New Balance Men's Fresh Foam X 1080 V12 Running Shoe Review

I have been running for thirty-plus years, logged over 26,000 miles, and have done plenty of races from 5k up to half-marathons and have gone through more than 50 pairs of running shoes. Bottom line on these shoes (admittedly after only five runs, 20 miles:1) CUSHIONING - on my runs these so far, these feel a little LESS cushioned than my older NB1080V10s, but are not overly firm by any means, just not as plush as the older version V10s. Compared to other running shoes I've used recently like Brooks Ghost, these NB are fine so far.2) FIT - I wear a size 10 running shoe (like my older V10s) but had to go half a size down to a 9.5 on these, because the size 10 was a little too long. Width - standard width is fine for my feet, which if anything are slightly narrow in the mid-foot where you lace the shoes. Once laced up these are snug and don't move around at all and the heel is snug enough also. Great fit for my foot. The elastic on each side of the tongue that holds it in place works fine, no issues, and keeps the tongue centered on top of your foot.3) BREATHABILITY - I ran in 70-degree temps. so far and didn't notice any excessive heat or sweat on my feet. I'll see how they work here in the desert when the temps. hit 90-degrees plus in the Spring and 100 degrees in Summer. These V12s have upper material is a little different than my older V10s and may not breathe as well in hot weather, but we'll see.4) DURABILITY/OUTSOLE WEAR - too early to tell, but the sections of the outsole (bottom of the shoe) that hits the road looks to have slightly LESS rubber material in the wear areas than my 1080V10s so may wear out faster? I have over 200 miles on my older V10s with some wear showing on the outsole. But I use Shoe-Goo sole protector on the outside edges of the heels on all my running shoes where most of the wear occurs and otherwise have never had a pair of running shoes wear out on the bottoms. I usually get 400 or so miles out of my shoes. At 140 pounds and a normal running gait I am not that tough on my shoes, so soles may last longer for me than for some others.5) RUNNING EFFICIENCY - When running in these I put in the same perceived effort as my older V10s and the pace per mile per my Timex Ironman GPS watch has turned out to be almost the same as with my older 1080V10s. These V12s feel good to me on my runs, which isn't always the case with new running shoes. I'll know more after like 50 miles and will update this review at that time. Side note for new runners - try as you may, you can't always tell how a shoe will work out until you put some RUNNING miles on them. Walking around at a shoe store or trying them in your house can be deceiving. It usually takes me 20-30 miles of running to see if a shoe will work for me.OVERALL - so far these feel like a reasonable update in the 1080V series, but maybe not quite as cushioned as my older 1080V10. These new NB1080V12s breathe okay in 70-degree weather (feet stay reasonably cool), durability for me is unknown as these are only a few weeks old. I'll update this review further when it gets hot here (90-100 degrees) and I get more miles on these. So far I think I like my older 1080V10s better because of the softer cushioning, but we'll see. I may look around for some leftover 1080V10s or V11s.

Fit my size 16 feet well. Very comfortable with more padding than mu Saucony’s which I also like. If I had one nit; I wish they had better shoelaces….these feel really cheap.

Yes, they are expensive. I didn't have any sneakers this expensive, but I was willing to invest in a good shoe that is both stylish and supportive for any long walks I take when I travel. They have a bulky look to them, but I personally really like it. I think it stands out in a good way and you can really feel the quality. I love that they sell them in wide options as well. Basically it's a very nice shoe, great quality, and extremely comfortable and lightweight. Worth it.

I have been a big fan of NB Fresh Foam shoes and I was excited when these shoes were released. Great fit out of the box and did not disappoint on my runs. Felt great at every stride and can't wait to put miles on them. Size is true to fit.

A bit about me, I was looking for shoes to walk in. I use walking for exercise and the shoes I was using were ok but caused pain in certain parts of my feet. I needed to find a good pair of shoes that allowed me to walk many miles and not end up with sore feet.So let me start with the bad. These don't come in XX-wide. New Balance is known for its wide shoes, but for any of their more athletic/runner shoes, they seem to max out at X-Wide. I can wear X-Wide, but I usually end up having to buy a size up and even then they just aren't as comfy for me as an XX-wide. If these came in XXwide, I think I would give them 5 stars.My next negative, after my first walk outside, I noticed a tear in the foam of the shoe. This makes me question how durable these will be in the long run if this happened after one walk. I've done many outside walks since then and noticed no other issues so hopefully they will last at least the year.The last negative I will note is that the original pair I ordered came with an indent on the front of the shoe. This caused some irritation in my toe. I hoped I could stretch it back into shape but that didn't really work. After a few walks, I decided to just return that pair and get another. The second pair I got was perfect.Comfort-wise, they are some of the best shoes I've walked in. When I saw reviews people were talking about how plush/springy they were. I was worried I'd feel like I was walking on the moon, but it wasn't really like that. It was definitely a bit mushier feeling that my day-to-day shoes, but not in a bad way. They provided a lot of cushion between my foot and the ground, to the point the pain I had in the front of my feet while walking large distances virtually disappeared. And the bit of extra spring you do get walking in them for sure decreased my per-mile time by 15-20 seconds. That could also be because I wasn't in pain so I was able to walk faster though.I've noticed a few reviews here mention these run big. For me, I felt like maybe they ran a tad small. While I normally can get away with a 9.5 xwide, I think a 10 may have worked better.Hopefully, New Balance extends the widths of these shoes and makes xx-wide, but even if they don't I think I'll need to buy another pair once these wear out. I can't imagine trying to walk long distances in the cheaper/standard cross-training or walking shoes after walking in these.

My son has developed plantar fasciitis and has been looking for comfortable sneakers - well, look no more! So far these are a perfect fit. Not only do they look great, they feel great on his feet.

My husband is on his 2nd pair if these shoes. According to him they are the most comfortable shoes he's ever worn. They have passed the test in various areas. Excellent quality and style for the price.

This is my second pair of Fresh Foams. I run these and Brooks Ghosts. I like both a lot. The Fresh Foams fit my feet nicely and provide a reasonably soft and stabile run. I am a slightly heavier runner (6 feet, 210 lbs.) and these shoes provide the necessary comfort and support that I need.