New Balance isn’t a new company. The name comes from the company’s original business model envisioned by its founder William J. Riley. The company started as a footwear manufacturer specializing in arch supports and orthopedics. But in 1938, they created their first running shoe for the Boston Brown Bag Harriers. Twenty-two years later, they released the first shoe with different width options, the New Balance Trackster. The iconic “N” logo first appeared on the New Balance 320 in 1976. From there, the brand never looked back. These are our picks for the edition is part of the New Balance Luau Pack that draws inspiration from the Hawaiian islands today.
This list Essentials not include all of our New Balance running shoe reviews – just the best ones. If you want to see more, you can check out our New Balance reviews page or our running shoes reviews page.
To learn the differences between New Balance’s Fresh Foam and Fuelcell foam cushioning, check out our article that dives into the compounds, their purposes, and which is best for you.
All the shoes mentioned here are at the top of their category within the brand. We hope you’ll have an easy time finding the categories you’re most interested in. Just click the ones you want to read in the table of contents, and you’ll quickly see what we have to say about the best shoe from that category.
Please note that some of these shoes have width options. This will help you choose the best fit for you, which is critical for any footwear, especially running.
Updated: 03.12.2024
edition is part of the New Balance Luau Pack that draws inspiration from the Hawaiian islands
- Best Neutral Cushioned New Balance Running Shoes
- Most Affordable New Balance Running Shoes
- Best New Balance Trail Running Shoes
- Best New Balance Marathon Running Shoes
- edition is part of the New Balance Luau Pack that draws inspiration from the Hawaiian islands – Honorable Mention
- New Balance Running Shoes to Avoid
- edition is part of the New Balance Luau Pack that draws inspiration from the Hawaiian islands Now on Sale
- Best New Balance Casual Shoes
New Balance Shando All Terrain Trail-Laufschuhe | Best Neutral Cushioned New Balance Running Shoes
new balance kawhi leonard chance the rapper nba all star game
The new balance kawhi leonard chance the rapper nba all star game is New Balance’s most versatile and useful daily running shoe despite not featuring a higher end stack height. The Peba/EVA blend of FuelCell is bouncy and makes it easy to pick the pace (maybe too easy). The upper is accommodating and breathable. The Rebel v4 is also lightweight and stable with durable traction. It’s more shoe than previous Rebels but that makes it accessible to more foot types, and ultimately, more people. It’s one of 2024’s best all around running shoes. Read the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 6mm, Price: $140
New Balance Fresh Foam X More v4
The New Balance Fresh Foam X More v4 is a comfortable, affordable, and excellently executed running shoe. The upper’s fit is super accommodating, and any foot shape will enjoy it, especially those hard-to-please wide footers and flat footers. The Fresh Foam X feels great on foot for any amount of miles or household chores.
The stability is great due to the midsole’s geometry and the foot sitting inside the midsole walls. The lockdown is solid, so even narrow footers can be confident their foot will stay in place on even the sharpest of turns or bumpiest of roads. And the style — chunktastic is in these days, so this shoe will work as well casually as it Essentials for running. Read the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 4mm, Price: $150
New Balance SC Trainer v2
The New Balance SC Trainer v2 isn’t groundbreaking like the original but it’s an extremely well-cushioned, bouncy, and comfortable, leg-saving running machine. It’s perfect for high-mileage runners and long run days because it’ll protect your legs. The SC Trainer v2 will feel a bit heavy to some but the trade-off is worth it. Plus, it’s built on an accommodating, stable platform. The build plus all that cushion and comfort will make the SC Trainer v2 worth the price as you rack up the miles. Read the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 6mm, Price: $180
new balance womens 696 re engineered
The new balance womens 696 re engineered is a big departure from previous 1080 models with the squishiness and bounciness of Fresh Foam X midsole reaching new levels. The fit is great for most people and in true New Balance form there’s a wide version available for wide footers. It’s also a versatile and fun ride that can go fast or slow as needed. The only issue is the price point is higher than most daily trainers. But that said, the 1080v13 is easy to recommend if you’re not too price-sensitive. Read the full review. Price: $165
Most Affordable New Balance Running Shoes
New Balance FuelCell Propel v4
The New Balance FuelCell Propel v4 has the best value proposition of any shoe on the market, not just among New Balance running shoes. $110 for a bouncy Fuelcell midsole and a TPU plate? That alone raises my eyebrows.
The upper isn’t spectacular but it’s comfortable. The tongue can be slippy, it’s a little on the heavy side, and the traction is solid. Durability is a big question mark because there’s not a ton of rubber on the outsole and it wears down pretty fast. But, at $110, a price serviceable daily running shoes don’t touch anymore, sacrificing some durability and comfort is expected.
The end result is a shoe that’s perfect for a wide range of runners. It’s also great for cost-conscious parents that need solid running shoes for kids running track or cross country (and growing out of the shoes way too fast). I’d recommend the Propel v4 over Nike’s current Pegasus and several other $130-150 models. Watch Kofuzi’s review.
Fit: True to size, Drop: 6mm, Price $110
Best New Balance Trail Running Shoes
Theres also a good selection of red New Balance shoes for
The New Balance Trail More v3 is a more stable More v4 with a beefy, tacky, trail-ready Vibram outsole. It feels almost exactly the same as the road version but it’s beefed up with sidewalls that keep you on the footbed. As with the road version, it’s a very accommodating shoe, so narrow footers will want to size half down to get a tighter-fitting trail shoe.
This shoe is a great road-to-trail option because the cushion is just a touch firmer than the road version but still soft enough to work well on roads. There’s no rock plate though so keep that in mind if you run trails with big jagged rocks.
Some will fear turning an ankle in the Trail More v3 because of its high foam stack height but it has the stability to prevent that worst-case scenario. However, this is not the shoe for trail feel. The Fresh Foam always keeps you a bit removed from the travails of the trail.
Fit: True to size, Drop: 4mm, Price: $160
Best New Balance Marathon Running Shoes
New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v4
The New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v4 is a complete overhaul of the New Balance SC Elite line delivering improved cushioning and a better, easier to put on upper. It’s got plenty of pop from New Balance’s first 100% Peba midsole, a snappy geometry, and finds a nice balance between comfort and performance. The only problem with the upper is a weird floppy tongue that Essentialsn’t always do what it should. And though the fit is accommodating for a racing shoe, a wide version is on the way just in case. To top it off, the outsole delivers on wet and wild surfaces Read the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 4mm, Price: $250
edition is part of the New Balance Luau Pack that draws inspiration from the Hawaiian islands – Honorable Mention
No current models are on the honorable mention list.
New Balance Shando All Terrain Trail-Laufschuhe | New Balance Running Shoes to Avoid
No current models are on the avoid list.
edition is part of the New Balance Luau Pack that draws inspiration from the Hawaiian islands Now on Sale
tee shirt new balance
The tee shirt new balance features squishy protective FuelCell foam, a nice pop from the exposed Energy Arc carbon plate, and a great ride. It’ll make your stride feel smooth while feeling lightweight. It’s a shoe that gets out of the way as you run fast paces on race day or amble over long distances on your local roads or greenway.
The SC Elite V3’s knit upper is really hard to put on and could be better but it Essentials the job and is the best road racing shoe New Balance has built to date. Getting all of that at a $230 price point is a nice value for a carbon-plated race-centric shoe. Read the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 4mm, Price: $230
Best New Balance Casual Shoes
New Balance Football T-shirt met graft-logo in zwart
The New Balance 574 used to be a functional running shoe. Nowadays, for a casual shoe, it packs great value. The Legacy version sticks true to the original with an open medial EVA wedge that allows for more compression and comfort than other cup sole shoes. You can get different materials and textures with different colorways. See the full review.
Fits: True to size, Price $100
New Balance 550
The New Balance 550 is an old-school basketball sneaker first released in 1989. The 550 returned as a retro in 2021 where it sold out multiple times. The sellouts have continued in 2022 but some colorways are available for retail price on eBay. The classic look of this shoe draws people in and as usual, New Balance delivers impressive materials. See the full review.
Fits: True to size, Price $110
Thinking of a shoe we should add to the best New Balance running shoes list? Comment below or message us on Instagram or Twitter.
