The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 is a comfort-oriented daily trainer and a significant departure from its predecessors. While the 880 series has long been popular as a walking shoe, the 880v15 has been re-engineered for performance and is now much more of a running shoe. The upper is a bit more snug and now has a fully-gusseted tongue to help keep the foot locked down. The 15th version also feels different underfoot than older 880s, as the heel stack height has been dramatically increased, but there's now less of a drop from the heel to the toe. There's also a more pronounced rocker, so your feet turn over a bit easier. All of these changes combine to make the 880v15 feel more suited to running than just walking.
Our Verdict
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 is a shoe capable of helping you complete a marathon, but it won't particularly shine. It won't give any performance edge, and there are lots of lighter shoes that have better cushioning for long distances, but if you're not aiming for a fast time, the 880v15 can get the job done.
Higher stack height.
Heavy shoe.
Rebound from midsole is mediocre.
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 is sub-par for racing a 5K or 10K, as it's not a performance-oriented shoe. It doesn't give back enough of the energy you put into each stride, and the shoe is on the heavier side, which can feel like you are being weighed down if you're trying to accelerate.
Heavy shoe.
Rebound from midsole is mediocre.
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 has mediocre energy return. The Fresh Foam in the midsole gives you a slight bounce, but it certainly doesn't feel lively or springy. If you prefer a bouncy feel for your daily miles, this isn't it.
Consistent energy return between heel and forefoot.
Rebound from midsole is mediocre.
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 has decent cushioning. The Fresh Foam in this version is a bit softer than in previous 880s, and the increased stack does a satisfactory job of absorbing impact.
Heel remains consistently protective.
Forefoot struggles under heavier impacts.
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 has good lateral stability. Despite the higher stack, the foam is firm enough, especially in the forefoot, to keep you planted. The fully-gusseted tongue also helps keep your feet in place when turning.
Fully-gusseted tongue.
Firm forefoot.
Performance Usages
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 in men's U.S. size 9, as noted on the label for our pair. The colorway shown here is White with Blue Agate and Black, but the shoe is available in a variety of other colorways depending on your region. The 880v15 is available in a whole range of widths, from Narrow (2A for women, B for men) to Standard (B for women, D for men) to Wide (D for women, 2E for men), as well as Extra Wide (4E for men, 2E for women). The design section applies only to the exact model we tested, but we expect other variants to perform similarly.
Popular Running Shoe Comparisons
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 is a cushioned daily trainer you can actually run in, and not just a glorified walking shoe. The 880v15's higher stack height and lower heel-to-toe drop reflect current market trends, but could alienate longtime fans of the 880 series. With this version, New Balance also updated the outsole to better align with the New Balance 1080v15, further reinforcing that this shoe is now designed with running in mind. If you prefer the lower stack and firmer forefoot of previous 880s, you might find the Nike Pegasus 41 or the Brooks Ghost 17 more down to earth. One continued selling point of the 880v15 is just how many widths are available; runners with extra-wide feet face limited options, but the 880v15 is one of the few models available in extra wide, alongside the HOKA Clifton 10 and the ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28.
Within New Balance's lineup, the 880v15 is still closer to a classic daily trainer, while the New Balance 1080v15 is a bouncier, more cushioned premium daily trainer. The New Balance Fresh Foam X More v6 is taller and more cushioned still, while at the other end of the scale are several lightweight trainers, including the New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1 and the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best running shoes, as well as the best long-distance running shoes and the best shoes for running a marathon.
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 and the HOKA Clifton 10 are two popular shoes that are available in a range of widths, and while both can be used for either running or walking, each has unique characteristics. The Clifton 10 is narrower through the arch and is focused on cushioning, with the heel in particular absorbing much more impact than the New Balance shoe. The 880v15 is firmer and a bit more stable, and although it's not as soft as the HOKA shoe, its cushioning doesn't bottom out as quickly during long runs.
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 has had several major updates that make it a very different shoe from the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v14. The v15 is much taller, sitting 5 mm higher in the heel than the v14. With its less pronounced heel-to-toe drop, the forefoot of the v15 sits 7 mm higher, so there is more cushioning underfoot. New Balance also changed the outsole grip pattern on the v15, leaving a bit more of the foam exposed and fully gusseted the tongue to improve lockdown. Overall, the v15 feels much more like a running shoe, while the v14 is more of a walking shoe.
We buy and test running shoes with a very data-oriented approach. While we're just getting started, our methodology already has dozens of tests to help you make the right purchasing decision for your needs. Not only do we use high-end equipment to gather objective data, but we also order multiple sizes of the same shoes for team members to be able to log in miles. This real-world testing is done at various paces and conditions, and with different types of workouts, to cover all the bases. This allows us to verify our results and ensure they align with what you might feel with a specific pair.
Test Results
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 weighs almost 40 g more than the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v14, largely due to its taller stack height.
The outsole grip pattern on the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 has been updated, leaving more exposed foam than on the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v14. The areas with a rubber grip seem more targeted for use as a running shoe than a walking shoe.
The heel of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 has passable energy return. It's livelier than the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v14 was, but it doesn't feel quite as bouncy as the New Balance 1080v15.
The energy return from the forefoot of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 is rather unremarkable. It doesn't feel completely dead, but it doesn't put much spring in your step either.
The heel of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 does an okay job of absorbing impact. Runners will get better cushioning than from the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v14, since the newer iteration does a better job of protecting you from the ground at all force levels.
The forefoot of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 has decent cushioning. The extra 7 mm of cushioning under the forefoot versus the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v14 makes a huge difference, as the 880v15 is much more absorbent.
The heel of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 isn't excessively firm, but just enough to provide stability when landing on the back of your foot.
The forefoot of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 isn't as firm as the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v14, but it still provides a solid enough foundation for forceful toe-offs.
The cushioning in the forefoot of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 is adequate for long runs, but only just. At the beginning of a run, its ability to absorb impact is similar to the lower-stacked New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5, but the 880v15 starts bottoming out faster than the Rebel, absorbing less and less as the run goes on.