First Impressions
I have to admit, I approached this review with mixed feelings. On one hand, I know people are incredibly excited about , but I'm always a bit skeptical of VERY soft shoes. Often, they can become a bit unstable and tend to pull me into a soft foam rather than propel me forward.
But I must admit, my skepticism was dispelled. Wow, I think this is an awesome running shoe. And now I'll tell you why.
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More Fresh FoamX
The most striking thing about is the foam. At first glance, it's an insanely high foam, but the foam tricks you a bit. The foam extends higher along the sides of the shoe, so your foot is surrounded by foam. This way, you get extra comfort and a bit of stability.
The correct heel height is 34 mm. The forefoot height is 30 mm, so the New Balance Fresh Foam More V4 has a drop of 4 mm.
The foam is softest foam; Fresh FoamX. A note on Fresh FoamX is that it needs some breaking in. As you run in the shoe, the foam becomes softer. After 4-6 runs, it becomes softer and offers more comfort. This is both good and bad. Good, because more comfort is nice. Bad, because the shoe loses a bit of the responsiveness I personally enjoy.
Photo: Lars Ivar Henriksen
Outsole
has plenty of rubber on the outsole, making it a real mileage trainer that you can use for a long time. The sole won't wear out quickly. New Balance has a groove along the sole on many new shoes, serving multiple purposes. The groove splits when you land, providing a bit more stability and guiding your foot well on landing. Additionally, the groove helps give a push-off, launching you more when lifting off.
Upper
Not much to say about the upper. It is a decent engineered mesh on the New Balance Fresh Foam More V4. The shoe is built on a relatively wide platform, which is great. But you do need to lace it up a bit more to ensure a good fit on the foot.
Photo: Lars Ivar Henriksen
Running Experience
really has something going right now. They are releasing so many shoes that hit the nail on the head. New Balance Fresh Foam More V4 provides a truly comfortable running experience that spares tendons and joints due to the soft foam. Additionally, it's a shoe that gives a little back. It's not just Fresh FoamX pulling you into its soft embrace. You get some responsiveness too, making it a great mileage trainer for easy runs, but also suitable for faster runs.
If you're an experienced runner, I'd recommend this shoe for recovery and easy runs. If you're new or inexperienced, it's a great shoe if you want a running shoe that can do a bit of everything but focuses on comfort.
Photo: Lars Ivar Henriksen
Conclusion
This shoe is going straight into my rotation! I'm very pleased with how New Balance has managed to create a shoe that's so soft and comfortable, yet stabilized with a wide platform and the groove under the shoe, never making the running experience unstable or insecure. Once you've got 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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