New Balance Men's 880 Shoes

Product Information

Peter: The 880 feels like less shoe and has less foam under the midfoot. 880 is also way more flexible. I liked the Atomo but it felt like too much shoe for me day-to-day. Sam: The fit is true to size for me and clearly more comfort oriented than the last two 880 which had a more performance oriented fit. While on the same last as the v11, the v12’s upper is softer jacquard mesh, less structured with no plastic heel clip as before and more minimal supporting logos at mid foot. The biggest change to the 880 falls squarely in the sole unit which is now a dual density. Looking at the shoe the layers are clearly defined with the white band of Fresh Foam running nearly the length of the shoe and the orange FuelCell layer spanning from mid foot to forefoot. Mac: What I see in common here are excellent uses of “standard” foams to achieve unexpectedly good results. Both shoes also have roomy uppers. I find the 880 to be a bit more stable - the Novablast can get a bit out of control - so I am taking the 880. Sally: The Rebel V2 earned my favorite daily trainer award last year, but it is more of a fun fast tempo shoe and the 880 v12 is more of a solid daily trainer. I personally tend to like a fast paced ride, but the 880 has a broader appeal. Interestingly, these are the only two New Balance shoes that I would recommend going up half a size in for length if you are on the fence.

Sam: Lower drop, lighter, more up tempo focused the Mach 4 is a more versatile take on the daily trainer for the faster runner. Somewhat less cushioned at the heel and more cushioned at the forefoot it is not quite as plush overall (upper and ride) as the 880. The dual-density foam has been re-jigged, and the upper has also been updated to create an even more enjoyable overall running experience. The Fresh Foam X 880v12 might be a workhorse running shoe but what this means is that they will carry you mile after mile, not that you'll need to work hard to get to your destination. Sam: Mac says it well. Yup, lots of rubber here and well arrayed rubber. New Balance has come a long long way from the monolithic stiff Boracay type outsoles. Remember those? The outsole plays extremely well with the geometry and feel. No harsh hard feel even in moderate cold, lots of well segmented flexibility.

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The two foams maintain the same hardness but FuelCell is slightly more dense making it less softer and more responsive. What this translates to is a soft forgiving ride that isn’t mushy with a forgiving forefoot landing that has a subtle pop that’s not explosive.

One big difference is the tongue. The 1080's tongue is on an elastic band that goes around your foot, and it really makes putting the shoe on effortless. The tongue is always in the right place and it's supportive. Sally : I have run in so many New Balance shoes but have never tried the 880 before. There have been few misses in the lineup, so I was eager to test the 880 and see how their daily training workhorse would work for me. The shoe was incredibly comfortable right out of the box, seemingly true to size while very ample in the forefoot, and strikingly beautiful in a classic way. I love the colorway I received of navy blue, pink, and orange (Boston Dunkin’ colors again, just like my beloved purple RC Elite 2 with the pink and orange trim!). Stay tuned for how they performed on the run. I walk 4 miles every morning on asphalt, so I tend to burn out shoes in just a few months. It tends to be around the 120-mile mark. (6'3" 195 lbs) Which is fine. You can see in the picture where these are at after 2 full months of daily walks. They've got another month or two, then they'll be toast. Doesn't seem to matter the brand, asphalt is hard on shoes!Sam is the Editor and Founder of Road Trail Run. He is 64 with a 2018 3:40 Boston qualifier. 2022 will be Sam’s 50th year of running. He has a decades old 2:28 marathon PR. These days he runs halves in the just sub 1:40 range training 30-40 miles per week mostly at moderate paces on the roads and trails of New Hampshire and Utah. He is 5’9” tall and weighs about 164 lbs if he is not enjoying too many fine New England IPA’s. With the v10 the model got New Balance’s more energetic Fresh Foam in a single density. With v11 ( RTR Review) the 880 lightened 0.5 oz to 9.7 oz got a slightly softer Fresh Foam and a more comfortable upper with a toned down plastic heel clip. The revamped midsole remains the most notable improvement to the v12. While the Fresh Foam X was already present on the v11, adding a 2nd layer of FuelCell foam in the forefoot provides a greater energy return. The cushioning plays its full role with a soft landing followed by a smooth toe-off. Peter: The forefoot feel of the 880 is preferable to me. I find the 880 to roll through my stride just a bit more smoothly overall. The fit of the upper on the 880 is a little more relaxed and, while the firmness is similar, the flexibility of the 880 makes it a much more runnable shoe for me. Mac: The outsole of a shoe is like a deep snapper in football: you only notice it when it isn’t doing its job. This outsole is all I need and nothing I don’t.

The upper is a soft & breathable 'fabric' that adds to the light weight and summer comfort. It will be interesting to see how well it stands up to daily wear. I have been wearing them every day, all day, since July 28. There is just a touch of lavender in that brush stroke by the heel. For fun I may change to lavender laces!The ride of this version is soft and mellow with just the right amount of spring at toe-off for daily training. The roll through the gait cycle is clean and smooth making daily miles enjoyable. Out of the box, I find the 880's more comfortable than the 1080s by a considerable margin. Obviously, everyone's foot is different. But the 1080's I would have some fatigue setting in at the end of my walks. These 880's never do that to me. They were good to go straight away. The 1080's felt super squishy at the start of the walks, but always felt flatter by the end. Probably in my head, but definitely less comfortable. Finding a running shoe as a new runner with previous injuries or other musculoskeletal conditions such as plantar fasciitis or achilles injury can be even more challenging. In this situation, it may be best to find a trained physical therapist that can help point you in the right direction. Remember, comfort is key. There is no magic rule or fancy device that can tell someone what shoe is best for them and it may take multiple tries before finding the shoe that fits your body best.