe.
- Review of the New Balance Fresh Foam 860v11.
- What to look for in a running shoe.
Womens New Balance Fresh Foam Roav Athletic Shoe
- Breathable mesh upper with stretch webbing across midfoot
- Bootie construction provides a snug fit
- Lace closure offers a secure fit
- Ultra Heel design made to hug the back of the foot for locked-in support and comfort
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning ensures lasting comfort
- Rubber and NDurance outsole delivers flexible traction
Point the camera at your feet to see the shoes!
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How We Picked The Best New Balance Running Shoes
We chose the best New Balance running shoes by poring over the details of each model. Through wear testing, interviews with shoe designers and professional athletes, and our own fit id® data, we chose the New Balance shoes we think will work best for most runners in most situations.
You can shop with confidence at Fleet Feet: We offer free shipping and returns on all running shoes, and you have 60 days to return any gear if you dont like the way it looks, fits or feels. Plus, with our price-match guarantee, you can make sure you never pay too much for a new pair of running shoes.
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Fresh Foam Was Late To The Party
It took over a decade for Fresh Foam to appear on the scene. The Fresh Foam achieved everything other manufacturers were trying to create with midsole support and rubbery cushioning.
Rather than choosing one, Fresh Foam is supportive cushioning itself. That was the premise from the starteven when starting with ENCAP and ABZORB.
In the mid-80s, New Balances efforts were revolutionary. Before, all people had to work with was an EVA footbed on a basic sole, which wasnt great for stability. But the new ENCAP tech in New Balance soles had cushioning and felt even and stable.
Once the 90s came around, New Balances designers were experts at their new craft, so they started to try something newABZORB, a new rubber compound.
It wasnt for another two decades that New Balance created another new technology. A few years after that, in 2013, Fresh Foam came onto the scene. It was the most structurally sound New Balance invention yet.
What Is New Balance Fresh Foam
New Balance Fresh Foam is the most up-to-date technology from New Balance, with an insane amount of cushioning. It provides the highest comfort level you can expect from New Balance while remaining responsive due to the low offset.
The Fresh Foam is a line where material matters. Back when footwear got caught at a crossroads in the 80s, New Balance decided to go off the trail.
On the one hand, some shoe brands focused on rubber to provide their new and improved cushioning methods. On the other, it was all about the midsole structure for added support and stability.
But, New Balance wouldnt settle for one, and instead started crafting new technology. The first was ENCAP, with ABZORB following soon after.
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New Balance Running Shoes Terms Glossary
New Balance shoes use a host of unique, cutting-edge technology to create one-of-a-kind experiences. Designers collect hoards of data from real runners to inform the innovative technology that drives you forward, faster.
Here are the New Balance names and terms you need to know:
- Fresh Foam. New Balances Fresh Foam is their premier running shoe cushioning thats packed into shoes like the Fresh Foam 1080v10 and Fresh Foam 880v10. The foam is soft, responsive and light, giving each shoe an easy ride and smooth transition.
- Hypoknit. Hypoknit is an upper used in several New Balance running shoes. The manufacturing process creates different areas of support and stretch in one seamless upper.
- Ultra Heel. A snug, supportive heel cup that provides a snug fit and locked-in feel.
- FuelCell foam. New Balances highest rebound foam, FuelCell provides a light and responsive ride
What Is The Best Fresh Foam
- Neutral runners: New Balance Fresh Foam 880v10.
- Pronating runners: New Balance Fresh Foam 860v11.
- Flat feet: New Balance Fresh Foam More.
- High arches: New Balance Fresh Foam 860v11.
Those are suggestions for only those particular categories. Because of Fresh Foam shoes variety, its difficult to determine a clear best of all. You may be able to break it down into other categories, like:
- New Balance women running shoes.
- Men running shoes.
- Walking shoes.
- Everyday shoes.
But, some Fresh Foam shoes can double as best for each, as youve just seen.
To help you with your search, check out our dedicated review on the Fresh Foam 860v11 below. It picks out key areas of the Fresh Foam shoe to see if it works for you.
The Fresh Foam 860v11 isnt the first iteration of this shoe. Its a replacement for the 860v10, and there are a few notable improvements and unique features of the v11.
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Womens Fresh Foam Roav Collection
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What To Look For In A Running Shoe
Running shoes are one of the easier shoes to shop for. And, if youre looking for a specific shoe recommendation, its clear that the New Balance Fresh Foam 860v11 has desirable features.
In general, these are the key features of running shoes to look out for:
- Breathability: Sweaty feet are nobodys friend, so look for mesh. Forgoing that, look for air holes in leather running shoes.
- Rocker bottom: The heel takes a lot of force, and the toes bend, so the rocker bottom holds a tapered shape to suit this.
- Padding: Your feet take a lot when you run, so look for ample padding to accommodate.
- Shock absorption: Without shock absorption, the shock can radiate up your legs and cause discomfort.
- No chafing: Avoid tight shoes, ill-fitting shoes or hard collars with no padding.
- Tread pattern: The ground can get slippery, so make sure your sneakers have adequate grip.
While the 860v11s tick many of the above boxes, they arent optimal for fallen arches, so youd need one of the best running shoes for flat feet.
For older runners wanting variety, we have a dedicated review of the best running shoes for older runners.
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Women’s Fresh Foam 1080 Collection
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The Clue Is In The Name
The Foam in the name hints premium comfort, and youre not wrong to assume that. Its just chemically altered EVA foam to produce a springy, cushioned, but stable material for shoes.
Fresh Foam is light and bouncy, making it optimal for shoes. Whats even better is that New Balance alters different foam areas to fit various foot parts. This helps the foam perform differently compression and resistance-wise when impacted.
Over 30 years of new technology and compounds went into forming Fresh Foam. And, with so many Fresh Foam shoes taking the world by storm, its clearly doing very well.
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