New Balance Fresh Foam X More v5 Review
The New Balance More v5 is a highly cushioned road running shoe designed for easy recovery runs and longer distances. Despite its high level of soft cushioning, it helps the runner maintain good posture while running slowly, thanks to the curve or rocker in the midsole. Calling it a “plodding shoe” doesn’t quite capture its essence, as the midsole’s shape prevents the runner from sloppily plodding along.
The first impression of a max-cushion shoe is often dominated by its size. These shoes appear bulky due to their thick midsoles, with the stack height of the More v5 measuring 44mm in the heel and 40mm in the forefoot. When you put the shoes on and stand up, you feel taller. The midsole’s width is also considerable, and your foot sits inside it, which helps guide your feet and legs through the gait cycle. Sitting within the midsole also stabilizes the foot, preventing you from falling off the soft cushioning. Despite the bulky appearance, you might expect them to be heavy, yet when you pick them up, they feel surprisingly light (Men’s UK 8 is 311 grams, Women’s UK 5 is 243 grams). This isn’t the type of running shoe I normally use; however, once I started running in them, I hardly noticed the bulk. The cushioning felt soft and forgiving, and the rocker helped me maintain a nice upright posture. I felt like I was just cruising along, which is exactly what I wanted the day after a track session when my legs were a bit tired and sore. It was a total surprise, as I expected them to be too soft and to feel like a plodding shoe. Yet, I was able to cruise along comfortably. On uphills, where soft midsole shoes are often hard work as you sink into the cushioning like running uphill in deep sand, the New Balance More v5 performed well. I cruised up without any issue. On steep downhills, where soft midsole shoes often bottom out, the More v5 didn’t, and I cruised along smoothly.
The downside is that they aren’t very versatile. They are a highly cushioned shoe designed specifically for easy runs—nothing more. You can pick up the pace in these shoes, but I found that when I did, I became more aware of the bulk, and my gait became less smooth. These shoes are designed for cruising through the bulk of your training, and you’ll likely want to switch to a shoe designed for faster running on days when you want to up the tempo.
The midsole is made from New Balance’s Fresh Foam X, a rubber material filled with numerous bubbles. The bubbles are larger in the heel and get smaller as you move toward the toe, providing a soft landing and a positive push-off. Although the foam is the same as that used in the New Balance 1080v13, the More v5 felt firmer and seemed to have less bounce. This made the More v5 feel smoother to me. The rocker also feels more pronounced than in the 1080v13, helping you maintain a quick cadence at slower speeds, which aids in keeping an upright posture and makes you feel lighter on your feet.
As you would expect from a shoe designed for everyday use, the heel cup, cuff, and tongue are nicely padded. The tongue is gusseted to prevent it from moving around. I found that once laced, my foot was securely locked into the shoe, which provided a feeling of stability. There is an additional lace hole that you can use to make the heel fit snugger or to butterfly lace the shoes.
The toe box has a snug fit, but the upper is soft, airy, and has a bit of stretch to accommodate most foot shapes. The Men’s New Balance More v5 is available in three widths, and the Women’s version comes in two widths to help you find the perfect fit.
In running shoes with a thick midsole, you often lose the feel for the ground, which can make you less nimble and a bit tentative when running on steep descents in wet conditions, as you can’t feel what you’re standing on. This can result in a reduced feeling of traction. Therefore, it’s important for the shoes to have a nice, grippy rubber outsole. I had no issues with the traction provided by the rubber on the sole of the More v5. Even on wet tarmac, I found the grip to be adequate.
New Balance shoes are similar in size to Hoka and Karhu. If you typically use Brooks, Saucony, Topo, or Altra, I would suggest trying half a UK size larger in New Balance.
In summary, the New Balance Fresh Foam X More v5 is a maximum-cushioned road running shoe designed for your easy miles and long runs—a true cruiser.
Other Considerations
Hoka Bondi 8: The Hoka Bondi was the first shoe of this type. It is a narrower fit than the New Balance More 5 but, is available in three width Men’s and two width Women’s. The cushioning isn’t as soft and the rocker has more of a controlling feel to it. You put your foot on the floor and the shoe takes over guiding the foot through the gait cycle. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-bondi-8-review/
Karhu Mastari 1.0: The cushioning in the Karhu Mestari is firmer than the Bondi and the More v5. It has a Karhu Fulcrum built into the midsole to reduce how much the runner moves up and down when running. Turning this up movement into forward motion. The midsole also have a curve or rocker to it. These two mechanisms give the Mestari more propulsion than the Bondi or the More v5. This makes it slightly more versatile and the shoes could be used for some steady running or a bit of faster running. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/karhu-mestari-run-1-0-review/
Topo Athletic Atmos: Like all Topo Athletic shoes the Atmos has a broad rounded toe box to give your feet the space to spread and function inside the shoes. The foam is a little firmer than the More v5 so that your feet know they have touched the ground and therefore function inside the shoes. The midsole is curved to form a rocker like the More v5. The More v5 has a softer, plusher, recovery type feel which is nice on tired legs but, limits the shoes to slower running. The Atmos is a bit more responsive and could be used for steadier runs or used for pick ups during longer runs etc. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-atmos-review/
Brooks Ghost Max 2: The Nitrogen infused midsole gives the Brooks Ghost Max 2 a firm but, bouncy ride. They are responsive enough for some quicker running too. Available in two width men’s and two width women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-ghost-max-2-review/
Altra VIA Olympus 2: Like Topo shoes Altra’s have a broad rounded toe box. They are zero drop/flat to provide a more natural platform. The cushioning is firmer than the More v5 so that your foot knows that it has touched the ground and functions inside the shoes. There is a rocker in the midsole but, this is not as pronounced as in other shoes of this type offering a more natural ride. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-via-olympus-2-review/
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