If you’re a high-mileage runner or a run commuter, but you can’t face a shoe rotation, there aren’t many options for shoes that genuinely tick every box. You often have to choose between speed on up-tempo runs, stability for long runs, and softness for recovery.
However, the New Balance 1080v15 opens up a world without those compromises for runners who run their shoes — and themselves — into the ground.
The Ride
The biggest update in version 15 is the addition of Infineon foam to the midsole. This is an ultra-soft, max-stack shoe, and you can feel it the second you put it on. The sensation is soft and sinking — often a sign of a comfortable but sluggish shoe — but more on that in a second.
The forefoot is plenty wide at the ball of the foot but is quite tapered towards the front, benefiting those with moderate-to-wide but more pointed feet.
The upper is plush and robust, often the sign of a warmer shoe, but the addition of large ventilation holes in the forefoot provides reassuring airflow where you need it most.
The ride feels smooth and well-balanced for both heel and forefoot strikers, with a very natural-feeling rocker at the heel and forefoot.
Performance: More Tuned Than You Might Expect
As previously mentioned, the max-stack, plush cushioning would lead you to believe this is a shoe set up for long, easy miles — which it is. But the new Infineon foam and sole geometry give it another personality that comes out as soon as you push up the tempo, and it is pure fun.
Lean forward, transition from heel to forefoot, and this shoe keeps up, giving you all the pop and energy return you need for a fast 5K or strides that feel like you actually made some progress.
Like all max-stack shoes, they can feel a little off-kilter on a camber, cobbles, or a sharp turn, so they may not be the best option for newer runners. However, they are surprisingly stable for their type, as the increasingly popular broad midfoot handles transitions well.
The outsole is where this shoe could be improved. New Balance has kept the rubber elements minimal for lightness and softness, but that comes at the expense of grip on wet or mossy concrete, leaving you a little afraid to go full-send on steep, winding hills in the wet. However, they wear impressively well and show plenty of life after hard use.
The Verdict
I put 200 kilometres through these shoes in three weeks to see how they would stand up to the expectations of someone who would use them for everything. I wasn’t prepared for just how versatile they would be across a genuinely varied diet of workouts: tempo runs, long runs, recovery runs, and sprints all felt great — even when compressed into a twice-daily, four-day stretch.
If you need one shoe to do it all, this is a great choice — especially if you don’t want to compromise.
Who This Shoe Is Best For
- Run Commuters: These shoes can put in a full week and still come back for more, where others may start to feel like running on cardboard.
- Distance Training: If you’re preparing for a race and following a training plan, these are ideal — snappy for fast days, but beautifully comfortable when your legs are dead after a hard week or month.
- Recovery: The plush feel and smooth ride reward experienced runners coming back after time away and looking for something to help smooth out the niggles while they find their feet.
- 1080 Newcomers: This is the biggest update yet for a shoe that has been in need of modernisation for a while, and New Balance has gone ahead and leapfrogged its competitors in the category.
Key Features
- Midsole Foam: The new Infineon foam is tuned to provide the best of all worlds.
- Smooth Ride: This shoe welcomes runners whose form changes day to day.
- Comfort: The upper feels robust and protective but has outstanding ventilation.
- Lightweight: Well-designed elements keep the shoe feeling robust without unnecessary weight.
