New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v14

• Posted on 6 August 2024
• By Running Lab Staff
• 0

THE INTRO

Featuring New Balance's Stability Plane technology, the 860v14 is a supportive workhorse great for overpronators and anyone else just looking for a little support. With a rocker and a Fresh Foam X midsole, you're sure to have a supported and balanced ride for all the miles you want to throw at it. 

THE SPECS

Support: Stability

Weight: 10.9 oz / 309 g (men), 8.6 oz / 244 g (women)

Stack Height: 29 mm in the heel, 21 mm in the forefoot

Midsole Drop: 8 mm

Cushion Level: Mid

ON THE RUN

Blake: I honestly enjoyed running in this shoe. For the handful of occasions when I ran in this shoe I didn’t even notice it on my feet. I even had the same experience of it disappearing from my feet when I was walking in the shoe. I spend almost as much time paying attention to trying to feel the shoe as the run itself. Thus this is a large compliment to the shoe because I wouldn’t say that about most options on the market. It is the perfect balance of having something that allows you to run at your most comfortable without changing anything about your run. Smooth and precise like a bird swooping down to grab a fish from the water. Once you go half a size up, the upper has the perfect hold on the foot that you don’t have to adjust on the go. It’s a secure and seamless ride that I would recommend for most runners. The 860v14 cushioning was great and inherently lightweight enough that it didn’t feel like you were lugging a tie around. For everyone who does not want to use an insert to adapt to the foot’s movement, this shoe will give you that feeling of being supported without an insert. A shoe that bridges the gap between supporting overpronators, as well as neutral runners who like their arch-supported. Specifically, the 860v14 supports you where you need it most, if you put a ton of pressure on any specific part of the medial posting it will ensure you're supported with excessive control. For the dedicated daily trainer, the 860v14 excels at consistent support making running fluid and uninterrupted. 

THE FIT

Blake: The 860v14 is a curve lasted stability shoe with some fit flaws but an overall comfortable feel. The toe box is rather short plus slightly narrow compared to other New Balance running models. I’d recommend going up a half size from where you normally fit yourself to accommodate your foot. When looking at the heel cup it feels secure and comfortable. Non-interfering to the point I would say it’s easy to put on. Once your foot is placed in and laced up it’s just like a seat belt you are strapped in and ready for action. The length is just slightly shorter lengthwise than the previous model but the upper fits slightly tighter alongside it making it a tighter fit. The tongue has the perfect fit due to the full gusset, the foot feels uber-secure. At the same time, most of the upper may feel slightly restrictive. The tongue is the perfect hold on the foot, not too tight, and or loose! Overall the upper of this shoe is much tighter than the previous model but still secure. There is the perfect amount of stretch once you size up which I love. To a greater extent of restrictiveness than what I consider the perfect fit, I still love the shoe nonetheless. 

THE FEEL

 Blake: The midsole of the 860v14 is extremely soft and comfortable. When people talk about a seamless ride that feels like you're running on a cloud, this is exactly what they are talking about. With the stability plane, the shoe feels balanced and for most people who don’t supinate excessively, this will create a great ride. Imagine your foot sinking into a memory foam mattress. The way the 840 grabs your heel takes that memory foam feeling of being wrapped around on all sides, while the forefoot gets a precise supportive pad.

The stability in the 860v14 is extremely stable. The stability plane excels in this shoe and feels extremely controlling to the perfect degree. This may be too supportive to people who excessively supinate. In contrast for the interest of every other runner, whether their neutral or stability runners, the 860v14 will support them to the fullest degree. 

THE NITTY GRITTY

Blake: Any run would be great in this shoe! I wouldn’t say it excels exceptionally at tempo runs or racing but I would still choose it for those runs. I feel comfortable and confident running in it and would choose any distance lower than a marathon for this shoe. Unquestionably you would be comfortable running up to that distance in that shoe but it wouldn’t be my first pick when it comes to response in a race. It is a vast improvement in the 860v13 because New Balance eliminated the largest problem I experienced with the shoe. This was just a medial posting that wasn’t extremely adaptable. This had the correct pronation support but is the most basic version of support you can put into any running shoe. When every brand around New Balance has made more adaptable support for people who pronate it was just stale compared to everything else. Version 13 was rather heavy making running in the shoe an alright experience. Everything was an improvement with the 860v14 when comparing it to its predecessor. This new update made some real big advancements in that it adapts to the foot's movements due to the added support of the stability plane. I would describe the update of 860 from 13 to 14 as the same as the iPod to the iPhone. A clear advancement in every sense of the term, with one footnote to make sure you just size up in the shoe. I can’t forget to mention that this was a slightly better mix of stability than what you feel running in the Vongo v6. The mix of the two-density foam just around the medial side separates the two shoes from one to the other. 

THE RUNDOWN

Blake: For anyone who doesn’t excessively supinate the shoe isn’t a great pick. For all neutral runners, this shouldn’t feel like your typical stability shoe as the midsole adapts to what you will need. Running in it you won’t feel over-supported or under-supported. It is a perfect blend of the two, I’d recommend it for anyone especially anyone who overpronates and needs a little bit of that extra love. Soft without feeling unstable and the perfect weight for any run. The 860v14 is that daily trainer option, dependable and consistent. I’d probably not recommend it as your performance shoe for the marathon. But when considering the training up to that distance, this shoe would excel at anything you needed it to do. I love the upgrades that have been established within the midsole of the shoe. And the only thing I would change about the shoe would be to give it a slightly more accommodating toebox.

Wherever your feet will find you, this shoe will comfortably support you. This shoe gets a thumbs-up approval from me!

Get your own pair HERE!

MEET BLAKE 

Blake is a runner even if he acts like he isn’t. He likes long walks on the beach and Arnold Palmer.

Favorite shoe of all time: Nike Air Mag (because who doesn't love Back to the Future)