New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v13 Review
This week we’re featuring the New Balance 880v13 review. The New Balance 880 is an everyday training shoe for the neutral runner. It’s designed to be your go-to shoe, ideal for your easy miles and long runs but versatile enough for some quicker running too.
The midsole is made of Fresh Foam X, which is a very soft foam. The bubbles in the foam are larger in the heel to give a soft landing and get gradually smaller as you move over the midsole to toe off, aiding propulsion. In addition to the Fresh Foam X there is a strip of faster feeling FuelCell. This is designed to give a more positive push-off, which allows you to pick up the pace easier than it is in a very softly cushioned midsole. The FuelCell foam sits under the Fresh Foam X from midfoot to the toe section of the midsole.
The Fresh Foam X feels the same as in the 880v12 but the Fuelcell layer under the mid and forefoot has been slightly softened. This has made the 880v13 feel a little more mellow and smooth than the previous version. This makes it easier to mooch along in on those easy, recovery runs. You had to be disciplined with the 880v12, as the push you got when moving onto your forefoot encouraged you to run quicker. This did make the 880v12 a better shoe for quicker running if you require your everyday shoe to feel lively enough for intervals. The 880v13 can still be used for intervals, tempo runs and steady runs but it just doesn’t have the same push as the previous version.
The heel to forefoot drop is 10mm (32mm/22mm), which makes it a shoe more suited to heel strikers. However, the midfoot isn’t so stiff that you can’t comfortably land on your midfoot.
The upper of the New Balance 880v13 has had the most changes. The 880v13 has a narrower toe box with a bit less volume. Saying that, the mesh is much softer and more pliable, so it moulds to the shape of your foot more easily than the previous model. I don’t have a broad foot but found the standard fitting 880v13 fit narrow. If you have anything approaching a broad or high-volume foot, then I would suggest trying wide or extra wide versions. The 880v13 is available in three widths for men and regular and wide for women.
The tongue and heel cup has a good level of padding which gives the 880v13 a nice out of the box feel. The heel cup has a good level of structure, which makes the 880 naturally quite stable, despite being as neutral shoe. The Achilles tab has the swallow tail construction, pulling it away from the Achilles to reduce the chance of rubbing.
New Balance has designed the 880v13 to be a very durable shoe. The outsole rubber is 5mm thick.
In summary, the New Balance 880v13 would be great for new runners, plus for the easy and longer runs in a more experienced runners’ rotation. It doesn’t feel overly soft thanks to the FuelCell found in the midsole, which makes it possible to run with a good posture and pick the pace up where required. It makes it more versatile than the New Balance 1080v12, which has a much softer Fresh Foam X and a thicker midsole and is really best used for easy and long runs.
Other Considerations
New Balance 1080v12 review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/new-balance-fresh-foam-x-1080v12-review/
If you require a bit of pronation support then we would suggest considering the New Balance 860v13. This has a similar level of cushioning and is designed for everyday milage but, has a bit of anti- pronation support. New Balance 860 review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/new-balance-860v12-review/
Karhu Ikoni: A similarly soft cushioned shoe. The fulcrum helps improve posture and pushes you forward. Comes in a High volume version. Here is a link to our review:
https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/karhu-ikoni-2-0-review/
361 Centari: These offer a soft cushioning with a rocker to improve cadence and posture. Two width Men’s and two width Women’s. Here is a link to our review:
https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/361-centauri-review-361-centauri/
Hoka Clifton 9: Soft but, with more bounce and a rocker. Easier to run quickly in than the 880. 5mm heel to forefoot drop. Two width Men’s and two width Women’s Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-clifton-9-review/
On Cloud Go: Soft with 11mm heel to forefoot drop. Two width Men’s and two width Women’s. Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/on-cloudgo-review/
Brooks Ghost 15: 12mm heel to forefoot. More responsive feel to the cushioning. Two widths Women’s, three width Men’s. Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-ghost-15-review/
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