First Impressions
Honestly, I approached this review with mixed feelings. On one hand, I knew people were incredibly excited about , on the other hand, I'm always a bit skeptical about VERY soft shoes. I often find them a bit unstable and tending to pull me down into soft foam more than propelling me forward.
But I must admit, my skepticism was put to rest. Wow, I think this is a great running shoe. And now I'll tell you why.
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More Fresh FoamX
The most striking feature of is the foam. At first glance, it seems incredibly high, but in reality, the foam is slightly deceiving. The foam extends higher up the sides of the shoe, so your foot is surrounded by it, providing extra comfort and a bit of stability.
The correct heel height of the shoe is 34mm. The forefoot height is 30mm, giving the New Balance Fresh Foam More V4 a 4mm drop.
The foam is softest foam; Fresh FoamX. A note about Fresh FoamX is that it needs some breaking in. As you run in the shoe, the foam actually becomes softer. After 4-6 runs, the shoe becomes softer, providing even more comfort. This is both good and bad. Good because more comfort is great. Bad because the shoe loses a bit of the responsiveness, which I personally enjoy.
Photo: Lars Ivar Henriksen
Outsole
has plenty of rubber on the outsole, making it a durable trainer for a long time. The sole doesn't wear out quickly. New Balance has included a groove along the sole of many of their newer shoes, serving multiple purposes. The groove separates as you land, providing a bit more stability and guiding your foot well in the landing. Additionally, it helps give a slight push-off, propelling you more as you lift off.
Upper
Not much to say about the upper. It's a decent engineered mesh on the New Balance Fresh Foam More V4. The shoe is made on a relatively wide platform, which is great. But it also means you need to lace it a bit tighter to ensure it sits properly on your foot.
Photo: Lars Ivar Henriksen
The Running Experience
is really doing something right these days. They are releasing so many shoes that really hit the mark. New Balance Fresh Foam More V4 offers a very comfortable running experience, cushioning tendons and joints due to the soft foam. Besides, it also provides a bit of feedback. It's not just the Fresh FoamX pulling you into its soft embrace. You actually get some responsiveness, making it great for easy runs and even slightly faster runs.
If you're an experienced runner, I'd recommend this shoe for recovery and easy runs. If you're new or moderately experienced, it's a great shoe if you want a versatile running shoe, mainly focused on comfort.
Photo: Lars Ivar Henriksen
Conclusion
This shoe goes straight into my rotation! I'm very pleased with how New Balance managed to create such a soft and comfortable shoe, yet stabilize it with a broad platform and the groove under the shoe, which never makes the running experience unstable or insecure. Once you have the New Balance Fresh Foam More V4 on your foot, you just want more … and more … and more … and More V4.
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