It’s funny; I thought I had written a review of the New Balance 880v9. I’ve been running in the shoe for a few months now, but when I looked back at previous blog posts, I realized I have not.
Before last year, I didn’t run a lot in New Balance. For whatever reason, New Balance didn’t feel that comfortable to me. Recently, however, I’ve found myself enjoying a lot of New Balance shoes, including the New Balance 1080v9 and the New Balance Fuel Cell Rebel.
The New Balance 880 is one of the most popular neutral shoes out there. The updated New Balance 880v9 is equally as good.
The New Balance 880v8 got a big update with looks and feel so the NB 880v9 didn’t get a drastic of an update. If you like version 8, chances are version 9 will feel similar.
New Balance 880v9 Quick Stats:
Weight: 8.9 ounces
Heel-to-Toe Drop: 10 mm
New Balance 880v9 Fit
If you’ve never worn the New Balance 880, it fits true to size. There is plenty of room to spread your toes. Typically I wear between a women’s 10-11 wide, and the 10.5 fits well. The upper is seamless so that if you have bunions or wider forefront, it fits well.
The New Balance 880v9 continues to use the engineered mesh upper, which allows your feet room to breath. This year, the 880 has less structure in the toe box, so your feet have more room. You always want your toes to have plenty of space. The general rule of running shoes is you want a secure fit in the midfoot and heel, but plenty of space in the toe box.
New Balance 880v9 Ride:
The Ride of the New Balance 880v9 hasn’t changed much since the New Balance 880v8. If you like the New Balance 880 series, you will probably appreciate the v9. New Balance still uses their “TRUFUSE foam midsole” The “TRUFUSE” combines or fuses the New Balance foams: “Abzorb” and “Acteva.”
The bottom layer, Abzorb, is thicker with a higher compression resistance. It’s designed to absorb shock better. The top layer, Acteva, is 12% lighter than EVA and provides cushion without weight. Throughout the last few years, New Balance shoes, especially the New Balance 880, has gotten lighter and “less clunky.”
What does this mean?
The New Balance 880 is a lightweight and responsive shoe. You’re able to do easy runs or faster runs. For me, it fits well into a daily run shoe. I like the New Balance Fuelcell Rebel for speed work, and a bit more cushion like the New Balance 1080v9 for recovery runs.
New Balance 880v9 Conclusion:
The New Balance 880 has remained similar from v8 to v9. If you’ve liked previous versions, you’re likely to appreciate the 9th version too. It reminds me of the staple running shoe; you know won’t change much. You can rely on it.
Current Rotation:
Easy/Daily Runs: Hoka Bondi 6, Hoka Mach 2,
Speed Work: New Balance FuelCell Rebel, Reebok Float Ride Runfast Pro, Nike Streak Lt,
Long Runs: New Balance FuelCell Rebel, Mizuno R2, Hoka Cavu 2
Races: Reebok Run fast Pro
You can see all current shoe reviews here.
Looking to learn more about running shoes? In my ebook I talk about why you need a good running shoe, the anatomy of a shoe, neutral vs stable, and even myths of running shoes.
Questions for you:
What is one of your running shoe staples?
Have you run in New Balance before?