New Balance Fresh Foam X More v4

• Posted on 4 May 2023
• By Running Lab Staff
• Posted in Fresh Foam, Fresh Foam X, High Cushion, Max cushion, More, More v4, neutral, New Balance, Road running
• 0

The New Balance Fresh Foam X More v4 utilizes more Fresh Foam than any shoe to date, stacks it higher than ever before, and distributes it across the length of the shoe, offering a plush, yet stable underfoot experience. The combination of dramatic cushion zones and drastic flex zones promotes a natural stride while the rocker profile promotes a seamless transition resulting in a smooth ride. All of this sits beneath an engineered mesh upper that keeps you locked in with breathable comfort and support. Along with all of these features, the More v4 meets New Balance's green leaf standard with the upper being made of 50% or more recycled content, and at least one midsole/outsole material containing a minimum of 5% recycled content, helping reduce our carbon footprint. 

Check out what our reviewers, Blake and Jacob think about their experience in the More v4.

SUPPORT: Neutral
STACK HEIGHT: 38mm (heel), 34mm (forefoot)
HEEL TO TOE OFFSET: 4mm
WEIGHT: 9.3 oz (264g) women's / 10.9 oz (309g) men's
USE: Everyday running, walking
SURFACE: Road, lifestyle

ON THE RUN

Jacob: I haven’t felt a run so soft before. As I went on my daily run, I really noticed the cushion under my foot. It was like running on two marshmallows. They’re not too heavy either so I don’t feel like I had to sacrifice speed for comfort.

Blake: I loved running in this shoe. Every stride felt comfortable and my strike felt relatively consistent with the ground. Fresh Foam X feels more responsive without the same amount of weight as previous models which led to a great run every time. One thing I noticed was that on more curved and jagged landscapes I found the shoe to feel a little inconsistent due to its larger base. Also, the shoe did not perform well in more slippery conditions. But despite those two downsides, the shoe felt great underfoot. Even through slush and snow, the shoe didn't collect anything under the outsole and still felt responsive and nimble. Other than the base being slightly large and wide, I did notice the shoe felt slightly heavy at first but that feeling went away relatively fast during the multitude of runs I took this shoe in. This shoe felt amazing to run in and after testing it out, I would consider this as an option for a daily trainer in my rotation. Despite the small flaws I found with the shoe, I don't want to stop running in it and the good outweighed the bad.

FIT

Jacob: The toebox on the shoe felt wide enough to where my toes had room to be comfortable. Landing right on my midfoot was so soft thanks the the Fresh Foam X technology. The length and heel cup felt super comfortable as well. My one complaint is the tongue of the shoe. It has a tendency to fold in on itself at times during my run, but it’s not a big issue at all. The shoes run true to size in my opinion; my 10.5 feels like it fits well.

Blake: The toe box feels more than accommodating. Especially compared to other shoes in its category, this is the wider than I'm used to. I feel super comfortable and not enclosed within the shape of the shoe. The only thing of note about the toe box was that there is a small amount of fabric near the big toe that condenses down on the foot while walking. I did not notice this when running but when casually walking I found it fairly noticeable. The More feels super held in place within the mid foot of the shoe. Just the perfect amount of snugness. My heel felt comfortable and locked into place. I did notice that in the ankle part of the shoe the heel cup does ride a little high, which I feel is commonplace for most New Balance shoes but still led to slight discomfort. One of my favorite aspects of the More v4 is the tongue. It feels practically invisible on foot. While running or walking it doesn't move around or rub uncomfortably. The upper is super breathable but not in a cold way. It retains in temperature by keeping the feet cooled when on foot for long periods of time. As well there is a slight stretch to the upper making it feel very comfortable and form fitting. As far as the sizing, I would say this shoe runs slightly small because I feel perfectly comfortable in most 9.5's and a size 10 felt like it fit very comfortable. I would try them on side by side to compare for yourself. But if you are between two sizes, I would recommend to slightly size up in this shoe, especially if you are using it for a daily shoe. 

CUSHION

Jacob: The cushioning is the main selling point of this shoe! It’s so soft and squishy like I’ve never felt before. I have never had a shoe with this much foam at the bottom but I don’t know if I can ever go back now!

Blake: The soft feeling of the More v4 was unreal. Plush and responsive is really all I can say for the amount of Fresh Foam X they are able to pack into this shoe. A little dense for me and would say that running in this shoe did feel slightly draining in the beginning. Due to the weight I felt like it was slightly heavy but not to an extremely uncomfortable amount. Just slightly heavier than expecting which definitely led to this shoe feeling more average.

STABILITY

Jacob: The shoe has a nice wide base which helps keep me stable. My foot feels secure and I can rely on the fact every step will be a good one.

Blake: It is a neutral shoe and doesn't have any elements you might see in a stability shoe.  I feel like the base of this shoe leads it to feeling slightly too large which I feel make my stride a bit inconsistent. Each stride feels consistent with the ground but overall the oversized sole is a slight detriment to the performance of the shoe. 

SPEED

Jacob: I would recommend this shoe for long runs or treadmill runs because of the cushioning. When I hit mile 10 in these shoes my feet still feel as good as on mile 1!

Blake: This is definitely a long/daily runs type of shoe. If you are training and consistently running a large amount of miles this is a great shoe to feel supported in every step of the way.

COMPARISON

Jacob: I think a similar shoe would be the Hoka Bondi due to both having a lifted heel and a higher stack height. The difference is that the Mores won’t have quite as much of a rocker platform as the Bondi, but with the raised heel and toe it can feel very close.

Blake: This shoe is so similar to the Invincible version 1 and Bondi 8. The shoe is large and comfortable for long miles but I do feel like the fit of the More's upper completely blasts those shoes out of the water. While the soles of all three of these shoes are comparable to one and another and for long miles they feel perfect, the upper almost feels invisible while on foot and not to mention that this shoe looks amazing and sleek as well! 

PREVIOUS VERSIONS

Blake: I found this shoe to be an improvement on all fronts from the More v3. It is lighter, more responsive, better designed, and most importantly more comfortable. Not even a comparison.

WHAT WE THINK

Jacob: This shoe is for anyone who wants a good comfortable run that’ll feel good every step.

Blake: I would recommend this shoe to everyone. Anyone looking for a daily trainer or long run shoe to feel comfortable in the entire time. I also would recommend this shoe to people who are standing on their feet for long periods of time. Spending time on feet and working in this shoe is a great experience.

MEET YOUR REVIEWERS

Jacob

20 year old
Wears men's size 10.5
I ran at Howell and was a captain of the Track and Cross Country Teams, and I can’t imagine my life without running. I have been running since 8th grade, and I fell in love immediately. I work at The Running Lab in Brighton, which only enhances my love for running. Being able to learn some tricks about running that I didn’t know before had changed my view on the sport. My favorite thing about running is the feeling when you’re at your lowest during a race. Finding whatever you have left in the tank and giving it your all is a feeling that I can’t even put into words.

Blake

22 year old
Wears men's size 10
I work at the Running Lab and have been for over a year and a half now. I have been running during this time working here and have a vast knowledge of shoes. Not to mention that I have also done reviews for others shoes for the Running Lab as well. My favorite thing about running is the shoes, the things that keep us going because they are truly built to support us. I also love to see the growth of the shoe industry over time as well, and seeing what shoes have and will become is my favorite thing about running.