New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 V14 Review: max-cushion daily trainer that’s kind to sore feet

I’ve been using the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 V14 as my main pair for about three weeks, mostly for daily walks, light runs, and just standing around all day. I’m not an elite runner, just someone with picky feet and a bit of history with plantar fasciitis and sore knees. I grabbed the women’s version in the Dark Ice Wine/Twilight Haze/Silver Metallic colorway in size 8, which is my usual size in New Balance.

The first thing I noticed when I put them on was the thick cushioning underfoot. It’s clearly a max-cushion shoe, but it doesn’t feel like those super squishy clogs where you sink in and wobble. Here it’s more like a firm pillow: soft when you land, but it doesn’t collapse. The heel has that slightly rounded, rocker shape people mention in the reviews, and yes, the very first steps feel a bit odd, like your foot is being nudged forward.

After two or three outings, that rocker feel started to make sense. Walking and easy jogging felt smoother, and I noticed I was rolling through the stride without thinking about it. My arches felt supported enough that I didn’t reach for my usual aftermarket insoles. Compared to my older neutral trainers (Brooks Ghost and an older New Balance 880), the 1080 V14 clearly has more underfoot foam and a softer landing, but it doesn’t feel unstable.

Overall, first impression: super comfortable for walking and easy runs, definitely on the cushy side, with a bit of an adjustment period because of the heel shape. Not perfect, but if you’re looking for something gentle on joints and you’re on your feet a lot, it’s already looking like a pretty solid option.

Price-wise, the 1080 V14 sits in the upper range for daily trainers. It’s not a budget shoe, and you can definitely find cheaper options if you just want something to throw on occasionally. The question is whether the comfort and build justify the cost. For me, given how much time I spend on my feet and how picky my joints are getting, it feels like money reasonably well spent, but it’s not some crazy bargain either.

Compared to other max-cushion shoes like the Brooks Glycerin, ASICS Gel-Nimbus, or Hoka Clifton, the 1080 is in the same price ballpark. What you get here is: a roomy fit, especially friendly for wider feet; a very cushioned ride that still feels somewhat controlled; and a well-made upper with a gusseted tongue and breathable mesh. If those things matter to you, the price starts to feel more justified. If you have narrow feet or don’t care about extra cushioning, you might be paying for features you don’t fully use.

Where the value really shows up is if you: walk a lot (10,000+ steps a day), stand for work, or are getting back into running and want something forgiving. In that case, the cost spread over months of daily use looks more reasonable. If you only run once a week for a couple of miles, this might be overkill, and you could probably get away with a mid-range shoe for less.

So in terms of value, I’d say: good but not mind-blowing. You’re paying for comfort, cushioning, and a proven model, not for fancy tech or race-day performance. If your priority is saving money, look elsewhere. If your priority is keeping your feet, knees, and back happier and you actually use your shoes heavily, then the price makes sense.

Design-wise, the Dark Ice Wine/Twilight Haze/Silver Metallic colorway is pretty tame in a good way. It’s not neon, not childish, just a mix of dark bluish tones with some muted wine accents and a bit of metallic branding. It looks sporty but not loud, so I don’t feel weird wearing it with jeans or leggings outside of workouts. If you want something that passes for a casual sneaker too, this color does the job.

The shape is classic New Balance: roomy toe box, more volume than a Nike Pegasus or something narrow like some Adidas models. I have average-width feet, and I like having some wiggle room up front, so this works for me. If you have very narrow feet (AA width), you might find the toe box too spacious, which lines up with one of the Amazon reviews pointing that out. On the flip side, if you have wide or extra-wide feet, the fact that New Balance offers multiple widths and people with EE feet are happy is a big plus.

The heel is slightly rounded and visually you can see that rocker shape. It makes the shoe look a bit chunky from the side. If you’re used to minimalist or sleeker shoes, this will look bulky. Personally, I don’t care much; I’d rather have comfort than a slim profile. The branding is pretty standard, big “N” logo, nothing flashy, and the mesh pattern looks fine, not cheap but also not premium fashion-sneaker level.

Overall, in terms of design, I’d call it functional and decent-looking. It won’t win a style contest, but it doesn’t look goofy either. The main thing is the shape: forgiving for wider feet and those who like space in the toe area, less ideal if you want a snug, narrow performance fit.

This is clearly the main selling point of the Fresh Foam X 1080 V14, and honestly, it lives up to the comfort reputation. From the first wear, I didn’t have any hot spots, blisters, or weird pressure points. No break-in period for me, just lace up and go. The cushioning is generous, especially under the heel, which is great if you’re a heel-striker or you just spend all day on hard floors.

The midsole feel is interesting: it’s soft enough that you feel protected, but not so soft that you feel like you’re walking in wet sand. For me, after about 10,000–15,000 steps in a day, my feet still felt okay, and my lower back and knees were less annoyed than in my flatter shoes. I also noticed that my plantar fascia wasn’t flaring up as much, which lines up with what one of the reviewers said. I’m not saying it’s a medical fix, but the combination of arch support and cushioning seems friendly to sensitive feet.

The upper adds to the comfort. There’s enough padding around the ankle without being overstuffed, and the gusseted tongue stops the laces from digging in. The toe box has room, so my toes can spread out naturally, which I appreciate during longer walks when feet tend to swell a bit. If you like a very snug, locked-down racing feel, this might feel a bit too relaxed, but for daily comfort it’s hard to complain.

One thing to note: the rocker heel can feel slightly weird the first day or two. I actually felt my calves and hips working a bit differently, like they were adjusting to the new stride. After that, it just felt smoother, but if you’re very sensitive to changes in shoe geometry, keep that in mind. Overall, for walking, standing, and easy runs, I’d rate comfort very high. For short, fast intervals, it’s fine but not exactly lively—this shoe is clearly built with comfort first, speed second.

The upper is made of engineered mesh with synthetic overlays, and it feels soft to the touch but not flimsy. The mesh has enough structure that the shoe doesn’t collapse like a sock when you take your foot out. That’s good if you hate fighting to get your foot back into a shapeless upper. The no-sew overlays help give some support around the midfoot without creating hard seams that rub.

The Fresh Foam X midsole is obviously the main material story here. It’s a thick slab of foam that compresses on impact and rebounds enough to keep you from feeling like you’re sinking. Compared to something like Boost foam from Adidas, this is lighter and less bouncy, more balanced. Compared to older EVA midsoles, it’s softer and a bit more forgiving on longer walks or runs. The bio-based part (they say around 3%) is too small to feel any difference; that’s more of an environmental detail than a performance one.

The outsole is rubber with a decent amount of coverage in the high-wear areas (heel and forefoot). After a few weeks on mixed surfaces (asphalt, sidewalks, a bit of packed dirt), I can see some slight wear on the heel edge, but nothing worrying. Traction on dry pavement is fine. On wet surfaces, it’s okay but not amazing—you need to be a bit careful on smooth wet tiles, but that’s the case with most road shoes anyway.

Inside, the lining and padding feel soft, especially around the heel collar and tongue. The gusseted tongue is a nice touch; it stays in place and adds to the locked-in feel without needing to crank the laces super tight. Overall, the materials feel solid for the price bracket: not luxury, but clearly above entry-level cheap runners you’d grab at a discount store. No loose threads, no glue stains, nothing that screams poor quality out of the box.

Durability is always a bit of a guess early on, but after a few weeks of use, there are some things you can already see. The outsole rubber is holding up pretty well so far. I tend to wear down the lateral heel first, and I can see a little smoothing there, but the rubber isn’t chunking off or anything. For a high-cushion shoe, I’d expect around 300–400 miles of decent life, and right now it looks like it’s on track for that, maybe more if you’re light and mostly walking.

The midsole foam hasn’t noticeably packed down yet. The cushion still feels similar to day one, which is a good sign. Some cheaper foams lose their bounce quickly and start to feel flat, especially under the heel. Here, after plenty of long walks and a few runs, it still feels protective. Over time, max-cushion shoes do tend to lose some of that plush feel, so I wouldn’t expect it to feel brand new past a few hundred miles, but that’s normal.

The upper is also behaving well. No tearing at the flex points, no frayed stitching, and the mesh hasn’t stretched out to the point of feeling sloppy. The heel collar padding still looks good—no collapsing or early creasing. I also appreciated that the gusseted tongue hasn’t started to twist or bunch up, which sometimes happens with poorly designed tongues after a while.

One thing to keep in mind: because there’s a lot of foam, if you’re heavier or you do a lot of high-impact running, you might compress the midsole faster than someone who mostly walks. Also, if you drag your feet or run on rough surfaces all the time, the outsole will obviously wear quicker. But for normal road use, the build quality and early wear signs suggest it’s a pretty solid daily trainer that should last a standard lifespan for this category.

In terms of performance, I used the 1080 V14 for a mix of activities: 30–60 minute walks, a few 5–8 km runs at an easy pace, and just general daily wear. For easy runs and long walks, it does its job well. The rocker plus the thick foam makes the transition from heel to toe feel smooth, and I didn’t have to think about my form too much. It’s the kind of shoe you can put on when you’re tired and just want something that won’t punish your joints.

Where it’s less impressive is when you try to pick up the pace. When I tried some short strides or tempo-ish efforts, the shoe felt a bit bulky and not very responsive. It’s not dead, but it doesn’t give you that snappy push-off you’d get from a lighter, firmer trainer or something with a plate. So if your focus is speedwork or racing, I’d look at a different model. Here, the priority is comfort and protection, not performance gains.

Grip is decent on dry roads and regular sidewalks. I didn’t slip or feel insecure. On wet pavement, it’s acceptable but not outstanding. I’d avoid slick painted lines or smooth indoor tiles if they’re wet, but again, that’s true for many road shoes. Stability-wise, for a neutral shoe with a lot of foam, it’s reasonably stable. I didn’t feel like I was wobbling, even on slightly uneven paths. However, if you severely overpronate or need real stability features, this isn’t a support shoe; you’d need something more structured.

For daily training, especially if most of your running is easy pace and you walk a lot, the performance is solid. It absorbs impact, helps you roll through the stride, and doesn’t beat up your legs. For racing or fast workouts, it’s more of a backup option than a go-to. It’s basically a comfort-oriented daily workhorse, not a performance rocket.

On paper, the Fresh Foam X 1080 V14 is New Balance’s flagship neutral cushioned road shoe. Translation: it’s meant to be the one shoe you can use for most things—walking, easy runs, maybe some longer runs—without going into race-shoe territory. The midsole is the Fresh Foam X, which is their squishier foam, and they say it has about 3% bio-based content. That’s not going to save the planet, but at least they’re not ignoring the topic entirely.

The upper is synthetic mesh with no-sew overlays, and there’s a gusseted tongue, which basically means the tongue is attached on the sides so it doesn’t slide around and it helps keep small debris out. The closure is just standard laces, nothing fancy like BOA or weird quick laces. The outsole is rubber, as expected for a road shoe, and the whole pair is around 2.1 pounds according to the listing, which feels about right for a heavily cushioned daily trainer in a women’s size.

This version is the V14, so it’s not a first attempt. New Balance has been tweaking the 1080 line for years. Compared to previous versions people complained about being too soft or too loose in the heel, the V14 feels like they tried to clean up the fit and make the ride a bit more controlled. I can’t speak for every old version, but versus a friend’s V12 that I briefly tried on, the V14 feels a bit more structured in the upper and slightly less mushy in the midsole.

In practice, this shoe sits in the same category as something like the Brooks Glycerin, ASICS Gel-Nimbus, or Hoka Clifton: high-cushion, neutral, road-focused daily trainer. So if that’s the kind of shoe you’re used to, you’ll understand where this one fits. If you’re coming from flat minimal shoes, this will feel like a mattress on your feet in comparison.