New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v13 Introduction
The newest version (v13) of the New Balance Fresh Foam 880 is a standalone shoe in its own right for comfy walks, grocery store visits and of course tracking those long miles.
The 880 is a neutral daily trainer ready to tackle your distance. The Fresh Foam X base provides soft comfortable landings while the NDurance rubber at the bottom gives you a firm grip to keep your feet planted on the surface you’re running on without being afraid of slippage.
A size 9 shoe comes in at about 300g or 10.6oz which is fairly heavy to sustain any fast paces for long, but with a 10mm heel-to-toe drop you can really feel toe-off that makes you almost want to run faster!
The upper is made from engineered mesh which allows for great breathability, comfort, and stretch for those longer runs where your feet tend to swell up!
The 880 could be compared to those of Saucony Triumph, Brooks Ghost/Glycerin or Asics Nimbus 25.
All shoes made for longer runs with comfort to last.
This shoe is made to leave a smaller carbon footprint from us humans on earth by using 50% more recycled material in the upper and 3 to 5% bio based cushion in the midsole.
The price point for the 880 v13 is a bit high if your looking for a standard shoe to run in but is fairly matched with the rest of the pack at $140.
New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v13 First Impressions
At first glance I loved the shoe. The simple New Balance style catches your eye with the big N on the side, it just draws you in.
The high stack height right out of the gate had me feeling ready to hammer some miles without even feeling it on my foot!
The first run I went on was a 5k distance, although at the time was on a treadmill. This shoe felt great. Midfoot landing or heel striking, it had enough cushion to soften the landing without compromising paces.
The upper material allowed my feet to breathe and the softness kept my toes happy the entire time without finding any bad rubbing points.
New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v13 Upper
The upper is made of 50% more recycled material that is engineered mesh to be soft and comfortable.
There are no overlays on the upper so you won’t get any odd contact points. The upper is very breathable yet holds your foot tight.
There is a new lace construction allowing for adjustable lacing and for better lockdown.
The heel counter is a bit raised to ride on the Achilles tendon and helps with heel slippage.
New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v13 Sole Unit
The new dual density foam of the 880 v13 is made of Fresh Foam X which is New Balance’s softest foam and a higher-density foam that gives you a bouncy feel.
The outsole of the shoe is comprised of Ndurance rubber that is set in specific wear areas to help the shoe last longer and give you great traction all the time.
With the 10mm drop you would think that you’d be rolling off the sole around turns but the setup of the two foams really keeps your feet planted inside the shoe.
The ride is very plush for long miles yet responsive enough to pick up the pace if need be! With a stable ride, these are great for any daily miles.
New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v13 Conclusions
The New Balance 880v13 is a staple shoe. It’s been around for a long time so you know what you’re getting with it before you get it.
I had a lot of fun in this shoe from treadmill runs, road runs, and even small trail runs! I suggest everyone get a pair of these for those recovery runs after race day.
They are super comfortable and grippy right out of the box. If I had any negative comments to give NB, I would look into gusseted tongue because, after a long run ( which could’ve just been me not having them too tightly laced ), I did notice the tongue sliding to the side and the laces contacting my foot.
One other thing I noticed after about 100 miles is the cushioning seemed to be more firm resulting in less happiness per mile.
I still use them daily but the fresh the box feel just isnt there anymore.
