New Balance isn’t a new company. The name comes from the company’s original business model envisioned by its founder William J. Riley. The company started as a footwear manufacturer specializing in arch supports and orthopedics. But in 1938, they created their first running shoe for the Boston Brown Bag Harriers. Twenty-two years later, they released the first shoe with different width options, the New Balance Trackster. The iconic “N” logo first appeared on the New Balance 320 in 1976. From there, the brand never looked back. These are our picks for the Best New Balance Running Shoes today.
This list does not include all of our New Balance running shoe reviews – just the best ones. If you want to see more, you can check out our New Balance reviews page or our running shoes reviews page.
To learn the differences between New Balance’s Fresh Foam and Fuelcell foam cushioning, check out our article that dives into the compounds, their purposes, and which is best for you.
All the shoes mentioned here are at the top of their category within the brand. We hope you’ll have an easy time finding the categories you’re most interested in. Just click the ones you want to read in the table of contents, and you’ll quickly see what we have to say about the best shoe from that category.
Please note that some of these shoes have width options. This will help you choose the best fit for you, which is critical for any footwear, especially running.
Updated: 11.14.2024
Best New Balance Running Shoes
- Best Neutral Cushioned New Balance Running Shoes
- Best New Balance Trail Running Shoes
- Best New Balance Marathon Running Shoes
- Best New Balance 5k or 10k Running Shoes
- Best New Balance Running Shoes – Honorable Mention
- New Balance Running Shoes to Avoid
- Best New Balance Running Shoes Now on Sale
- Best New Balance Casual Shoes
Best Neutral Cushioned New Balance Running Shoes
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4
The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 is New Balance’s most versatile and useful daily running shoe despite not featuring a higher end stack height. The Peba/EVA blend of FuelCell is bouncy and makes it easy to pick the pace (maybe too easy). The upper is accommodating and breathable. The Rebel v4 is also lightweight and stable with durable traction. It’s more shoe than previous Rebels but that makes it accessible to more foot types, and ultimately, more people. It’s one of 2024’s best all around running shoes. Read the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 6mm, Price: $140
New Balance Fresh Foam X More v5
The New Balance Fresh Foam X More v5 sports not only one of the biggest names you’ll find on the market these days, but also one of the biggest, plushest hunks of midsole $150 can buy. It improves upon an already beloved previous version (the More v4) with a more dialed-in fit, better outsole durability, updated aesthetic, and all the cushy, fun underfoot protection you could want without the risk of immediately rolling an ankle. If you already have a speed shoe in your rotation, the More v5 will take care of the rest of your daily, recovery, and long runs in seemingly bottomless amounts of comfort – and you’ll have fun covering those miles in the process. Read the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 4mm, Price: $155
New Balance 1080v14
The New Balance 1080v14 slightly tweaked the 1080 formula established with the 1080v13 resulting in a more durable but slightly less squishy experience. It’s a slight upgrade from the 1080v13 and continues the big (positive) change made to the 1080 line last year. It’s a solid daily trainer that provides plenty of comfort without letting you get lost in the mush. And it’s wide footer friendly because it comes in Wide and Extra Wide versions. Read the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 6mm, Price: $165
Best New Balance Trail Running Shoes
New Balance Fresh Foam X More Trail v3
The New Balance Trail More v3 is a more stable More v4 with a beefy, tacky, trail-ready Vibram outsole. It feels almost exactly the same as the road version but it’s beefed up with sidewalls that keep you on the footbed. As with the road version, it’s a very accommodating shoe, so narrow footers will want to size half down to get a tighter-fitting trail shoe.
This shoe is a great road-to-trail option because the cushion is just a touch firmer than the road version but still soft enough to work well on roads. There’s no rock plate though so keep that in mind if you run trails with big jagged rocks.
Some will fear turning an ankle in the Trail More v3 because of its high foam stack height but it has the stability to prevent that worst-case scenario. However, this is not the shoe for trail feel. The Fresh Foam always keeps you a bit removed from the travails of the trail.
Fit: True to size, Drop: 4mm, Price: $160
Best New Balance Marathon Running Shoes
New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v4
The New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v4 is a complete overhaul of the New Balance SC Elite line delivering improved cushioning and a better, easier to put on upper. It’s got plenty of pop from New Balance’s first 100% Peba midsole, a snappy geometry, and finds a nice balance between comfort and performance. The only problem with the upper is a weird floppy tongue that doesn’t always do what it should. And though the fit is accommodating for a racing shoe, a wide version is on the way just in case. To top it off, the outsole delivers on wet and wild surfaces Read the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 4mm, Price: $250
Best New Balance 5k or 10k Running Shoes
New Balance SC Pacer v2
The New Balance SC Pacer v2 feels just like a slimmed down SC Elite v4. Those that don’t need the super high stack of the Elite can get something a little lighter and livelier.
That said, the SC Pacer v2 is very squishy at the rearfoot and can be hard on the achilles for those that land on their heels. It’s also understandably clumsy at slower paces. But if your form keeps you on your toes or midfoot, then the SC Pacer v2 is a light, breathable shoe that’s an aggressive option for track workouts, 5k, and 10k distances (with the carbon plate placement partially to thank). The outsole grips in all conditions, and the fit is more of the 1-to-1 race variety that may put you between your normal size and a half size up.
Overall, if you’re light on your feet, very light in general, or a forefoot dominant runner, you could even take it up to the half or full marathon distances like some of New Balance’s elite women do.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 4mm, Price: $250
Best New Balance Running Shoes – Honorable Mention
New Balance Balos
The New Balance Balos calls upon a new, pronounced rocker shape (which New Balance terms a camber geometry) and a PEBA/EVA-blended midsole to create an experience that could wow some runners while leaving others lost in the squish. Bigger, more powerful athletes may feel the cushion bottoms out on them before they can enjoy the bounce or that the soft foam’s inherent instability limits the Balos’ use case too much. Others, however, may find the bounce is the defining feeling underfoot, particularly midfoot strikers and/or those who are a bit lighter on their feet.
With a $200 price tag, though, it may only be worth finding out which camp you fall into if you’re an early adopter of tech (aka, a shoe nerd) with some cash to burn. Otherwise, the team feels there are better options that offer more overall value and durability both at and below the $200 price point. So while the ride in the Balos is unique and fun (if it works for you), those willing to trade some of its novelty in favor of other models with their own intriguing personalities – such as the Asics Superblast 2, Puma MagMax Nitro, Brooks Glycerin Max, or even the Brooks Hyperion Max 2 and the New Balance SC Trainer v3 – will likely get more proverbial bang for their buck. Read the full review.
Fit: True to size, Drop: 6mm, Price: $200
New Balance SC Trainer v3
The SC Trainer v3 brings with it a new PEBA/EVA foam blend, a new plate shape with redesigned midsole geometry, a revamped engineered mesh upper, and a half-ounce decrease in weight. While it outperforms the SC Trainer v2 on various fronts, it doesn’t quite capture the bouncy magic of the original, nor does it keep pace with the fun and versatility of today’s top-performing super trainers.
That said, the SC Trainer v3 still offers excellent comfort and protection with an easygoing, dependable feel for high-volume training miles. The fit is TTS, and wide widths are available to better accommodate those needing extra room. See the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 6mm, Price: $180
New Balance 880v14
The New Balance 880v14 comes with the best cushioning the 880 has ever seen. It’s a reliable shoe with a basic upper that struggles to provide enough cushioning on runs above 6 miles. The traction is durable, it feels light on foot, and is quite stable. There are better options at the $140 price point like New Balance’s own Fuelcell Rebel v4 but long time 880 devotees will be happy with the improvements. It’s also a great shoe for beginners that comes in narrow, regular, wide, and extra wide making it one of the more accommodating models on the market. Read the full review.
Fit: True to size, Drop: 8mm, Price: $140
New Balance Running Shoes to Avoid
No current models are on the avoid list.
Best New Balance Running Shoes Now on Sale
No current high performing models on sale.
Best New Balance Casual Shoes
New Balance 574 Legacy
The New Balance 574 used to be a functional running shoe. Nowadays, for a casual shoe, it packs great value. The Legacy version sticks true to the original with an open medial EVA wedge that allows for more compression and comfort than other cup sole shoes. You can get different materials and textures with different colorways. See the full review.
Fits: True to size, Price $100
New Balance 550
The New Balance 550 is an old-school basketball sneaker first released in 1989. The 550 returned as a retro in 2021 where it sold out multiple times. The sellouts have continued in 2022 but some colorways are available for retail price on eBay. The classic look of this shoe draws people in and as usual, New Balance delivers impressive materials. See the full review.
Fits: True to size, Price $110
Thinking of a shoe we should add to the best New Balance running shoes list? Comment below or message us on Instagram or Twitter.
