New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 V14 Review: cushioned daily trainer that’s great for long walks and easy runs

I’ve been using the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 V14 (women’s, Dark Ice Wine/Twilight Haze/Silver Metallic) as my main shoe for about three weeks. Roughly: a mix of 5–8 km easy runs, some treadmill sessions, and a lot of boring everyday walking – grocery runs, commuting, standing around at kids’ activities. So this isn’t a lab test, just how they behaved in normal life.

Right away, the big thing is the cushioning. If you’re used to flatter or firmer shoes, this feels very padded underfoot, especially in the heel. It’s not bouncy like some carbon-plated racing shoes, more of a soft landing with a smooth roll forward. The rocker at the heel is noticeable the first day; it almost nudged me slightly backwards until I got used to it, which matches some of the Amazon feedback.

My feet: neutral stride, slightly wide forefoot, mild plantar fasciitis that flares up if a shoe is too hard or too flat. I usually wear a women’s 8.5 in running shoes; I tested these in 8.5 standard width. I mainly run on roads, pavement, and treadmill, almost no trail. So everything I say is from that angle – if you’re a fast racer or a trail runner, you’ll probably look at them differently.

Overall, the short version is: very comfortable and easy to wear, great for long walks and easy runs, but not magic. There are a couple of trade-offs: they run a bit warm, the shoe feels bulky if you like light, snappy trainers, and the price is on the higher side. Still, I kept picking them over my other shoes for any day where I knew I’d be on my feet for hours.

Price-wise, the Fresh Foam X 1080 V14 sits in the upper range for daily trainers. You’re not paying carbon-plate money, but it’s definitely more expensive than basic running shoes from big-box stores. So the question is: do you actually get enough comfort and performance to justify that? For me, yes – but with some caveats.

The main thing you’re paying for is comfort over long periods. If you walk a lot, stand all day for work, or do regular easy runs, the cushioning and smooth ride make a noticeable difference compared to cheaper, flatter shoes. I have a couple of budget sneakers that cost half as much, and after a long day my feet and back feel more beat up in those than in the 1080 V14. So if you use them heavily, the cost per hour of comfortable use starts to make sense.

On the flip side, if you only run occasionally or mostly do short, casual walks, the price is harder to justify. There are more affordable shoes that will be "good enough" for that lighter usage. Also, if you like firm or fast shoes, you might feel like you’re paying for a bunch of foam you don’t actually enjoy. The Amazon rating around 4.4/5 lines up with how I see the value: good, but not a crazy bargain.

Compared to other big-brand max-cushion shoes (like Nike Invincible, ASICS Nimbus, etc.), the 1080 V14 is in the same ballpark price-wise. It holds its own in comfort and durability, and the wide toe box will be a plus for a lot of people. If you can catch it on sale or with a discount code, I’d say it becomes a pretty solid deal. At full price, it’s fair for heavy users, maybe overkill for casual ones.

Design-wise, this is a chunky running shoe. If you’re into super minimal, low-profile sneakers, this won’t be your thing visually. The midsole is thick and the heel is slightly rounded and rockered, which you notice as soon as you put them on. When I first walked around my living room, I actually felt myself rolling back a bit on my heels until my stride adjusted. After a couple of outings, that feeling faded and it just turned into a smooth heel-to-toe roll.

The colorway I had – Dark Ice Wine/Twilight Haze/Silver Metallic – looks better in real life than in product photos. The purple/"wine" tone is fairly muted, not screaming loud, and the silver accents are just enough to break things up. So it’s sporty but not flashy, which I like. I had no problem wearing them with jeans or leggings off the run without feeling like I was in clown shoes.

Fit-wise, the toe box is on the wider side, even in standard width. If you have narrow feet or wear AA width normally, I can see why someone on Amazon said it felt too wide in the front. For me, with a slightly wider forefoot, it was actually a plus: my toes could spread out, and I didn’t get any pinching or numbness on longer walks. The midfoot and heel lock-in is decent with the laces; I didn’t have heel slip once I used the extra eyelet.

One thing to note: this is not a low-profile lifestyle sneaker. The height and the rocker shape make you feel a bit taller and more “perched up”. If you like feeling close to the ground, this will feel odd. If you like that cushioned, elevated feeling, it’s pretty nice. I’d call the design practical and modern, not really stylish for a night out but totally fine for day-to-day errands and gym use.

This is clearly a comfort-first shoe. The main thing you notice is how soft the landings are, especially if you’re coming from firmer trainers. On my first 6 km easy run, my knees and hips felt noticeably less beaten up compared to a firmer shoe I often use. I also did a full day of errands in them – around 17,000 steps according to my watch – and I got home with tired legs but no sore feet, no hot spots, and no arch pain. For someone with mild plantar fasciitis, that’s a win.

The arch support is medium. It’s not a flat slab, but it’s not a strong orthopedic-style arch either. For my neutral feet, it felt balanced – enough shape to keep my arch from collapsing and aching, but not so aggressive that it poked into my foot. If you need serious arch support or custom orthotics, you might still want to drop your own insoles in; there seems to be enough volume in the shoe to handle that. The heel padding is generous, and the collar doesn’t rub the Achilles, which is a common issue for me with some brands.

There is a short adjustment period because of the rocker heel and the amount of foam. The first two outings, my calves felt slightly different, like they were working in a new way. After that, my body adapted and it just felt natural. I didn’t need a break-in period in terms of stiffness; the shoe was flexible enough right out of the box and didn’t give me any blisters. The insole is basic but cushioned, and it sits nicely on the foam without sliding.

If your main goal is: "I want my feet to feel okay after long days or long walks," this shoe does the job very well. If you prefer a firmer, more responsive feel where you can really sense the ground, you might find it too soft and a bit mushy, especially at faster paces. For me, I now reach for these on recovery days, easy runs, and days with lots of standing. For speed work or anything where I want snap, I grab another pair.

The upper is a synthetic engineered mesh with no-sew overlays. In practice, that means it’s mostly one piece of mesh with some extra structure baked in without big stitched panels. After a few weeks of use, it hasn’t stretched out much, and I haven’t seen any fraying or peeling on the overlays. The gusseted tongue is made of a soft, padded material that doesn’t dig into the top of the foot, which I appreciated on longer walks where laces usually start to annoy me.

The midsole is Fresh Foam X with a bit of bio-based content (around 3% according to New Balance). It’s a soft foam, but not marshmallow soft like some cheaper foam clogs. There’s enough density that it doesn’t bottom out when you land, even if you heel strike. After about 60–70 km of mixed running and walking, I don’t see any obvious compression lines or flattening. The foam still feels similar to day one, which is a good sign for durability, though obviously I haven’t hit the 300–400 mile mark yet.

The outsole is standard rubber with a pattern that grips fine on dry pavement and indoor floors. On wet pavement, it’s okay – not slippery, but not super grippy either. I wouldn’t trust it much on wet grass or muddy paths, but that’s not what this shoe is built for anyway. The rubber coverage is decent in the heel and forefoot, so the usual wear zones are protected. After my use, there was only light scuffing, no chunks missing or early bald spots.

Breathability is one area where the materials are just average. The mesh isn’t a furnace, but on warmer days my feet definitely felt warm, especially during slower walks where there’s less airflow. If you live somewhere hot and humid and you’re prone to sweaty feet, that might bug you. On the flip side, for cooler seasons or air-conditioned gyms, the slightly thicker upper is fine and actually feels a bit more secure than super thin race uppers.

Durability is always tricky to judge early, but after several weeks and roughly 60–70 km of mixed use, I can at least say there are no early red flags. The midsole foam still feels similar to the first week – soft, but not noticeably flatter. Usually, with cheap foams, I start to feel a dead spot under the heel pretty quickly; that hasn’t happened here yet. The rocker shape and structure still feel intact.

The outsole rubber shows light wear in the usual spots (outer heel and big toe area) but nothing out of the ordinary. There are no chunks peeling off or separation between the rubber and the midsole. The rubber coverage is pretty generous for a daily trainer, so I’d expect it to go at least a few hundred kilometers before you chew through it, assuming normal use on roads and treadmill.

The upper has held its shape well. No tears in the mesh, no loose threads, and the no-sew overlays are still fully stuck down. The heel collar padding hasn’t collapsed, and the inside lining is smooth with no pilling so far. I also didn’t notice any bad creasing in the toe area that sometimes leads to holes later. Laces and eyelets are basic but solid; nothing fancy, but they work and don’t feel flimsy.

If I had to guess, I’d say these should comfortably last a standard running shoe lifespan (let’s say 300–500 miles / 500–800 km) for most people, probably more if you mainly walk in them. The foam isn’t ultra-bouncy to begin with, so even as it slowly compresses over time, I think it’ll just feel a bit less plush rather than suddenly dead. For the price, I’d like them to last closer to the higher end of that range, but from what I’ve seen so far, that seems realistic.

In terms of running performance, this shoe is clearly tuned for easy and moderate paces. At my relaxed pace (around 6:30–7:00 min/km), it feels smooth and protective. The rocker plus foam give a gentle roll forward, and I don’t have to think too much about my form. On a couple of slightly faster efforts – short strides down to around 5:15 min/km – the shoe started to feel a bit bulky and less stable. It’s not that you can’t run faster in it, but it doesn’t encourage speed; it feels like you’re dragging a bit more foam around.

Stability-wise, for a neutral max-cushion shoe, it’s pretty solid. I’m not a heavy overpronator, but I do tend to wobble in very soft, high-stack shoes. With the 1080 V14, I didn’t feel like I was tipping over. The platform is wide enough, especially in the forefoot, that my foot felt supported when landing. If you have major stability issues, you’ll probably still want a dedicated stability shoe, but for mild pronation or neutral runners, this is fine.

As a walking shoe, it’s excellent. The rocker and cushioning really shine when you’re just cruising around at normal walking speed. I did a long city day with lots of concrete and some standing in lines; by the end, my legs were tired but my feet weren’t screaming. Compared to a flatter casual sneaker, the difference in comfort was obvious. For treadmill walking or light gym sessions (bike, elliptical, weights), it’s totally suitable. I wouldn’t use it for heavy lateral-movement sports like tennis or HIIT with lots of side steps – the stack height and softness aren’t ideal for that.

Traction is decent on dry pavement and indoor floors, just okay in the rain. I had one slightly sketchy moment on a painted crosswalk in the wet where I felt a bit of slip, but nothing dramatic. Overall, performance matches what the shoe is billed for: daily training, long walks, and easy runs. If you buy it expecting a fast tempo shoe, you’ll be disappointed. If you treat it as a cushioned workhorse, it does its job well.

On paper, the Fresh Foam X 1080 V14 is New Balance’s max-cushion daily trainer. Translation: it’s meant for everyday runs, long walks, and general use, not for setting PRs or doing fast intervals. You get a big chunk of Fresh Foam X midsole, a mesh upper, and a fairly standard rubber outsole. No plate, no wild gimmicks, just a thick, soft shoe. The model I tested is the women’s size 8.5, color Dark Ice Wine/Twilight Haze/Silver Metallic.

New Balance sells it as a shoe that works from “everyday to race day”. In reality, I’d say it’s more everyday and long-run day. It’s definitely capable of handling a 5K or a 10K race if you’re not chasing seconds, but the weight and softness aren’t ideal if you like to push the pace. For me, it slotted in as the pair I grab when I want my feet to feel protected more than fast.

Some quick practical details that matter more than the marketing lines:

• Closure: classic lace-up, with enough eyelets to get a secure lockdown.
• Upper: synthetic + engineered mesh with no-sew overlays, so fewer seams to rub.
• Tongue: gusseted, which actually helps keep small debris out and keeps the tongue from sliding.
• Weight: not super light; you feel there’s a lot of shoe under you, but it doesn’t feel like bricks either.

If you’re coming from older 1080 versions, this one feels a touch more structured and a bit more rockered in the heel. If you’re new to the line, just think of it as a high-cushion road shoe that’s more about comfort than speed. The Amazon rating around 4.4/5 seems fair to me: clearly good, but not flawless, especially when you factor in price and the fairly wide toe box.