New Balance Men's 880 Shoes

Product Information

Reviewers appreciated the extra cushion that transforms the shoe from a moderately comfortable trainer to a luxuriously soft and smooth shoe capable of handling a variety of paces and distances.

Sally: I understand why so many think of the 880 as a workhorse daily trainer: it is a solid crowd pleasing friendly shoe that combines a modern mix of midsole foams powering a comfortable elegant looking traditional upper. It can be a great one shoe quiver type of shoe that provides a slightly soft ride with a slightly dynamic toe off, and should appeal to many types of runners. It does run on the wider side. It runs lighter than its weight would indicate, and does its part to make for a very enjoyable running experience. You add the smiles! The upper is made from engineered mesh which allows for great breathability, comfort, and stretch for those longer runs where your feet tend to swell up! The heel counter is rigid down low and more pliable up high and is not the highly reinforced type of heel counter with lower plastic clip found in for example the v10 and a bit less so in v11.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. Peter: The 880 is considerably heavier and not as bouncy or fun as the Rebel, but I think it may appeal to a wider variety of runners. I’d try them both on, but if you’re looking for a good, solid, old school feeling running shoe, you’d be happy with 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.

With v12 the 880 gets a big underfoot upgrade with a softer main Fresh Foam midsole and a front slightly denser FuelCell insert on what appears to be a wider rear platform. FuelCell comes in many flavors from the supercritical in the Rebel and RC Elite to denser less energetic formulations and adding highly responsive Fuel Cell up front sure got my attention. The upper is now a more relaxed fitting, softer double jacquard mesh (as in v11) but less reinforced with a thinner more pliable mid foot logo for support and no plastic heel clip as in v11. The New Balance 880v12 utilizes a Fresh Foam compound in the midsole, similar to what was used in the 880v11. But this latest version is softer than before, resulting in a plush, pillowy step-in feel. Reviewers noticed the difference right away. Skratch Recovery, Coffee Flavor: Mental and physical boost post run. Coffee flavor is excellent and goes great straight into a fresh brewed cup The shoe is just what my feet have been waiting for. Soft and cushioned yet still flexible enough to move comfortably with my foot. The shoe felt so comfortable on my run that it almost felt like I wasn’t wearing anything, in a good way,” Caroline says. Peter: Equally excellent uppers. The ride of the 880 feels just a little more harmonious to me. The Nimbus is softer and may be better suited to recovery days.Ultraspire Fitted Race Belt: The best way to carry your phone and goods on the run. No bounce and various sizes for waist Mac is a former 275 lbs American football defensive lineman who took up running at age 30. Now, at 6’4” (193cm) 200 lbs (91kg) , he has PRs of 19:19, 1:33:xx, and 3:19:xx. Peter: The Mach 4 is lighter and more agile. I’d take them if I was going out for more than 10 miles or if I was doing tempo, but the 880 is a very comfortable ride to take out on most days. Sally: I am not as tech-oriented as some of the others, and I tend to focus on the feel of a midsole and the resultant ride. I found this midsole to be soft and somewhat forgiving without being mushy, and definitely not as bouncy as a Rebel V2 or Fuel Cell Elite. The heel landing is well cushioned, making downhills fun, and the toe off is soft enough with some spring to it, yet still somewhat firm and effective. That said, I found the dual-density foam less smooth than the Fresh Foam X 1080v12, which uses only the Fresh Foam X underfoot. It's not bothersome to have two different densities, but in all honesty, I don't see the point in having a dual-density foam when the singular version works perfectly fine.

This shoe is made to leave a smaller carbon footprint from us humans on earth by using 50% more recycled material in the upper and 3 to 5% bio based cushion in the midsole. Peter lives in Austin, Texas and has been a sub 3 hour marathoner as well as a 1:25 half marathoner in recent years The cushioning system of the Fresh Foam X 880v12 works well, and I enjoyed the flexibility it had to offer: I could go at whatever speed I wanted, and the shoes were there to support me. 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.The New Balance 880v12 offers the same reliable comfort as its predecessors, but with an extra touch of cushion and softness thanks to a dual layer midsole. What beginner runners should look for in a shoe and why the New Balance 880 v12 may be a good choice for new runners. The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v12 introduces the Fresh Foam X technology to the 880 Series, making the shoes bouncier and ever so comfortable to wear to everyday runs. Sam/Sally : Regular fit will favor wide feet over narrow and that is even before getting to available wide Peter: I really like the 880. I think I may even like them more than the 1080. I think the 880 is a shoe that will work for tons of people in tons of different contexts. If I ran a hotel and had to have one shoe model on hand for guests, it would the the 880. It’s not as bouncy and dynamic as the Rebel V2, but it is a solid daily trainer that I want to put on when I have a recovery or easy day. Sure, it’d be nice if they were just a tiny bit lighter, but I think they’re a great shoe that a lot of people would be very happy with.