New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 vs 860v12 Running Shoe Review
The main difference between the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 and the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v12 is the softer sensation underfoot with the re-engineered midsole. Eco-conscious runners will also love that New Balance have put recycled materials into play to decrease your carbon footprint.
Josh explains that what makes the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 stand out from the pack is that it offers balanced cushioning. Sitting between a max cushioned running shoe and a lighter, more responsive shoe, the New Balance 860v13 provides a sweet spot of plushness and springiness to crush your daily training and longer distances.
As a stability running shoe, it offers overpronator-friendly engineering and less intrusive arch support compared to its predecessor to smoothly transition across the phases of your gait cycle.
The upper has been updated with a gusseted tongue and refined internal heel counter for a distraction-free, locked-in fit. The breathability stays honest to the previous model with engineered mesh wrapping your feet for on-the-go cooling.
A durable outsole provides plenty of coverage to protect the Fresh Foam X midsole. Both plush Fresh Foam X and the snappier FuelCell technology have been transferred over from some of the most popular running shoes in the New Balance family to create a high-performing ride.
With a variety of widths on offer from standard to extra wide, New Balance are backing their engineering and catering to a broad community of runners, making it easier to find your ideal fit.
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New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 - Mens Running Shoes -
New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 - Womens Running Shoes
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New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 - Womens Running Shoes
Check out the review with full transcript below.
Hey guys, welcome to Sportitude Running. My name is Josh and today I'm going to be doing a running shoe review for you the running community. We're going to be talking all things New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 and we're going to compare it to where it has come from with the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v12.
New Balance have in my opinion executed one of their best updates in a few years. It’s almost as good as what they did from the New Balance 1080v9 to the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v10. We saw a huge uptake with that shoe across the market all over the world and I feel we're going to get the same sort of feedback regarding the New Balance 860v13.
It has a big upgrade in the midsole, a couple of alterations regarding the execution of the upper and obviously the outsole complements what they have done with the cushioning system in the New Balance 860v13.
In today's review we'll dive into all those fun parts, profile the foot type and give you some comparisons to other shoes out there that come in the same conversation as the New Balance 860v13. We’ll give you all the information that you need at home to maybe make this your next shoe purchase. Let's get stuck in.
Foot Type
Before we get into the engineering features of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13, let's talk about the foot type that could be considering this shoe. It's designed for an overpronator. That's the foot type that comes in on entry and as you transition through midstance you have a slight tendency to favour that medial side of your foot.
Therefore, New Balance have strategically placed a little bit of dual density foam under that arch to provide that element of transitional support for overpronators. If you don't know what foot type you are, check out What Type Of Running Shoe Is Best For Me? which discusses all the foot types out there.
Who Is The New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 For?
The other thing to keep in mind with this running shoe is that it is a cushioned shoe. It's not technically a max cushioned shoe like the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo which has a little bit more cushioning underfoot.
However, I certainly think this running shoe is going to come into a lot more conversations now than what it did with the New Balance 860v12 because of the execution of the Fresh Foam X cushioning system. It is a lot plusher under the foot and we'll dive into that in today's review a little bit later on.
With that amount of cushioning it's going to be targeting someone who's looking for more plushness, who's heading out the road 30 minutes, 60 minutes or an hour and a half. It’s for a runner that's putting plenty of kilometres out on the footpath and searching for a really nice ride underneath their foot with a lot of protection.
Upper
Jumping into the fun part of our review, let's talk all things engineering with the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13. First things first, let's jump to the upper because there's quite a bit of change with the newer version in comparison to where it was last year with the New Balance 860v12.
Let's talk about the heel counter. Side by side, you can see they're pretty similar regarding the height on offer in reference to that heel counter. We still have that internal heel counter.
It’s a good structural piece that wraps from the lateral side above your Achilles insertion point, your calcaneus, and comes back on that medial side. It’s a really good and solid heel counter which I like and it's not too intrusive. We have that little Achilles flare which is pretty similar to what we had last year although they have refined it ever so slightly.
There’s a really good amount of memory foam on the inside of this collar. It’s not the softest material but it's certainly not the most abrasive. There are some brands that use a softer lining in reference to protection of that heel collar. There’s no issues from my end, I’m just calling it out.
For example, I’ve said this in a lot of Brooks shoe reviews gone by that they really do use a fantastic material up top. However, New Balance have also got it right.
As you're coming through to the mid part of this shoe, we have a gusseted tongue on offer. This means the tongue itself is attached just below the line of laces at the front. We then have an elastic strap that connects the tongue to the midsole on the lateral side as well as the medial side.
We didn't have that in the New Balance 860v12 last year. I don't think it was a catastrophic thing that made people not buy this shoe, I just think it's a great value add. If you're really conscious of how that arch fits and feels and making sure you get the right amount of lockdown, the tongue movement can create some form of discomfort for a lot of runners.
I feel that it's an important part if a brand can add that into the engineering of the shoe. Generally speaking I rarely find a runner that doesn’t find a gusseted tongue comfortable or useful, but we tend to find a little bit more questions when brands don't put them in. That's probably me just being a little bit subjective regarding not having it last year, but it’s a great tick that they've got it this year.
As you're coming through to the forefoot, there’s engineered mesh on offer. It’s a very similar fit and feel regarding the width and depth of the previous model. I don't think they've altered anything there which is probably a good thing because a lot of the changes come underneath the shoe itself which we’ll touch on in two ticks.
It has the appropriate amount of width on offer from your first metatarsal to your fifth which is the widest point of your foot.
New Balance for a couple of decades now have been known for executing widths really well and it’s no different with the New Balance 860v13. We have a few widths on offer which is fantastic.
There you have it, it’s a really good refined upper with breathable engineered mesh hugging your foot in the right areas, especially across that saddle with a gusseted tongue and a fantastic execution of the internal heel counter at the back.
Outsole
Let’s jump to the bottom of the shoe and talk all things outsole. When you have a really good midsole like they have with New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13, the outsole plays such an important part regarding protecting that asset.
New Balance have created a really good amount of coverage. They have roughly the same amount of coverage from the New Balance 860v12 to the New Balance 860v13 with reference to the surface area.
You have your harder wearing rubber on that entry point for your heel strikers which is pretty common for most running shoes. They really do want to protect the back half of the shoe itself, and that's speaking to the majority of runners. The majority of runners heel strike and that’s totally fine, you just want to protect the first entry point.
As you come through to the midsection of this shoe, we have decent coverage on that medial wall that complements what they've executed regarding the midsole posting. As you're coming through to the forefoot, we have almost two and a half flex grooves on offer.
In reference to last year, there was a flex groove that went the whole way through on that on forefoot and that was a requirement because the midsole wasn't quite as soft last year so they needed to make the shoe a little bit more flexible on toe-off.
That's how brands can execute a little bit of a nudge and encouragement on toe-off, just by having a deeper flex groove through your outsole and that's what they did last year with New Balance 860v12. It was not required this year because the midsole is a little bit softer, especially through the forefoot.
Midsole
Let's talk all things midsole. No new technology has been used in the execution of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13. We have the Fresh Foam X cushioning system and we also have an element of FuelCell technology. Both of those cushioning systems or midsole technologies have been used for a few years now across multiple different shoes in New Balance’s range.
However, when they put them together and they execute them in a way they have done in the New Balance 860v13, it can make for a very comfortable, very high performing shoe. I really think since my time in selling these shoes almost coming to two decades now, the 860 series has always been a really honest, solid and reliable performer.
However, I've never really been super excited about this shoe. I've always known what it can do and what it does for a lot of runners, and I have a lot of confidence as do our team at Sportitude Running to offer that shoe to the appropriate runner and walker out there.
However, this year I think they've taken their midsole game to a whole other level. Let's talk all things specs first. We have a 10mm offset, the exact same as last year. However, there's a little bit of inconsistency regarding what New Balance is saying the stack height is with this year versus last year and a lot of confusion out there.
The New Balance 860v13 has a 27mm heel and a 17mm forefoot for that offset of 10mm. Therefore, it's not putting it into that max category and it's not certainly in that lighter responsive category. It really does hit that sweet spot for what we classify as a balanced cushion shoe.
10mm is a pretty common offset for a lot of shoes out there, but we're seeing a tendency for brands to come down a little bit lower, entertaining that 8mm and 6mm drop. That being said, with the New Balance 860v13 being on a 10mm drop and last year's model being on a 10mm drop, the New Balance 860v13 is probably going to run a little bit lower in offset because of the density of foam.
Last year we had Fresh Foam X placed on the top layer of the midsole in the New Balance 860v12. It really didn't take up a lot of the shoe. It had a little bit of insertion through the heel unit and then gradiently went down through midfoot to the forefoot for an element of the Fresh Foam X cushioning system. It was noticeable when you first put your foot in the New Balance Fresh Foam 860v11 going back a couple of years now.
However, when you step into the New Balance 860v13, you know you have a cushion shoe on your foot. It's going to improve that first fit and feel for a lot of people out there and it's obviously going to offer a lot more cushioning.
When I referenced before about them both being on a 10mm drop, I think the New Balance 860v13 will run slightly lower in regard to the offset. You're going to get a little bit more compression on entry for heel strikers, so therefore it may perform a little bit more like an 8mm heel-to-toe drop.
That being said though, New Balance have probably counterbalanced that with the FuelCell technology on offer through the forefoot. It's a top layer FuelCell and as it comes through it really does fill out the majority of that front half cushioning system. FuelCell for those of you that aren't aware is New Balance’s more responsive foam.
Fresh Foam X is a really soft cushioning system that provides plenty of compression on entry, but the FuelCell gives a little bit more back. Therefore, yes it might sink a little bit more in entry but New Balance might be counterbalancing that exit with that FuelCell technology to give you that plush push off on toe-off.
Well done to New Balance because I've done a couple of clicks in my New Balance 860v13 and I think they've got it right. It's really balanced, it's consistent and I feel like I've got enough cushioning and certainly enough response on toe-off.
Last year I felt the New Balance 860v12 was a little bit firm for me personally. I know a lot of people that have used the New Balance 860v12 and have certainly enjoyed it.
There might be a deeper conversation when they come in to upgrade their running shoes, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I found that shoe to be a little bit too firm for me and that's OK. I'm not saying what I require is the absolute gospel in regard to shoe technology, but I really like what they've done with the New Balance 860v13.
I wouldn't be doing the full midsole review if I didn't touch on the medial side of this shoe. When we turn around the New Balance 860v12, there’s strategically placed dual density foam on the medial side. It’s a little bit lower from the foot and it's glued into position through that medial side to provide that arch support for your overpronator.
However, with the New Balance 860v13 we have a slightly shallower arch support on offer. It’s still roughly the same density and we'd probably agree that it's not too dissimilar to what it was with the New Balance 860v12, but there is a little bit less of it. That means you get a more cushioned feel underfoot experience.
When I put this shoe on I can certainly feel there's a bit of arch support but it's by no means as noticeable as last year's version 12 which I think is a good thing. Having the arch support there being less intrusive is bang on.
Relevant Statistics: Stack Height & Weight
Let's jump into some key statistics of the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13. The stack height first as we touched on offers a 27mm heel and 17mm forefoot for that offset of 10mm both in the men's and women's model.
The other key change regarding the overall engineering is the weight. I love it when a brand can execute a lighter engineered shoe from where it was last season but not sacrifice support and they by no means have done that.
They've kept a really good posted shoe with a great cushioning system. However, they’ve taken the weight down a lot. In the men's model we have 309 grams for size 9.5. In the women’s model the size 7.5 comes in at 243 grams.
In reference to last year, the men's model was up around 324 grams and the women’s model was 254 grams. It's fantastic to see brands drop their weight, keep the engineering there, keep the stability and the cushioning on point as well. New Balance have done exactly that.
Similar Shoes To The New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13
I want to talk about a couple of other shoes out there in the market that are very similar to the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13. Being that it's covering that category of mild overpronation, it has a good amount of cushioning underneath the foot. It’s not a top shelf cushioning system because we're talking about a running shoe that offers a really balanced ride underneath the foot.
When we're referencing that, we're talking about the Asics GT-2000 10 (above) soon to be version 11, and also your Mizuno Wave Inspire 18 soon to be version 19. Both of those running shoes have a mild posting on the medial side and all three running shoes use different techniques, technologies and engineering to execute that. It's not an over intrusive arch support on offer.
They have a pretty balanced approach to their midsole execution. There’s enough cushioning but an element of response through toe-off.
In my humble opinion, one thing I wanted to call out that puts the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 out of that silo just a fraction is that when you're talking about shoes under $250 that are targeting an overpronator, this is the most cushioned shoe in that category.
Your Asics GT-2000 and your Mizuno Wave Inspire have a really good execution regarding dampening impact on your footstrike depending on whether you’re a heel, midfoot or a forefoot runner.
The New Balance 860v13 in my opinion is sitting on its own. It’s a really cushioned, very balanced shoe. I think New Balance have absolutely nailed the brief with the New Balance 860v13 and I'm so excited to have more deeper conversations with our running customers about what this shoe can do for them and their training.
The Wrap Up
In summary, I know this has been a slightly longer review than what I usually do but when I get excited about a shoe that generally takes place. The New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 is very cushioned and great for mild overpronators.
It's going to talk to a lot more runners out there. I love what they've done regarding all the improvements across the outsole, the midsole and the upper in comparison where it was last year with the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v12.
A bit of a shout out to New Balance, they are one brand out there just like a few others that are making an extremely conscious effort with reducing their carbon footprint. Across the outsole, the midsole and the upper, there are components of recycled materials that have been executed and strategically placed into this running shoe.
When brands are making conscious effort in that space, I tip my hat to them. I say congratulations and keep up the good work. In years to come hopefully we have a model with recycled materials being executed in 100% of the shoe. I know brands are doing it now but obviously there is a transition period. Well done to New Balance for what they have achieved with the New Balance 860v13 across all fronts.
If you have any questions about this shoe specifically or require any deeper detail regarding where it's come from with the New Balance 860v12 to the New Balance 860v13, please contact our Sportitude shoe experts.
If you have any other questions regarding your running shoe selection by all means let us know. We'd love to hear it from you the running community all over the world. Subscribe to the Sportitude YouTube channel if you haven’t already and we’ll keep pumping out running shoe reviews to help with your shoe purchases.
Until next time stay safe, be kind to one another, keep chasing those PBs and we'll see you out on the road. Take care.
FEATURES
- Support: Stability
- Upper: Engineered Air Mesh
- Midsole: New Balance Fresh Foam X, New Balance FuelCell
- Heel Height: 27mm
- Forefoot Height: 17mm
- Offset / Drop: 10mm
Men
- Weight: 309g / 10.9oz (US 9.5)
- Width: D (standard), 2E (wide), 4E (extra wide)
Women
- Weight: 243g / 8.6oz (US 7.5)
- Width: B (standard), D (wide), 2E (extra wide)
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sold out
New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 - Mens Running Shoes
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sold out
New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 - Mens Running Shoes
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sold out
New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 - Mens Running Shoes
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New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 - Womens Running Shoes
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New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v13 - Womens Running Shoes
For a more in-depth shoe fitting experience, you can book a free 15 minute video chat in a Live Fit session or make an appointment to discover your RunDNA at Sportitude Running@Hindmarsh.
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