New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v9 Performance Review

The New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v9 is an impressive revamp of New Balance’s almost decade-old flagship trail shoe. Nothing remains from the previous iteration, and that’s a good thing because the Hierro v8 was sloppy. Did all the changes result in a dependable, high-cushion trail shoe? Let’s find out.

What is the New Balance Hierro v9?

According to New Balance, the “Hierro v9 offers ultimate reliability for adventurous terrain, with technical features designed specifically for the trail runner.”

ULTIMATE RELIABILITY! That’s how it appears in my head. It’s definitely marketing speak, but reliability in a trail runner is incredibly important when you’re flying down a hill and putting your feet into precarious positions multiple times per minute. And with how ill-fitting the previous version was, this sends the right message to would-be buyers.

Cushion

Drew: Fresh Foam X’s durometer isn’t consistent so I never know how soft a Fresh Foam X shoe will be before it arrives for testing. The spec sheet can’t help me there. In the case of the New Balance Hierro v9, the midsole is apparently composed of two versions within the same shoe. A top layer that’s soft with a bottom layer that’s firmer. 

The midsole carrier doesn’t let us see how much of each layer is included, but the end result is a nice ride. The Hierro v9 offered me a plush feeling with every step, but it was nicely contained. This allowed the shoe to stay secure or stable with every footfall, even when terrain was dicey.

I found the cushion to be plenty for runs of 8-10 miles; and though I didn’t go longer than that, I think it will handle days in the high teens or low 20s without much issue. I also found it to be fairly well cushioned for some road sections. On the roads, it reminded me of the New Balance More v5 but firmer and more supportive.

The Hierro v9’s midsole should be able to soak up lots of trail running or hiking miles and keep the bottoms of your feet happy.

But Sam puts shoes through more technical terrain than I do, so I’m interested to hear how the Hierro v9 held up for him.

Sam: As Drew has noted, this midsole is much, much better than the previous version. With two layers of foam, you’ve got a lot to work with, but the combination creates a very plush and somewhat bouncy ride. It’s super comfy and has enough give to feel like a max-cushion trail shoe of old, without too much bulk to feel terrible on the trail. It’s definitely plenty of cushion and for sure an ultra option. The added pop to it is an extra plus. It reminds me of the New Balance 1080 ride and in some ways runs like a road shoe. A slightly rockered geometry also propels  your stride forward, which is nice. 

With a 42mm heel, it’s pretty stout underfoot and can feel a bit too much on more technical trails or descents. The general rule of thumb is the higher the stack, the less stable the shoe. I think that rule applies here. I was a bit unsure on my steep descents. It’s just a lot of foam to play with in those cases. This midsole is best suited on mellow and runnable terrain.

Support

Drew: My foot sat slightly inside the fat midsole of the New Balance Hierro v9 at the heel and midfoot, and then the reinforced TPU overlay in the toe provided all-around support up front. It’s a setup that means your foot should have an exceedingly hard time sliding off the footbed, and that was my experience.

The midsole also widens nicely at the forefoot providing an extra-large base for all those times I put my forefoot on shifting rocks. This is well done and feels helpful instead of bulky.

It’s still a high-stack trail shoe, so the lack of groundfeel did make me slow down and take extra caution with certain trails and footing. But overall, it’s much more stable than I expected when I originally saw the stack measurements.

Sam: I didn’t have an issue with support here. I thought my foot sat nicely into the Hierro v9 and secured down at the heel. The lacing system is pretty solid. The footbed is surprisingly spacious, and my feet didn’t feel too cramped up. It’s a fairly big base like Drew noted.

Like I mentioned earlier, it’s a high-stack shoe. Your lateral control is much less than something in the mid 30s or 20s (mm). That control lessens even more when you kick up the level of terrain. Keep that in mind depending on what type of terrain you run.

Traction

Drew: The Vibram Megagrip outsole on the New Balance Hierro v9 comes with 4.5mm lugs that are well spaced and angled. I found the Hierro v9 to provide reliable traction on dusty trails, and it handled a super snowy day much better than I’d expect out of a trail runner. It mirrored the performance I’ve gotten from Vibram Megagrip outsoles on other shoes.

Sam: Loved this outsole. It’s a Vibram Megagrip, so ever reliable. The pattern reminded me of the shape of the Hoka Mafate Speed 4, which is a favorite of mine. The multi-leveled traction pattern does a great job on soft ground and easily handles dry ground. It’s super grippy, and I love that New Balance didn’t mess around here.

Upper

Drew: The engineered mesh knit upper and gusseted tongue are a pretty standard setup for trail running shoes. The upper fits pretty tight over my feet (as is expected when a trail shoe is new) and there’s not much room above the toes if you prefer some clearance. The laces, especially at the midfoot, felt like they kept my foot in place well and really locked down my high arch.

I did experience some sliding forward in the shoe at first but was eventually able to break it in and get the laces right so that it didn’t happen again.

So while there’s not much to talk about with this upper, it provided me comfort and didn’t feel awful when I wore it for hours.

Sam: Like Drew said, it’s a pretty standard upper for these days. It’s breathable, dries pretty quickly, and on the lighter side. I did like the pliability of this upper and the stretch it provides. My foot didn’t feel suffocated like it can in other shoes. The tongue and lace combo also has some stretch which I liked to lock down.

It does get a little narrow towards the front of the foot, and I thought there was just a little too much TPU on the toe overlay. I felt this the most on downhills when my feet slid a little forward, which can get uncomfortable. 

One more thought: the darker green is a great colorway, and that’s always a plus.

Is the New Balance Hierro v9 wide foot friendly?

Yes, the New Balance Hierro v9 is wide-foot friendly – well, not really in the standard width as that doesn’t leave a ton of room. But it’s available in multiple widths. Men’s width options are Wide (2E) and X-Wide (4E) while the women’s width options are Wide (D) and X-Wide (2E). That’s enough for us to confidently say wide-footers can find a width that agrees with their feet.

Is the New Balance Hierro v9 worth $155?

Drew: Yes, $155, an unusual price point for the running shoe industry, is right in line with the retail price I’d expect from a trail shoe with a Vibram outsole, solid upper, and plenty of cushioning. The New Balance Hierro v9 delivers fair value at this price point.  

Sam: Definitely for the use you’ll get out of it. $155 is solid.

How to use the New Balance Hierro v9

The New Balance Hierro v9 is best used for short-to-long-distance trail running and hiking and will excel most for those who want more cushioning underfoot for their trail adventures.

New Balance Hierro v9 Summary

Drew: The New Balance Hierro v9 is my favorite Hierro yet and creates a really nice throughline from New Balance’s road shoes to its trail line. Runners who prefer New Balance on the road will find this is a natural candidate for any trail time they’ve got planned. It provides a similar feel but is beefed up in multiple ways to handle trails.

And while the Hierro v9 isn’t meant for racing or technical trails, it’s a great shoe to comfortably soak up all those summer trail miles.

Sam: I haven’t done a ton of running in New Balance trail shoes, but I was pleasantly surprised with the performance and feel of the Hierro v9. The midsole has a great max stack that doesn’t rely too much on firm cushioning and lets you get a little extra bounce and pop. I’d definitely say this shoe does best on smoother terrain and would caution you from the more technical sides; but if you’re out cruising some nice singletrack, these will handle great. I could see this being a nice 100-mile option.

Similar to Drew, I think if you’re a fan of NB road shoes, the Hierro v9 will provide an easy transition for the trails. If you like a super-cushioned and poppy ride, this is a great option for you.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 43, 6’6″ 200lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Sam Lohse (age 28, 6’0″, 170 lbs): Runs daily, sometimes morning/night doubles, with one rest day a week (typically). Hangs right around 40-50 miles a week in general unless in race-specific training. Races distances from 50K to 100 miles, almost always on the trails.

Disclosure

While New Balance did provide pairs of the Fresh Foam X Hierro v9 to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.