Have you ever dreamed of running on top of marshmallows? We’ve seen ads that said this before and didn’t live up to the hype, but in this case, that’s almost the exact feeling. We are talking of course about the New Balance Fresh Foam More V4, the chonkiest, comfiest, bounciest thing going right now. We thought we’d seen big max trainers before, but New Balance was not satisfied with that so they built something that despite not actually having that much stack height, looks ginormous. That being said, the shoe is super fun to run in, it is really easy on the legs, and delivers exactly what you might need for your recovery.
Quick Details, Specs, and Availability
- Easily one of the best recovery day shoes out there, so much better than every Fresh Foam More prior.
- Weight – 10.6oz or 301g for a US Men’s 9, 9.6oz or 272g for a US Women’s 7
- Cushion – 35mm of cushion and a 4mm heel/toe drop
- Pricing – $150.00 USD
- Colors – 3 options for men and women with more coming.
Construction and Materials
- Upper – Uses a soft and breathable engineered mesh with reflective details for visibility.
- Midsole – The most amount of Fresh Foam X model on any New Balance shoe ever!
- Outsole – A decent amount of rubber coverage delivers a smooth ride and durability.
Performance Review
What we loved
The Fresh Foam More V4 is so easy to like because wow, it is so comfortable underfoot. First off, the upper is tremendously voluminous, there is so much space in the shoe so for those with wider feet you’re gonna love it. There is so much inherent stability because not only is the upper wider but the outsole flares out even more so you never have to worry about over-rotating. The upper itself is comfortable and that engineered mesh is plenty breathable. The giant N on the side act as support overlays for side-to-side stability. The heel counter holds you well and has enough padding to be comfortable without falling into the too much category which on this shoe is something you might expect.
The midsole here is obviously the big deal and New Balance is saying this shoe delivers 66% more cushion level than the Fresh Foam More V3. That doesn’t mean the stack is that much higher, it’s the cushioning level itself. On top of that, the shoe actually delivers more energy giving you a more up-tempo ride from prior iterations as well. So you get something that’s highly cushioned, but also has a little more of a kick to it delivering a really solid run experience. It is challenging to actually put into words what these feel like under foot and our first example of a marshmallow is the closest we can think of but another might be memory foam. When you first step out in these, you will be shocked at how relaxed your foot is as it sinks into that Fresh Foam X. Also note the shoe looks massive, but the stack is only 35-36mm which is well under some others on the market
The target for this is a couple of types of people. First, the folks that might lean towards something like HOKA and the Bondi, so think slower runners or those who need a little extra cushion to support themselves. Where the Fresh Foam More V4 is more successful is in the recovery area. If you have had a hard run the day before and you throw these on, that next day’s run becomes all the more tolerable. It is not going to be fast, but it is going to be comfortable and that is key on those recovery days.
What we didn’t
The biggest issue facing the New Balance Fresh Foam More V4 is going to be the width in the upper. If you are a wider foot or a medium width trending wider then the shoe will probably feel okay. Narrower or narrower to mid, this shoe is going to swim on you and that’s just not going to be a great experience. So the one thing that makes these a really great recovery shoe is also problematic for those who need a certain fit.
Overall Conclusion
New Balance has delivered a tremendously fun shoe with the Fresh Foam More V4 and we find ourselves going to it so much on those recovery days. This is not a fast shoe, but it is a stupidly comfortable shoe and when you need it to deliver, it does, which is all we can ask. It definitely works better for the wider foot because narrower feet will swim too much and the shoe will just feel too loose. Overall, we didn’t expect such a big change from New Balance on this, but we are really happy with the result and we will continue to spend a lot of time on these even after our review period is over.
Learn more on the New Balance website
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Check Out Other Reviewers Thoughts
As always, we gather together some of our favorite reviewers so you can get a well-rounded view of the shoe. Here are our favorites.
