New Balance 1080v15 Review

New Balance 1080v15 Review: To Infinion and Beyond

Specs

Price

$259

Weight

261 grams (men’s US 9)

Pronation Control

Neutral 

Stack Height/Drop

40 mm heel, 34 mm forefoot/6 mm drop

Introduction 

The 1080 has always been New Balance's flagship running shoe, their bestseller. In the past, they've even said that if they could only make 1 running shoe, it would be the 1080. 

The 1080 is a premium daily trainer; it's in the same category of running shoes as the Nike Vomero, Brooks Glycerin and the Adidas Supernova Prima. 

It's such a popular trainer because it pairs a really plush, cushioned ride with a comfortable, premium upper. The entire package always feels luxurious and polished- like a lot of thought went into its design. 

If you're wondering why it's named the 1080, it's New Balance's useful numbering system. The “10” tells us that it sits at the top of New Balance's performance lineup, and the “80” tells us that it's part of the neutral category, without any motion control or stability features. 

Version 15 of the 1080 weighs 261 grams, which is around 37 grams lighter than version 14. This is a significant difference in weight considering v15 has even more stack height in the heel and forefoot than its predecessor. 

The Good

Fresh Foam X is out, Infinion is in. The new Infinion midsole of the 1080v15 is a massive upgrade on the Fresh Foam X midsoles in the past 1080’s. Fresh Foam X was an EVA foam however, Infinion is an 80% TPEE, 20% EVA blend, making it much more lively.

There's a lot more energy return and bounce in the ride of the 1080v15. This makes it feel more dynamic and more versatile. The weight decrease thanks to the new foam also makes it feel a lot more nimble and agile. The 1080v15 feels like it can shift up a gear if you need to pick up the pace.

The 1080v15 has an all new mesh upper with plenty of perforations in the toe box and midfoot side panels. It feels thinner and more breathable than the triple jacquard mesh of the 1080v14. 

The fit of v15 has also improved. In previous versions, it was required to go up a half size but the 1080v15 has a wider toe box and it's also longer. The 1080v15 fits true to size now and has a more comfortable fit. 

The rearfoot of the 1080v15 has been made wider. This makes footstrikes feel more planted and more stable if you're a heel striker. The forefoot has been made narrower and as a result, toe offs feel quicker and more snappy. 

The Not So Good

While the fit has improved, the 1080v15 still has a narrow upper which is more suited to runners with narrow feet. If you have high volume feet or wide feet, you will definitely need to get the wide version. 

Runners who enjoyed the super soft, plush rides of the previous 1080’s may find this new version too bouncy and too different to its predecessors. It takes some time to get used to the new, more modern ride. 

Final Thoughts on the 1080v15 

The 1080 used to be a max-cushioned trainer only capable of doing relaxed, easy or recovery runs. The 1080v15 has evolved into a versatile daily trainer that makes it easy to pick up the pace. V15 has a much more energetic ride than any previous 1080. 

The new direction that the 1080 is going in is the right one and it makes it more appealing for a wider range of runners. Runners who want a softer, more cushioned ride for slow runs can get the New Balance More v6 instead. 

Compared to other premium daily trainers, the 1080v15 has a much softer ride with more midsole compression during each foot strike. It's also lighter and it feels more nimble.

In a New Balance rotation, the 1080v15 covers all your daily training for zone 1 and zone 2 runs. You can use the SC Trainer v3 or Rebel v5 for speed workouts and the SC Elite v5 for racing.

Reviewed by Brandon Law

Check out the New Balance 1080v15 Collection here