New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 vs 1080v11 Comparison Shoe Review
The main difference between the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 and New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v11 is that the 1080v12 features a new and improved upper, with pressure-reducing heel counter and a supportive lockdown to chase your running goals, while the 1080v11 has a more minimalist heel counter. The trade-off for additional support is that the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 comes in at a slightly higher weight, but still sits under the 300 gram mark.
In this review Josh explains that like it's predecessor, this new generation is a neutral high mileage running shoe and provides heel striker-friendly engineering with the strategic placement of durable rubber on the outsole. A broader platform underfoot increases stability and a higher stack height complements the softer cushioning, with Fresh Foam X offering an ultra-plush running experience.
It's a fantastic option for runners that are seeking a do-it-all running shoe and are keen to enjoy up to 3 or so running sessions on the road per week.
Check out the review with full transcript below.
Hey guys, Josh here from Sportitude Running. It's shoe review time and today we're going to be talking all things New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12. There’s a lot to like about this shoe. New Balance have addressed every single area regarding the outsole, midsole and upper. In today's review we're not going to leave anything out so without further ado let's get stuck in.
Runner Profile
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 running shoe is a high mileage shoe that’s dialled in for that neutral runner. You can run in it if you're a mild overpronator but we would suggest considering the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5.
However, we're talking about the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 today and this shoe has an increase in stack height that’s jumped up to a 36mm heel and 28mm forefoot.
The Fresh Foam X cushioning system is incredibly plush. Right from the entry point through to midstance and toe-off you experience a very smooth transition in the 1080 franchise and nothing has changed with New Balance 1080 v12. However, the biggest update is the increased support in the upper.
I love what they've done with the heel counter. The arch is nice and dialled in and the Hypoknit construction does everything you want a knitted fit to do in this shoe.
Being a cushioned shoe it's going to give you plenty of satisfaction out on the road for those long days and you can even whack it on your foot for a short tempo run to get a bit extra protection. There's a lot to go through today and I can't wait to dive into all those minor details.
Outsole
First things first, let's start with the outsole. I like to see really good coverage in a shoe like this with rubber protection and New Balance have that right.
I'll dial in on these slightly different compounds of rubber. At the back of the shoe you can see that U-shape with the grey rubber construction. It offers a slightly denser rubber with a bit more durability on offer in comparison to the orange section. Therefore it's going to provide a little bit more protection for those heel strikers.
When we talk heel strikers, generally speaking they hit the ground with a little bit more force than we see with midfoot and forefoot runners. Therefore, you need to have a slightly more durable rubber on offer at the back for that entry on heel strike.
Coming through to the midstance section, New Balance have increased the width of the platform not only in the midstance region or the midpart of this shoe, but also through the front half. There’s a little bit more surface area which is going to provide more stability, and that plays into the midsole construction which we'll touch on in a second.
Looking at that rubber through the front half, you have two and a half flex grooves on offer which is going to provide a little extra rocker as you transition through to your toe-off. This shoe traditionally has been a mild rocker through the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v11 and 1080v10. Nothing has changed regarding the 1080v12. It offers that smooth pop out of your toe-off with the execution of the rocker sole through the front half and that's playing the part with those flex grooves being in those positions.
The other thing to note is the coverage of the outsole. The lateral column is going to provide extra stability for those late-stage supinators. That is the minority of runners out there but if you're a supinator and you're looking for a mileage shoe you could be having a conversation around the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v12 potentially being a successful shoe for you.
The other piece of the outsole is that slightly more durable rubber on the front which is the same compound as the heel. That really touches the ground and to be completely fair there's not a lot of runners out there that utilise that front part of the rubber as they're exiting out of the gait cycle. New Balance place it there to protect it from some unusual wear.
Midsole
Moving to the midsole of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v12, let's start off with the stats first. As I touched on, there's an increase in stack height with this shoe. New Balance have gone to a 36mm heel and a 28mm forefoot for a variance of 8mm in the heel-to-toe drop. That's a slight jump on last season by 2mm, offering a little bit more shoe underneath the foot.
It is a neutral shoe so on the medial side we have no additional blended support system and it is the same geometry on the medial side as it is on the lateral side. New Balance have been very clever with how they have engineered their Fresh Foam X technology using that convex and concave setup.
A slightly more cutaway concave engineered philosophy on that lateral side is going to provide a little more compression on entry for heel strikers and midfoot strikers. When a runner comes through to their midstance phase with that convex setup on the medial side, we're not going to see as much compression through the gait cycle.
The other thing to note is it does look very similar on the lateral side to the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5 and a lot of runners can make the mistake of confusing the two. However, on the medial side the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5 has a blended support construction. If you want to watch the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5 Review I’d say jump onto it, but we're back to talking all things New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 today.
As we have touched on it has a very plush cushioning system. We've put it on a few runners and staff members downstairs and had a conversation about this shoe. I was lucky enough to do some wear testing going back four months ago with this running shoe before it came to market.
The first thing I picked up on was it's definitely softer. I thought it might have been because of the increased stack height but the general consensus among our staff is that the geometry has slightly changed and we feel that New Balance have made it a little bit softer. The trade-off is by making it softer they've increased the stack height, so they don't want to sacrifice too much durability.
If you engineer the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 with the same stack height as the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v11 and make it softer then there's going to be a question mark on durability. By increasing the volume underneath the shoe and softening it up a little bit it’s going play hand in hand with a see-saw effect and hopefully keep it as durable as version 11, if not a little bit more.
Let's just talk about the performance of the midsole. As I touched on we have a really nice entry point for your heel strikers and your midfoot strikers, and like the last few 1080s there is that mild rocker on play through the forefoot. From landing through to your midstance transition you get a really good connection with the ground. When you come through to your toe-off phase of your gait cycle this mild rocker is going to take a little bit of load off your metatarsal heads, making those long days out on the pavement that little bit easier by providing a really smooth exit out of your gait cycle.
Upper
Moving to the upper of this shoe, this is arguably where most of change has occured. As we have touched on, the outsole offers more surface area with slightly more durable rubber. There’s an increase in the stack height through the midsole that has made the running shoe a little bit softer.
Coming to the upper there was a couple of areas that New Balance needed to address and they addressed it really well. Straight off the bat the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 has one of the best heel counters I have seen on this franchise and I love what they have done.
We have that little Achilles flare so there's less pressure on the base of your calcaneus for your heel. In the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v11 there was a really minimalistic heel counter that a lot of runners really liked, but there was also quite enough runners globally that said, hang on this is not working for us. New Balance listened and addressed it with the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12.
We have a one-piece internal heel counter. This plastic piece runs right up around the back of the shoe and finishes on the lateral side. A good internal heel counter construction is going to provide a great amount of support for that runner that comes down on entry point, whether heel or midfoot running and it's going to keep that foot nice and stable. We can lock it in with that extra eyelet at the back of the shoe. If you're a runner that likes to utilise the heel lock lace, go for it. Use it and you'll get a really decent lockdown.
The other thing I like about this shoe is the gusseted tongue or the cradled support you get over your arch. The lace coverage of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 isn't massive. We see a lot of other comparable shoes like your Asics Gel Nimbus 24 and your Brooks Glycerin 19 where the laces come a little bit further down the foot. That's to provide more support for that arch to lock in that transitional support when you're going through your midstance phase.
However, New Balance have come back a little bit in their lacing system because the gusset deconstruction in this shoe is absolutely perfect in my opinion. It's a great lockdown and it's not tight. You get a really good secure fit but because they have that gusseted construction right, you can slightly reduce the amount of lace coverage that you require to get the right amount of support with a high mileage neutral shoe. That frees up the toe box a little bit.
The Hypoknit construction is a strong, durable material with really good breathability. That's always been that hard balance with a lot of brands. They use knitted constructions because they feel great and they're really pliable with the conformed fit you can get through the toe box, however they can feel a bit heavy and they can be a little bit hot on the foot.
New Balance have got it right. This is a perfect amount of durability and you get great ventilation through the foot, especially the toe box and up through your arch.
One piece that we do need to address is the fit and feel of the toe box. Last season I was fluctuating between a D or 2E in the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v11. I could have gone either way and I would have been pretty happy regardless.
If you're a runner that was floating between a D and a 2E in the men’s model or a B and a D in the women’s model for example, I would suggest in the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 to entertain the narrow width.
In the perfect world you'd try them on at your store. If you're not lucky enough to be able to jump in a car and go to a store that's close enough or convenient enough to get to, you can have a LiveFit video chat with us that we do with people all around Australia to help you find the right fit. We’d love to help you out – it’s about a 10 – 15 minute conversation and we’ll see if we can do everything we can over a video call.
In terms of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12, a slightly narrower option would be the way to go. It is a pretty generous toe box and since the laces finish further up the Hypoknit construction we found it to be a little bit deeper. That's going to be great for a lot of runners but I think that some people will probably opt for the narrower width in that toe box.
We have three widths in the men's model in Australia, being the D width which is standard, 2E and a 4E. In the women’s model we only have two widths which is still decent, with B being the standard width and D being slightly wider.
There are whispers that New Balance might be throwing a fourth width into the men's model and a third width in the women’s model. We'll confirm that at a later date.
I love it when brands make widths. They care, it’s as simple as that. When they put the time, effort, money and resources into engineering a shoe and then only make it available in one width, it restricts the opportunity for other markets.
I really like it when brands manufacture their premium shoes and make it available for you the runners out there, so if you happen to be narrow or wider you can find the right dialled-in fit for you. The New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 is no different.
The Wrap Up
In summary of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12, let's address one topic of discussion that is going to be brought up in stores all around the world. It has gone up in weight. It's okay though, don't hit the panic bucket at home. We have 292 grams for a men's size 9.5 in comparison to last year which ran in 265 grams for men’s size 9.5. It’s a little bit of a jump, however we can't have it all.
We've asked New Balance as a running community to make this shoe more durable and provide more support up top in the upper and to do that we expect a little bump in weight. That’s OK because it is south of 300 grams. When we see mileage shoes and they're south of 300 grams in my opinion, I think that's a tick. That's obviously upset some of you out there but the majority of you are going to be happy with the overall performance and trade-off with that little bit of extra weight.
If you're an Asics Gel Nimbus 24 wearer or if you've used Hoka One One Clifton or a Saucony Triumph previously and you're looking for another comparative option, the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 should come into your conversation.
It is a mileage shoe designed for the runners looking for that extra cushioning on the pavement. It’s a great shoe for those people who potentially want a shoe to do it all. If you’ll be running once, twice or maybe three times a week this running shoe is going to be absolutely fine. Anything over three times and we should be having that conversation about shoe rotation.
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If you have any questions, theories or queries on the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v12 or the other shoes we've talked about in any of my reviews please contact our Sportitude shoe experts. I'd love to hear your comments from all around the world so let us know how you're going.
Until next time stay safe, be kind to one another, happy running and we'll see you out on the road. Take care.
FEATURES
- Support: Neutral
- Upper: Knit
- Midsole: New Balance Fresh Foam X
- Heel Height: 36mm
- Forefoot Height: 28mm
- Offset / Drop: 8mm
Men
- Weight: 292g / 10.3oz (US 9.5)
- Width: D (standard), 2E (wide), 4E (extra wide)
Women
- Weight: 234g / 8.3oz
- Width: B (standard), D (wide)