New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v14 Introduction
If you don’t know why it’s called the 1080, here is a brief explanation: the “10” is the amount of cushioning on a scale from 6 to 10 (10 being the most cushioned) and the “80” is the New Balance code that tells us that it’s a neutral running shoe.
If we go by this naming convention, the 1080 is supposed to be New Balance’s most cushioned neutral shoe. However, the More is an exception which doesn’t follow this naming convention- it’s even more cushioned than the 1080.
The 1080 is New Balance’s best selling running shoe and this is a fact that they love advertising. It’s a plusher, more premium version of the 880 and a lighter, leaner version of the More.
There are many runners who will agree with me that last year’s 1080 v13 was the best 1080 to date. The biggest difference between v13 and previous versions was how plush and luxurious its ride felt. The only thing I didn’t like about it was how tight its toe-box was- I recommended going up a half size or getting the wide version.
Comfortable. Breathable. Versatile. These are the 3 adjectives which New Balance wants to best sum up the new 1080 v14. They’ve made changes to this year’s 1080 midsole, outsole and upper to achieve this.
The 1080 v14 has picked up weight. It now weighs 10.5 oz (298 g) for a men’s US 9. This is a substantial 1.3 oz (36 g) more than version 13. It maintains the same stack heights and the same price.
New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v14 First Impressions
In my local running store, I tried the 1080 v14 on in my regular size and in a half size bigger. The half size bigger felt a lot more comfortable. In my true size, the toe-box felt too narrow, which was the case with v13 for me too.
My first run was an easy 13 kilometre Sunday run. The most noticeable thing was that the ride was firmer than the previous version. It felt about 20% firmer than v13 and it felt more stable due to the firmer ride. I enjoyed the stiffer forefoot which made the rocker more prominent.
The upper felt cooler and more breathable. It felt thinner and more like a traditional engineered mesh, whereas v13 felt like a thick, stretchy knitted material.
New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v14 Upper
The upper of v14 is an improvement over v13. It feels lighter, thinner and more breathable; more performance and less lifestyle driven. It’s made of a new double-layer engineered mesh with large ventilation holes on the top of the toe box.
The semi-gusseted tongue is lightly padded and doesn’t move around during runs- it has large perforations for extra ventilation. The heel tab and collar are padded while an internal heel counter provides excellent heel lockdown.
Just like the previous version, the toe box is very narrow so I recommend going up a half size or getting the wide version. The “N” logos on the side panels are reflective.
New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v14 Sole Unit
New Balance wanted to make the 1080 more versatile and by firming up the midsole foam, they’ve succeeded in doing so. The firmer midsole doesn’t compress as much when you load it, and that makes it easier to pick up the pace.
The 1080 v14 is still best suited to easy runs but now it can handle steady-paced runs better. It feels like a premium daily trainer for soaking up everyday miles and it’s still not a shoe that I would use for workouts.
Even though it has become firmer, it’s still one of the softest daily trainers on the market and it’s comparable to the ASICS Nimbus 26 or Saucony Triumph 22 in terms of softness. This year’s 1080 feels more balanced than its predecessor.
The new midsole density of v14 makes the cushioning feel more substantial because it doesn’t bottom out as easily so it can handle long runs better; it’s also more suited to heavy runners now.
The Fresh Foam X in the 1080 v14 is pure EVA and not a PEBA-EVA blend like in the more premium Balos but honestly, there isn’t a big difference in terms of ride between the Balos and the 1080. The Balos costs $25 more but the difference in ride is not significant.
Another new update to the sole is that v14 has higher midsole sidewalls than v13 to increase support and stability but New Balance doesn’t advertise this on their website. Sometimes guide rails can make the ride uncomfortable but in the 1080 v14, the rails are very subtle.
There’s a new outsole design with wider rubber pieces which are not as spread out as v13. The rubber is soft but thick so durability is decent. Traction is good on dry surfaces and average one wet ones.
The new outsole configuration also helps to make the forefoot stiffer so that the rocker speeds up transitions. You get livelier toe-offs in v14.
New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v14 Conclusions
While the 1080 v14 doesn’t look like a significant update, New Balance has made some small tweaks to improve their most popular training shoe. The tweaks include improved stability, better breathability and livelier toe-offs.
The only downside is that version 14 has picked up weight but most runners who were fans of the 13 will like the 14 even more because it feels like a more balanced daily trainer.
Overall, the 1080 v14 feels like a really polished, refined daily trainer with a plush ride and it’s one of the most comfortable shoes I’ve tested this year. I just wish New Balance would improve the energy return or bounce because it’s lacking responsiveness when compared to their FuelCell range.
The 1080 v14’s biggest competitor is the Nike Vomero 17, another excellent premium daily trainer which is $5 cheaper than the 1080. The Vomero has a more energetic ride due to the PEBA-based ZoomX in its midsole but it weighs slightly more.
