New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos running shoes

The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos Running Shoe is a lightweight, cushioned, comfortable running shoe with high midsole. The strong rocker, rolling geometry of the midsole is most typical of fast running shoes, the low weight and bouncy, flexible midsole also supports faster running, while the high cushioning and comfortable upper make the shoe suitable for longer runs and more suitable for those lower-intensity, even long runs. The price of the New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos is high, but for the money you get a versatile running shoe that might even be worth the money if the outsole were more durable.

The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos upper

The upper of the New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos Running Shoe is a double layered upper with the outer layer being a mesh material and the inner layer being a softer knit material. The upper is lightweight and breathable. It fits true to size and has a medium width with a wider side for the toes. While lightweight, the upper is optimized for comfort rather than performance. The tongue is a medium thickness tongue made of a more flexible material that is fixed on both sides. The heel collar is stiff and padded to keep the foot comfortable and secure.

The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos midsole

The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos Running Shoe Midsole is made of a PEBA/EVA blend that’s fun and bouncy, soft but not too soft. For stability, the midsole is not only high, but also wide, and the foam of the midsole folds over the upper to keep the foot more stable. These solutions are necessary because soft foam alone would not be stable. Although the shoe is lightweight and the rocker geometry of the midsole suggests the possibility of fast pacing, the Balos is more suited to lower-intensity running. The rolling, rocking geometry doesn’t feel as aggressive as it looks because the foam is flexible. Fun, bouncy, energetic midfoot, but the shoe doesn’t feel as well-rounded at sustained paces.

The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos Outsole

The unconventional outsole of the New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos Running Shoe has a noticeable impact on the overall running experience of the shoe. The front and back have a harder rubber outsole in the most stressed areas (black and burgundy in the picture), but the rest of the outsole is an EVA/rubber blend (salmon colored areas). Several running shoe brands use this solution on their running shoes, but it is not a common solution. The advantage is that it has low torsional stiffness, is lighter, and gives the shoe additional dynamics and softness. The downside is that it wears out much faster and doesn’t have the grip of a standard rubber outsole, especially on wet surfaces. The Balos outsole’s EVA/rubber blend grips well and doesn’t wear as fast as similar solutions, but it’s noticeably weaker than a rubber outsole in terms of grip and wear.

For whom and for which runs is the New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos recommended? Summary

The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos Running Shoe is a lightweight, flexible, comfortable running shoe made from premium materials. The upper is lightweight, breathable, and cushioned just enough to be comfortable without being too heavy. The midsole is flexible, soft, has good geometry and is not too unstable despite its height. The outsole is light and does not stiffen the otherwise flexible midsole, but it is not strong on grip and durability. The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos is more suitable for lighter and even longer runs. You can run a mile faster in it, but that’s not the shoe’s strength. The only real flaw of the shoe is the price, it could be good, but the knowledge would justify a 20% lower price.