New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1 Review
By Matthew Klein, David Salas, and Andrea Myers
New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1Price: $199.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 9.2 oz, 261 g (men's size 9), 7.3 oz, 207 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 38.5 mm / 32.5 mm
Drop: 6 mm
Shoe Purpose: Maximal Cushioned Trainer
Pros: Moderately Soft and Resilient Foam, Good Width
Cons: Lower Volume Upper Over Toes, Scratchy Tongue, Extreme rocker geometry may not work for midfoot/forefoot strikers
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1 is a max cushioned daily trainer that has a very prominent rocker geometry. With a large heel bevel, early forefoot rocker, and sharp toe spring, the shoe provides a prominent rolling sensation and encourages quick push off. The PEBA/EVA blend Fresh Foam X midsole feels soft and protective and the creel mesh upper hugs the foot, but does sit low over the toes. The severity of the camber geometry may make this shoe work better for heel strikers than midfoot or forefoot strikers. For the right person, the Balos v1 is a plush, lighter weight daily trainer that appears to have greater than average outsole durability due to its high coverage rubber outsole.
SIMILAR SHOES: New Balance 1080 v13
PAST MODEL: New Model
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Fresh Foam X Balos fits me true to size in my normal men's US size 10. The width is slightly wider throughout especially in the forefoot. This is offset by a lower volume that almost made the shoe feel short. Fortunately, the forefoot is wide and the upper does stretch a little. This transitions into a normal to slightly wide midfoot. The tongue is elastic and strongly gusseted, creating a secure lockdown with the need for overly tightening the laces. The tongue was scratching against bare skin, so socks are a must with this shoe. The rearfoot is normal in width with a fairly stiff counter. There is a decent amount of heel collar cushioning so all those with the biggest sensitivities should be fine. The combined lower volume and well-gusseted tongue make for good security on turns. Thus, this upper will work best for those who are ok with a lower volume but want a little more width in the forefoot.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: Saucony Guide 17, ASICS Kayano 30, Hoka Gaviota 5, Saucony Endorphin Elite, Nike Ultrafly
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Saucony Kinvara 14
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Altra Timp 5
David: The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos fits true to size in my men's 9.5. The shoe has a decently comfortable and plush upper that still provides a good lockdown. The width in the heel and midfoot are normal with the forefoot being on the wider end. The volume is normal to slightly low, giving a snug-ish fit throughout the shoe. The tongue is made of an elastic material that mainly gives that lower volume feel to it. It hugs the foot pretty close but does not provide any irritation or rubbing. The shoe has a stiff heel counter with a moderate to highly padded heel collar. The lacing system pulls the materials in well and gives a good secure fit throughout. The length of the shoe is dialed in well, but may run a tiny bit short. There are some sidewalls from the midsole that blend into the rearfoot and early midfoot. The overall fit of the Balos is pretty comfortable throughout. The only thing that might be deterring for some is the stretchy and form fitting tongue.
David's Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit David well: Nike Vomero 17, Saucony Ride 16, Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Shoes that have fit snug: HOKA Arahi 7
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon Aero Glide
Andrea: The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1 fits true to size in my usual women's 9.5. While the shoe has plenty of length for my big toe, the toe box feels lower volume due to the sharp toe spring and thicker knit material on the perimeter of the forefoot. The toe box has enough width that I did not experience any discomfort at the ball of my foot, but I did get mild bruising of my big toenails due to the lower volume upper. The midfoot fits comfortably snug and the rearfoot is normal width, with a secure fit due to the rigid heel counter and moderate internal padding that is thicker over the Achilles area than the medial and lateral aspects of the heel. The tongue is thin, stretchy, and gusseted. This certainly contributes to the snug midfoot fit, but I did not find it uncomfortable. I would have really liked the fit of the shoe if it were not for the toenail discomfort due to the low volume toe box and sharp toe spring.
Andrea's Typical Size: Women's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit Andrea well: New Balance Beacon v3, Brooks Hyperion Max, Topo Cyclone 2, Nike Vaporfly 3, Altra Via Olympus 2
Shoes that have fit snug: Saucony Kinvara 14 (length and toe box width), Altra FWD Experience (length and width), Hoka Cielo Road (toe box width), Saucony Endorphin Speed and Pro 1-3 (length)
Shoes that have fit large: Adidas Boston 12 (length), Adidas Adios 8 (length)
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: No
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: No
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Minimal
How Flexible is the Shoe: Minimal
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: No
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Above Average
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos is a maximal, highly rockered, PEBA/EVA blended trainer and recovery shoe. The platform is highly rockered with a large heel bevel, a large forefoot rocker and mild flexibility. The midsole foam is a PEBA/EVA blend that feels soft, moderately resilient, compliant but not mushy. It is not as soft as the Fresh Foam in the 1080 and has a bit more bounce to it. This makes for a lively ride regardless of the pace. The large heel bevel has a lateral bias to it and may cause to you to land slihgtly more forward. This transitions through an easy midfoot and a mildly flexible forefoot. The transitions feel easy just like the pace this shoe does best. The larger size and softer foam make this shoe best for easy runs, recovery runs and long runs. The Balos v1 can handle some uptempo efforts but is not a great option for anything faster. I have done long runs, easy runs and two uptempo runs in this shoe and while not the fastest shoe, it has worked well at easier paces. and longer paces While resilient, the foam does not respond fast enough for faster efforts. This provides a bouncy and relaxed ride. The outsole has lasted well for how soft the midsole is. I have 40 miles on my pair with only initial abrasion on the outsole. For that reason, I suspect this shoe will last slightly above average compared to others. The Balos have plenty of exposed midsole foam, making it best for road and smooth surfaces only. Thus, those wanting a more resilient easy, long and recovery day shoe that is highly rockered will do best in the Balos v1.
David: The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos performed well, but it is not the shoe for me. I did enjoy the ride of the shoe, but there were some stability and personal impairments that kept me from fully enjoying the shoe, specifically through the midfoot.
The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos is built on a very rockered platform through the heel that is rounded nearly all of the way into the midfoot. The forefoot has a decent toe spring and forefoot rocker on it as well. The platform itself does have moderate flexibility when loading the forefoot. The midsole is a Fresh Foam X blend that is one of the softest foams I have yet to put on my feet. The material does have a good bounce to it and feels quite lively for how compliant the material is. The heel geometry does have a posterior lateral bevel that is so rounded that the shoe makes you feel like you are constantly pitched forward from the midfoot and forefoot. There is a noticeable medial shifting bias as well. This creates a feeling of always being forward and puts a decent amount of pressure into the intrinsic foot musculature and plantar flexors. The shoe is also lightweight and can create a pretty fun ride on foot.
So... why did it not work for me? I have been recovering from an achilles tendinopathy and plantar fascia injury over the last couple of months. Though I have been working on strength, stability, mobility, this shoe accentuated things. The forward and medially pitched platform, forefoot flexibility, and compliancy of the midsole did make me crash into that midfoot pretty hard each step. Though it was light and really fun to push off of the forefoot in this geometry, it just overworked those muscles on me much quicker than I'd like. I did have to take a day off of running after a few days of running in the Balos to let the foot rest. So I need to work on some intrinsic stability before returning back to this model. It's fun, but not for me at this time. Someone out there will really enjoy the shoe though.
Andrea: The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1 is a high stack, soft, extremely rockered daily trainer. The compliance of the Fresh Foam X made this shoe most comfortable for recovery runs for me. When I first received the shoe, I was concerned that the extreme heel bevel, early forefoot rocker, and sharp toe spring would not work well with my mechanics, and unfortunately, my concerns were correct. The extreme rocker geometry does not work with my midfoot strike pattern because I feel like as soon as I land, I hit the forefoot rocker and I am propelled into push off much too early. I found that to run more comfortably in the shoe, I had to land in more plantarflexion than normal, which felt very unnatural to me and caused some anterior knee pain. I ended up limiting my runs in the shoe to 6 miles or less because the unnatural ride and toenail pain I got from the low volume upper were too much for longer easy runs. Despite this discomfort, I did appreciate the underfoot protection and compliance of the thick midsole, but the Balos was not a shoe I enjoyed running in due to its incompatibility with my preferred movement pathway and the toe box fit issue.
A couple of my runs were on wet roads and the high coverage rubber outsole provided sufficient traction. I have 25 miles on my pair and the rubber shows almost no wear, so I would expect better than average durability out of the shoe.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos is a neutral shoe. There are elements that could make it stable but this is offset by the softer midsole foam. There are large sidewalls on the medial and lateral sides of the midfoot. These do provide some centeredness along with the wider midsole shape, especially in the midfoot. The rocker is huge, especially in the rearfoot. The large bevel makes for a more forward landing and progresses the foot forward. The softer foam somewhat offsets these elements, but this shoe was far more stable than I expected. It is still a neutral shoe that may still work for those who like the above elements.
David: The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos is definitely not a stability shoe. This is about as neutral as they come. The foam is very soft and compliant and the shoe has a medial bias to its geometry. The shoe transitions really quickly and makes your muscles be active and responsive through the whole gait cycle. The midfoot transition is quite impactful and can make your intrinsic foot muscles work really hard. The upper security is pretty good and I did not have any issues there. Outsole traction isn't too bad, though I think I would trade some of those rubberized EVA sections on the medial side for some actual rubber. Not so much for durability, but to stiffen the medial side of the platform up some. Those wanting a really soft lightweight neutral offering have it here, but those needing some stability may struggle some.
Andrea: The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos is a neutral shoe with extreme rocker geometry that actually reduced stability for my biomechanics as a midfoot striker, and could potentially do the same for those who land further back as well. The extreme heel bevel will cause rearfoot strikers to land further forward and to progress from initial contact to push off more quickly than in a less rockered shoe. For midfoot strikers, the extreme heel bevel and forefoot rocker contribute to instability at initial contact because the forefoot rocker starts significantly behind the 1st MTP, resulting in decreased stance time and too quick of a transition to push off, particularly in a shoe that is designed for easy running. While the extreme rocker geometry and toe spring may reduce work at the ankle and 1st MTP joints, I definitely felt more stress on my knees as a result. I would definitely not recommend this shoe for midfoot or forefoot strikers due to the instability it causes, and heel strikers with any stability needs should proceed with caution as well.
Thoughts as a DPT: Large Rearfoot Rockers
By Matthew Klein
The presence of a heel bevel is indicated by a curved heel. With taller shoes, these become important to facilitate forward motion at the initial contact and loading response phases of gait (initial foot impact and shock absorption, ie the first part of landing). Heel bevels are designed to imitate the curved heel bone (calcaneus) that creates the heel rocker mechanism. As (if) you land heel first, this curve helps facilitate forward motion, preserving energy and reducing tibial stress as the foot comes in contact with the ground. As shoes remove this factor, a rounded heel is recommended to maintain this important mechanism.
There have been many variations in heel bevel designs. Especially with the rise of maximal shoes, these are incredibly important to maintain a comfortable transition at the rearfoot (heel). There has been a large variety of designs with one of the more unique being the large and long heel bevel. Most bevels end at or below the heel, whereas the one in the Balos X ends almost into the midfoot. With a larger curve, there is some suggestion that this may shift the landing point or initial contact area forward. Brooks and Skechers were early adopters of this, suggesting that the bevel would facilitate more of a midfoot strike. While there is little evidence on whether this actually shifts the footstrike type completely, it may shift the landing point farther forward and decrease the contact angle of the foot.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: I have enjoyed my time in the Balos and found myself reaching for it far more than I expected. Contrary to David and Andrea's experience, I did not find this shoe unstable. It is not a stability shoe but the combined sidewalls, large rocker and wider base worked well enough for me to do longer runs in this shoe. With the softer foam it is not stable enough to get a stable neutral rating but is still solid despite that factor. My major recommendations revolve around the upper. I found the tongue scratchy enough that it caused me some blisters when my socks went too low. I would encourage New Balance to soften the tongue or use one of their well-executed ones from their other Fresh Foam shoes. The toe box height is the other issue. I would encourage them to increase the volume upfront as it will not make the shoe feel short. Vertical toe movement is important, especially with toe spring and mild flexibility up front. Outside of that, this is a solid first version!
David: I actually really liked the ride of the New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos despite my foot experience, though I do think there can be some improvements. For me the biggest thing was the stability through the midfoot. I think integrating a larger sidewall, sole flaring, or firming up the outsole in that region could all be subtle ways of improving the stability through the midfoot.
Andrea: Unfortunately, the New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos did not work with my mechanics and I suspect that many runners will have similar issues with the extreme rocker geometry. I think that New Balance should reduce the size of the heel bevel and forefoot rocker to make the ride of the shoe less severe. I would also recommend increasing the volume of the toebox, to lessen the impact of the toe spring on the toenails. Toe spring positions the toes in extension, so naturally the toe box will need more space to accommodate upward pointing toes. Topo Athletic provides numerous examples of shoes with toe spring that have sufficient upper volume.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1 is a lighter maximal training shoe for those who want a softer and more resilient foam with a highly rockered ride. The highly rounded heel bevel creates a more forward landing and the wider base offsets the softer foam. The ride will work best for those who want a little more bounce in their recovery, easy and long runs while having other shoes for faster efforts. The upper will work well for those with lower-volume feet who want more width in the forefoot. The Balos is an interesting first edition from New Balance that confuses me slightly due to the overlap with the 1080 v13, More v5 and SC Trainer v3. The lack of a plate makes it stand out more from this group as it does not feature a stiffening agent and still has a PEBA mixed shoe. While some may be concerned with the addition of PEBA into a trainer, the mix is not aggressive and keeps the shoe feeling oddly normal despite other crazier options of the market. Although priced a bit higher than necessary, especially compared to the cheaper 1080, the outsole is more durable than expected but we will have to get more miles before a full report. The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1 is one of the many super-esque training shoes to come to market. More will come and the variety of fit, ride and flexibility will become more important to fill the needs of the huge population of people out there.
David: The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos is a lightweight training shoe for those that want a really soft foam and a flexible rocker underfoot. The heel is very rounded and the shoe is certainly pitched forward to create a lot of action at the midfoot and forefoot. The Balos can easily serve as a daily training shoe for those that enjoy it. The shoe is light enough for some road workouts, but will serve best as a training shoe.
Andrea: The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos is a severely rockered, soft, high stack daily trainer. The extreme rocker geometry did not work for me as a midfoot striker and I would not recommend it for those who land further forward. Heel strikers should also proceed with caution, as the large heel bevel will result in a much faster transition from initial contact to push off than most runners are accustomed to. The $200 price tag does not feel justified for what is essentially a daily trainer, despite the shoe having a PEBA blend midsole. The Balos is an interesting looking shoe, but I think New Balance took the extreme geometry too far, which will greatly limit the number of runners who actually enjoy running in it.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: B+ (Good lockdown with slightly wider fit. Low toe box makes feel slight short and tongue can be scratchy)
Performance: B+ (Moderately soft and resilient foam best for easy, longer and recovery runs. Highly rockered ride shifts landing foward)
Stability: B/B+ [Neutral] (Wider Base and Sidewalls make for a more stable ride than expected for how soft the midsole is)
Value: B (Fairly durable shoe but high price for a non-plated, flexible, partially PEBA midsole)
Personal: B+ (I really enjoyed this shoe despite it not being the most stable. The mechanisms worked for me, especially the large heel bevel. )
Overall Design: B+
David
Fit: A- (Good lockdown and security throughout, runs a little short)
Performance: B+ (Fun ride that is incredibly soft. Good bounce and flexibility through the forefoot. Very unstable midfoot.)
Stability: C (The shoe has a good amount of medial bias on an already soft platform. The midfoot medially does not have much reinforcement and there is a lot of force each step going into the medial longitudinal arch and foot muscles.)
Value: B (I expect average, to potentially slightly less durability, as rubberized EVA parts already tearing up, should handle daily miles decently though)
Personal: C (I want to like the shoe. It's fun and lively, but my foot hurts running in it.)
Overall Design: B
Andrea
Fit: B (Low volume toe box combined with toe spring resulted in big toenail bruising. Otherwise, I liked the secure midfoot and rearfoot fit.)
Performance: C- (The extreme rocker geometry does not work for my mechanics. This shoe made me change my gait pattern to be somewhat comfortable and resulted in knee pain, which I almost never experience.)
Stability: C- (This shoe created instability for me and caused me to change my preferred movement pathway. Runners who land further forward will likely have issues in the shoe. New Balance took the extreme rocker geometry too far.)
Value: B- (While the midsole is soft, I would never have guessed it is a PEBA blend. The midsole feels more on par with the 1080, which is $35 less.)
Personal: C- (This shoe did not work for my biomechanics, causing knee pain, and the low volume fit of the toe box caused toe nail bruising.)
Overall Design: C
SHOP | SUPPORT DORNew Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1Price: $199.95 at Running Warehouse
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FURTHER READING
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Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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