New Balance 1080v13 Running Shoes Review

The New Balance 1080v13 running shoes have quickly established themselves as one of the most popular daily mileage options around. We’re slightly late to the party with this review, but we thought we’d share our thoughts on how they perform, and why everyone seems to be enjoying them so much. 

New Balance 1080v12 vs New Balance 1080v13

The latest edition of New Balance’s flagship daily mileage running shoes feature some impressive updates. The first, and most notable change, is the new Fresh Foam X midsole foam. Not only is the foam lighter, it offers more energy return. The stack height is also higher, and the drop is slightly lower. This means there’s more of the Fresh Foam X foam under your feet.

There’s also an updated outsole design and flex grooves. Now while the outsole rubber and flex grooves sometimes get glossed over, this is a very important update in the 1080v13 running shoes. That’s because the new design promotes a lot more forefoot stiffness and helps to smooth out transitions from landing to take-off. This reduces the likelihood of the foam ‘bottoming’ out and negating the rocker effect created by the curved heel-to-toe geometry. 

Not only does the upper look much better to the eye, it now features an engineered air mesh with no sew design. There’s also a gusseted tongue that completes a second-skin-like fit. We think the almost retro looking logo brings a touch of class to the upper too. 

How do the New Balance 1080v13 fit?

The New Balance 1080v13 fit true to size. However, the upper delivers a sock-like sensation, and this translates into a relatively snug fit. To expand on this point, the upper doesn’t feel tight, but it definitely feels compressive around the foot. I’ve got a pretty broad forefoot, and it doesn’t pinch at all during a run. But, I did opt for a thinner sock with these, as a thick sock just felt a bit strange with the close fitting engineered mesh. 

The ankle lockdown could be slightly better. Although, this is one of the most subjective areas of running shoes. It’s amazing how much opinions differ when it comes to this part of an upper. The main thing is that it feels secure and comfortable out on a run. It’s also worth noting that the gusseted tongue promotes great midfoot lockdown, so your feet feel secure. 

How does the new midsole feel to run in?

There’s no surprise the New Balance 1080v13 running shoes are popular - the cushioning feels amazing. The step-in comfort is seriously impressive, as the cushioning feels soft and plush. Out on a run, the cushioning feels really resilient and bouncy. You can also feel the effect of the rocker, as it rocks your feet forward very smoothly and delivers a propulsive toe-off sensation. 

As a result of how the cushioning feels, the 1080v13 running shoes perform over a range of paces. The midsole feels ultra plush when you’re taking it easy, and then energetic if you pick up the pace. We’re not saying these are for intervals, but you can definitely use these for some light tempo work. The stack height also means they offer a lot of protection and comfort for longer distances too.

Summary

No running shoe can do it all, but these are one of the most complete daily mileage running shoes we’ve reviewed at Run4It. While these offer just as much protection as models such as the HOKA Bondi, Brooks Glycerin, and On Cloudmonster, the New Balance 1080v13 cushioning feels softer, bouncier, and lighter. Even though they don’t feature a super foam, I’d say these are the closest running shoes to the Nike Invincible that I’ve tried. However, as the stack isn’t as high, and they’re not quite as soft, they feel more stable. 

To wrap up this article, New Balance has done a fantastic job with the updates to the 1080v13 running shoes. It’s a tough job making a foam feel as soft, bouncy, and stable as this. And I’m not sure why you wouldn’t enjoy running in these. At £160, they do sit at the higher end of the price range. However, there aren’t very many running shoes that deliver this level of performance.

Shop New Balance 1080 Running Shoes.

Finlay McAndrew Finlay has worked for Run4It since 2010 and has a degree in Applied Sport Science from Edinburgh University. When Finlay isn’t talking about running shoes, he enjoys training and racing. Having raced 12 Ironmans, including two Ironman World Championships in Kona Hawaii, he knows a thing or two about how to train and why the right kit matters. His highlights include an 8 hour 42 minute overall time at Ironman Barcelona in 2019 and a 2 hour 53 minute marathon at Ironman Mallorca in 2021. And yes, that run was done in carbon plated super foam running shoes.