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New Balance’s range of running shoes is is vast and contains great options for any kind of runner, whether you’re looking for a comfortable cushioned shoe for training or one of the best carbon plate running shoes for racing.
For training the New Balance 1080v15 and New Balance Rebel v5 are both popular options with runners, while the SC Elite v5 is the fastest racing shoe in the brand’s line-up.
Check out our round-up of the best running shoes available right now
Head to the YouTube channel for reviews of those shoes and many more New Balance running shoe reviews, plus comparisons to other brand’s shoes and race tests.
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The Best New Balance Running Shoes 2026
New Balance Rebel v5
Price: £140/$140 | Weight: 225g/7.9oz (UK 9) | Drop: 6mm
The New Balance Rebel v5 is a shoe that offers a high level of versatility that will suit a wide range of runners. It has a lightweight design but is still highly cushioned and protective, and also very wide throughout the length of the shoe, which makes it stable for long runs at easy paces.
It excels for daily training, being able to handle everything from easy plods to tempo efforts, and if you’re a one-shoe runner it’s also light enough for faster sessions and races, though we’d prefer to be in a more speed-focused shoe for that ourselves.
The Rebel v4 is also still available and while not quite as cushioned as the Rebel v5, it shares many of the same qualities in terms of performance, so it might be better value to find a deal on the older shoe.
Within the New Balance range the Rebel v5 offers a cheaper alternative to the likes of the Balos, which is bouncier and more rockered, and the 10180v14 and More v5, which have more cushioning underfoot.
Read our full New Balance Rebel v5 review
New Balance 1080v15
Price: £170/$170 | Weight: 262g/9.2oz (UK 9) | Drop: 6mm
The 1080 is New Balance’s most popular cushioned shoe, and the 1080v15 is the latest model in the line and a big update on the 1080v14. It features a new midsole foam called Infinion, which is lighter and more responsive than the Fresh Foam X used on past models of the 1080, and it helps make the 1080v15 one of the lighter cushioned daily trainers on the market.
It’s not as cushioned as the New Balance More v6, or as versatile and light as the New Balance Rebel v5, but the 1080v15 splits the difference well and would be the best option from the brand for new runners.
Read our full New Balance 1080v15 review
New Balance Balos
Price: £200/$200 | Weight: 251g/8.8oz (UK 9) | Drop: 6mm
The Balos is a bouncy shoe with a midsole made from a blend of PEBA and EVA materials and it delivers one of the most enjoyable rides of any shoe on the market.
As well as being springy, the Balos has a smooth ride thanks to the pronounced rocker on the shoe, and it’s feels more cushioned than its listed stack height of 38.5mm at the heel, and 32.5mm at the forefoot. It’s at its best when you’re cruising through long runs, but we found that the Balos works pretty well for interval sessions as well, though the soft foam does compress a little over the course of faster efforts.
The price is high, unfortunately, which does reduce the appeal of the Balos compared to the Rebel v4, which you can use for similar runs even though it’s not as bouncy and fun as the Balos. It’s the standout cushioned shoe in the New Balance range for us if you don’t mind splashing the cash, and the kind of shoe that makes you look forward to running, but for £200/$200 we’d normally be looking for a more versatile super-trainer like the Asics Superblast 2 or a plated shoe like the Hoka Mach X2.
New Balance SC Elite v5
Price: £260/$250 | Weight: 210g/7.4oz (UK 9) | Drop: 8mm
New Balance makes bigger changes than most brands to its flagship racer each year, and the SC Elite v5 is a very different shoe to the SC Elite v4. For us, it’s a better racing shoe, with a lighter, nimbler design that has a faster transition from heel-to-toe and a more propulsive ride.
In our testing we found it basically combined the SC Elite v4 and SC Pacer v2 into one shoe that’s better than both. The SC Elite v5 is lighter than the Pacer and faster than the SC Elite v4, and the best racing shoe in New Balance’s line-up for any distance.
However, it’s not as stable and comfortable as the SC Elite v4, which had a lot of fans as one of the more accessible super-shoes on the market thanks to its wider, cushier design. We’d rather have the faster feel of the SC Elite v5 ourselves, but some will miss the SC Elite v4, and when it comes to lightweight speedsters we feel the SC Elite v5 loses out to a few options from other brands.
New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15
Price: £140/$140 | Weight: 275g/9.7oz (UK 8.5) | Drop: 6mm
The New Balance 880v15 is a max-stack cruiser that offers a cheaper alternative to the 1080v14 for your daily miles. It’s not a squishy or exceptionally bouncy shoe, but it makes the miles fly by a little more easily, though it’s not a particular versatile or fast shoe as it’s quite large and heavy.
It’s a big update on the previous model, which had a lower stack and more traditional ride. The 1080v14 has a more energetic midsole foam and a more versatile ride that can handle faster paces better, but the 880v15 will save you a bit of money and offers a high level of comfort for easy and long training runs.
New Balance SC Trainer v3
Price: £230/$180 | Weight: 278g/9.8oz (UK 9) | Drop: 6mm
The SC Trainer v3 is the plated super-trainer in New Balance’s range, offering an alternative to the plate-free designs of the Rebel and Balos for your fast training runs. It uses the same PEBA/EVA foam as found in the Rebel, but has a higher stack height along with the carbon plate, and it’s designed to excel during marathon training when you’re regularly doing long runs at steady paces.
Nick and Kieran tested out the shoe and both found it a great option for long workouts in particular. Compared to the top super-trainers from other brands, like the Hoka Mach X2 and Saucony Endorphin Speed 4, the SC Trainer v3 isn’t quite as fast, springy or lightweight, but it is comfortable and has the versatility to do almost all your training in. It would also be a reasonable racing option for runners who want a more stable plated shoe.
The price is crazily high in the UK, however, and we’d look at options like the Speed 4 and Mach X2 ahead of it based on both performance and value. It’s a good shoe that can handle a range of speeds and comfortable for high mileage, but you can buy some outstanding full carbon racing shoes for less than £230. In the US the price is more reasonable and in line with the SC Trainer v3’s rivals, and it is an excellent option for marathoners, if still slightly outgunned by our preferred plated trainers.
New Balance Fresh Foam X More v6
Price: £150/$155| Weight: 291g/10.3oz (UK 8) | Drop: 4mm
The New Balance More line has delivered some of our favourite max-cushioned shoes of recent years, with Tom in particular being a huge fan of the comfortable easy day cruiser. The More v6 lives up to the high standards of the line, delivering a highly cushioned and comfortable ride that’s ideal for easy runs.
To ensure it’s still a stable shoe given the soft midsole and high stack, the More v6 has a wide base and sidewalls of foam, while the rocker profile helps to ease you through your footstrike. It’s not a shoe you’d pick up for any kind of fast runs, but for logging a lot of miles at easy paces, it’s the best option in New Balance’s range, and one of the best from any brand.
New Balance Propel v5
Price: £120/$120 | Weight: 265g/9.3oz (UK 8) | Drop: 6mm
The New Balance Propel line has been known for delivering great value, and the Propel v5 continues that fine tradition as the entry-level option in the FuelCell range. It’s a daily trainer that offers a mix of comfort and versatility thanks to the soft midsole foam and TPU plate that runs through it.
We did a mix of training in the shoe, including some interval sessions along with general easy runs, and found it performed well for daily runs at a relaxed pace, but that the midsole was a bit too soft for faster efforts. The plate in the midsole seems mainly designed to stabilise the soft foam rather than improve performance, and the shoe lacks the propulsive feeling you need when pushing the pace as a result. The foam compresses a little too much and doesn’t bounce back. This might also be a problem if you’re a heavier runner who needs a bit more support underfoot.
Stick to more relaxed training runs, however, and the Propel v5 will work well and it is certainly good value compared with other options in the New Balance line-up. If you want a more capable trainer that can handle your speedwork, then the Rebel v4 would be a better pick.
New Balance Hierro v9
Price: $155 | Weight: 311g/10.9oz (UK 9) | Drop: 4mm
The Hierro v9 is a highly-cushioned trail running shoe that has an improved outsole compared with its predecessor, making it more capable across a wider range of terrains. The dual-density Fresh Foam X midsole has a softer top layer and a firmer bottom one to deliver both comfort and stability on the trails, and the upper is also well-padded to give the feel of a cushioned road shoe.
Nick enjoyed the Hierro v9 when running on a variety of winter trails in the UK, including mud and icy tracks, and while it’s not the most nimble shoe or one that’s ideal for technical mountain tracks, it can handle most other trails thanks to the 4.5mm lugs on the Vibram Megagrip outsole. It’s great for road-to-trail runs too, and a perfect option for trips away when you need a comfortable hiking/running shoe and you’re not sure on the terrain you’ll be tackling.