New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v12 Review

Updated: June 23, 2022

The softest 880 yet!

Fresh Foam X is a welcome addition to this trusted daily trainer

Likes

Fresh Foam X
Smooth transitions
Supportive upper

Dislikes

Tongue stretch
Narrower toebox
Larger midfoot volume

What's New

With the addition of Fresh Foam X in the midsole, the New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v12 is the softest version yet. This foam provides a more plush underfoot experience while offering decent energy return when you want to pick up the pace. With a new soft and supportive upper, the 880 promises comfort regardless of what type of running workout you have planned.

The Bottom Line

If it's been a while since you've tried on the 880, you might be in for a pleasant surprise with the latest version. With the addition of Fresh Foam X to the midsole, the 880 v12 is soft and protective, yet energetic when it's time to pick up the pace a little. Our testers found it to be versatile enough for everything from uptempo workouts to long runs, though a max-cushion shoe like the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 may be preferable once distance gets into the double digits. Our testers thought the 880 was plenty protective for their daily miles while still offering some ground feel. For runners seeking a traditional daily trainer that is a great all-around shoe, the 880 remains one of the best on the market.

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New Balance 880 v12 blue Running Warehouse review lateral view

New Balance 880 v12 blue Running Warehouse review medial view

New Balance 880 v12 blue Running Warehouse review overhead view

New Balance 880 v12 blue Running Warehouse review outsole view

Our In-Depth Look

Shoe Softnessi

Connor: "The 880 v12 has a soft heel that transitions to a firmer forefoot. When walking or running, I found the shoe to be incredibly smooth. With a slightly firmer forefoot, it doesn't require any extra effort on the toe-off. The Fresh Foam X is plush while still being bouncy, and the Fuel Cell provides a good balance of impact absorption and responsiveness."

Ben: "My feet felt great in the 880 on shorter runs. However, on runs of 10 miles and longer, the shoe felt hard and not protective enough."

Ride/Energy Returni

Connor: "This shoe is not designed to be an uptempo trainer, but one that can be used for all of your runs. I found the 880 to be a versatile option that felt great when picking up the pace. The forefoot provided just enough pop to keep me from feeling sluggish during running workouts. I enjoyed my faster runs in these shoes and was pleasantly surprised to find how lively they felt."

Ben: "I found the midsole light and somewhat responsive. At race pace, the 880 felt flat, but I glided along easily in them during slower lunch 4-milers."

Underfoot Protectioni

Connor: "I felt protected on all my runs in the 880. On hard surfaces, my feet never felt fatigued or beat up. On dirt paths, the midsole protected from harsh impacts but did not take away all feeling of the trail. This allowed me to react to the terrain and stay active while running. This 880 has a great balance of ground feel and protection, and I felt confident taking it on any surface without hesitation."

Ben: "The foam absorbs most of the impact from pounding the pavement. I did 10 miles in the 880 and felt fine, but at longer distances, my joints hurt afterward."

Flexibilityi

Connor: "The New Balance 880 has a moderately high stack height, and that usually lends itself to a stiffer shoe. However, the 880 moved well with my foot and felt smooth through the gait cycle. The shoe is a little stiff from the heel to midfoot, but the front of the shoe did flex with my toes and never felt like it was restricting movement. The outsole has a deep flex groove just behind the toes which helps keep it feeling flexible."

Ben: "I found the 880 to be flexible enough for everything from casual jogs to uptempo workouts. My feet went smoothly through the full range of motion. As a runner who likes supportive shoes, the 880 almost felt too flexible."

Upper Supporti

Connor: "The upper material is a comfortable and soft mesh that breathes well. I did find the midsole to have a high volume. I had to lace the shoe tighter than I would have liked to get the hold I was comfortable with. The extra volume does not extend into the toe box, so those with a wide foot may still need to look at width options. The last thing I want to note about the upper is that the tongue is thin and stretches when pulled. This was not a factor when running in the shoe, but when lacing up, I didn't feel confident that the tongue wouldn't tear or slide down when running."

Ben: "The upper provides a structured hold in the heel. I also found the forefoot and toe box to be fitted and supportive. The laces were too short for my liking."

Individual Thoughts

Connor8/10

I enjoyed running in the New Balance 880 v12. In the past, I had found the 880 models a bit boring and not fun to run in. This new model changed my mind about what the 880 is capable of. The Fresh Foam X is lively and fun, and the layer of Fuel Cell provides a higher density in the forefoot that feels great when some speed is injected into the run. I was able to use the 880 for short doubles, weekly long runs, and even a tempo run. The only issues that I had with the shoe were the large volume of the midsole and the stretchy tongue. Both things only bothered me when I was first putting on the shoe, and I was eventually able to ignore them, but those are things to watch for. Through it all, I kept reaching for the 880 and will continue to use it in my shoe rotation.

Shoe Softness

FirmSoft

Ride/Energy Return

Less SpringyMore Springy

Underfoot Protection

LowHigh

Flexibility

RigidElastic

Upper Support

StructuredAdaptable

Ben8/10

The New Balance 880 v12 is an ideal shoe for shorter runs and slower paces. I found the level of energy return to be perfect for a 4-mile run, but I had trouble running mile repeats in it. For runs under 10 miles, the cushioning level was enough to keep my joints from hurting. However, on longer runs, my joints hurt and the shoe felt firm. The upper provided good heel and forefoot support. I found that the 880 was flexible enough to allow my feet to go through the whole range of motion on any run.