The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos is one of the bounciest and most enjoyable shoes I’ve tested this year. If it wasn’t $200, I’d hail it as one of the best running shoes you can buy.
However, it is $200, and as fun as it is to run in the Balos, I’m not sure it delivers enough to justify that price when you can get more versatile plated super-trainers for less, like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4, or pay the same for the brilliant Asics Superblast 2.
The Fresh Foam X Balos still comes recommended as a tremendous daily trainer that’s perfect for long runs and versatile enough for faster efforts. Some runners will love the ride enough to make the high price worth paying, but in my New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos review, I’ll explain why I think there are better value options available for most runners.
New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos review: Price and availability
The New Balance Balos launched in July and costs $200 in the U.S. and £200 in the U.K., making it one of the most expensive training shoes on the market. It’s the same price as the Asics Superblast 2, but you can get some of the best plated super-trainers for less, like the Hoka Mach X2 and Saucony Endorphin Speed 4.
New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos review: Design and fit
The Balos is currently available in one white and brown option in the men’s and women’s shoe in the U.S. In the UK, you can get it in the black color I tested. It’s available in standard and wide sizes.
I found that the shoe fit me in my normal running shoe size, but it has quite a shallow toebox so some might find it feels a little cramped at the front, but I didn’t have any problems with rubbing on long runs in the shoe.
The Balos has a stack height of 38.5mm at the heel and 32.5mm at the forefoot for a 6mm drop. It’s a high stack shoe with lots of cushioning, but it’s still quite lightweight at 8.8oz in my US size 9.5.
Upper
The New Balance Balos has a creel mesh upper that proved breathable for me when running in the shoe during the UK summer. There’s a little padding around the heel, but not much on the tongue — those who want a plusher feeling will find it in shoes like the New Balance 1080v14.
There is an internal heel counter at the back of the shoe to add more structure and stability, but mostly the upper is designed to provide lightweight support rather than extreme comfort, which testifies to the idea that the Balos is built for a range of runs rather than just easy cruising.
Midsole
The Balos has a Fresh Foam X midsole like other shoes in the New Balance range, but the brand uses this term to cover a range of different materials. With the Balos it’s a PEBA/EVA blend that’s softer and bouncier than other Fresh Foam shoes like the 1080 or More lines.
Your foot sits within sidewalls of foam to add stability, and the Balos has a pronounced rocker shape that moves you from heel to toe smoothly on the run. I was worried the rocker would be too noticeable on the run, such is its dramatic shape, but actually, it felt quite natural to run in the Balos.
Outsole
The Balos doesn’t have much of an outsole, with most of the bottom of the shoe being exposed EVA foam, with some more durable, firmer sections at the heel and forefoot. After 50 miles of use including some runs on light trails I’ve not seen any undue wear and tear on the shoe and grip has been fine, but it’s probably not one I’d use a lot on gravel tracks for fear of chewing up the soft underbelly.
New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos review: Running performance
The Balos has one of the most distinctive ride feels of any shoe I’ve tested this year. It’s very soft, but not unpleasantly squishy because the foam is so bouncy and the rocker works well in pushing you forward. This means you don’t just sink into the soft foam; the midsole works with you to propel you along.
It also feels nimble and lightweight on the foot, and I’ve enjoyed using the Balos at a wide range of paces, including very easy runs, progression runs finishing at tempo pace, and 1K reps on the track.
When it comes to the faster end of things, the soft foam sometimes counts against the Balos a little, when compared to a stiffer or more responsive shoe, or one with a plate like the Hoka Mach X2. I enjoyed running intervals in the Balos, but when running at speed for long spells the softness of the foam, particularly in the forefoot, meant it felt like harder work compared with a firmer shoe.
I loved the Balos for long easy runs, though — it’s the kind of shoe that makes you look forward to getting out for a run. I had a hilly 10-miler on my plan one day and had to get up at the crack of dawn to fit it in, and the fact I was using the bouncy Balos made it a lot easier to motivate myself to get out the door.
Despite the high stack of soft foam, I didn’t find the Balos unstable on the run, but it’s not the best pick if you want a running shoe to also use as a lifestyle shoe to walk around in. The combination of the rocker and soft midsole foam makes it feel a bit odd for walking.
Should you buy the New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos?
The New Balance Balos is an easy shoe to fall in love with, and the enjoyable ride might be enough to motivate you to splash the cash on it to use for all your easy training runs. However, some runners might find the Balos a bit too soft, especially for faster runs, and I don’t think it offers as good value as other options.
If you’re happy to train in a plated shoe, the Hoka Mach X2 and Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 are more versatile, and better for fast runs than the Balos in particular, while the Mizuno Neo Vista offers a similarly bouncy and fun ride at a lower price.
Meanwhile if you don’t want to use a plated shoe, the Asics Superblast 2 is the same price and has a stiffer ride that’s more suitable for fast runs, though I would say the Balos is more enjoyable at easy paces than the Superblast. If you just want a lightweight and fun shoe for easy runs, however, you can get that at a much lower price with the Hoka Mach 6 or New Balance’s own Rebel v4.
