There’s a new version of a flagship running shoe at New Balance this week, with our New Balance 860v14 review. The New Balance 860v14 is a road running shoe designed to offer some pronation support. It is well-cushioned and ideal for everyday training runs. Together with the New Balance 880, which is the neutral brother of the 860, the New Balance 860 has been the workhorse of the New Balance road running shoe range since its inception. It has been such a successful shoe, that changes from model to model are usually slight. However the technology, feel and ride of running shoes has changed significantly in recent years. The Fresh Foam X 860v14 has some significant updates using some of the new technologies on offer.
Reducing Pronation/’Overpronation’
When the foot touches the floor when running the arch compresses to absorb the shock. As the arch compresses it stretches out the planta fascia which is like a big elastic band on the base of the foot. This recoils, the arch reshapes and springs you into your next stride. Leading the runner to push off from the end of the big toe. The arch compressing and reshaping is called pronation. If the arch doesn’t reshape quick enough then the runner pushes off from the inside of the big toe or inside of the foot. This is called over-pronation. The knee follows the foot and rolls inwards. This over stretches the muscles down the outside of the thigh, and the shin. The knee, ankle and hip joints are working slightly out of alignment too. As running is repetitive, this movement happens thousands of times during a single run. The rolling inward of the knee means that a small area of the leg takes all the stress. This can lead to aches and pains, typically in the shins, outside of the thigh or under the knee cap. Shoes like the New Balance 860v14 are designed to reduce the amount that your foot and knee rolls inwards and therefore reduce the stress to the legs and subsequent pain/injuries.
How It Works
To reduce pronation in the New Balance 860 v13 and previous models the inside of the running shoe was stiffened up and made of a firmer piece of EVA. The amount the arch was able to compress was reduced and the stiffness guided the runner to push off from the end of the big toe. This method of controlling over-pronation was successful and used by lots of brands for many years. The downside of this method is that the foot doesn’t function inside the shoes. It is simply a passenger. Because the foot is doing no work it doesn’t get any stronger and in some cases gets weaker so the runner continues to pronate even after years of running when the rest of their legs have got much fitter and stronger. The New Balance 860 v14 has a new way of controlling pronation that doesn’t prop up the arch and therefore allows the feet to function inside the shoes. This means that over time the foot can get stronger.
The technology used to control the runners pronation has been borrowed from the New Balance Vongo v6, which is the more cushioned version of the 860. A shoe with a much softer ride that is more suited to long runs and easy runs. There is less shaping in the arch of the foot so that the arch of the foot is free to compress. The pronation support comes from the midsole, which is split into two layers. The top layer is soft which allows the foot to function uninhibited in the shoe and also gives the shoes an initial soft feel when the foot touches the floor. The lower level is made of firmer foam to give the midsole some stability. In-between the two different densities of foams is a thin EVA board that stiffens up the midsole.Both densities of foam are still made from Fresh Foam X. This is a foam designed with larger bubbles in the heel, which decrease as you move towards the toe. This gives the runner a soft cushioned landing and a firm positive push off.
BROWSE THE RANGE
To further reduce over pronation without effecting foot function the medial side of the New Balance 860v14 is very slightly higher than the lateral side, creating a favourable angle for pronators.The base of the shoe is broader to also increase the level of stability. The fit also feels broader and the toe box a little straighter to offer a bit more space for the feel to move. They are still a narrower fitting shoe like others in the brand, so you’ve got wide and extra wide if you need it.
Drop & Stack
The heel to forefoot drop has been lowered from 10mm to 8mm. This isn’t a significant difference that would cause problems to fans of previous models. An 8mm heel to forefoot drop is still suitable for heel strikers. By lowering the drop, the force at impact is reduced, alongside pronation. A double whammy.
The stack height has been increased by 2mm to offer a softer ride. Together with the lowered heel to forefoot drop, this gives the New Balance 860v14 a much smoother transition from heel to forefoot. It doesn’t feel like you crash into the heel of the shoe. When clocking up review miles we just felt things ‘flowed’ better.
Upper & Lacing
The upper is constructed from a soft engineered mesh. Breathable enough for summer but closed enough mesh to not let the cold air flow in during the winter. The plastic heel cup offers the heel some support. The padding around the heel and the cuff of the shoes is enough to make this a comfortable everyday running shoe. The tongue has the same level of padding and is gusseted. Together with the loop on the top of the tongue that the laces thread through, this stops the tongue from moving while running.
The laces pull the upper in around the foot to give a snug and secure fit. This helps to hold the foot onto the midsole, which is then more effective at playing its role in reducing pronation. If the foot is twisting or turning inside the shoe then the stability in the midsole won’t be able to help. There is an extra lace hole you can use to make the heel fit snugger or to butterfly the laces.
Outsole
As you would expect from a running shoe designed for daily training, there is a good thick rubber outsole on the base of the shoes. The outsole isn’t in one piece. It’s split with flex grooves running between the different sections to give the shoe some lateral and medial flex. That helps further control pronation and absorb some of the unevenness on the road or pavement, to keep you moving forward and reduce the chance of twisting a knee or hip. The outsole rubber itself is designed to grip well on wet and dry surfaces. Recent weeks have been very wet in the North East of England, which has been perfect for testing grip in the wet as part of a review. I’m hoping for a warm, dry summer’s day to test the grip in the dry but the UK weather isn’t playing ball at the moment!
The increased stack height and layer of softer cushioning at the top of the midsole has taken away some of the feel for the ground. The soft, smooth ride makes you less aware of what you are standing on too. This makes the level of traction that you get from the outsole rubber really important. I found the traction to be very good. There are a lot of tarmac paths that have a slight moss covering around where I live. On downhill sections these can be slippery. I had enough faith in the outsole of the New Balance 860v14 to just keep running without hesitation as they have always provided adequate grip.
Summary
It’s always a bit worrying when brands make more significant changes to running shoes that customers have loved for various iterations. For most runners the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v14 will be a real improvement. A softer initial impact, smoother ride and better foot function. They are still versatile enough to be used for easy runs, long runs and some slightly quicker running too, having a bit more of a responsive feel than the softer and more cushioned New Balance Vongo v6 for example.
New Balance sizing is on the smaller side in our experience, similar to brands like Hoka, La Sportiva, Inov-8 and Karhu. You might want to go half a size up, especially if you use Brooks, Saucony, Altra or Topo Athletic.
Other Considerations
Altra Provision 8: A broad rounded toe box gives the foot more room to spread on impact. A firmer feel to the midsole gives the feet more encouragement to spread and function. A total contrast to the soft cushioned ride of the New Balance 860v14. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-provision-8-review/
Hoka Arahi 7: A curved/rocker shape to the midsole and a 5mm heel to forefoot drop promote more of a midfoot landing. The rocker helps increase cadence reducing the time that the foot has for pronation and helping the runner maintain a more upright posture. The cushioning is soft but, not quite as soft as the 860v14. Available in two width men’s and two width women’s. Like New Balance Hoka is also quite a narrow fitting shoe. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-arahi-7-review/
Altra Paradigm 7: These have a broad rounded toe box which gives the foot more room to spread on impact and function inside the shoes. The cushioning is softer than the Altra Provision and provides a plusher ride. It is still firmer and more responsive than the 860v14 and still firm enough to stimulate foot function. The Altra Paradigm is available in two widths men’s and one width women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-paradigm-7-review/
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23: A 12 mm heel to forefoot makes this a classic heel striker’s shoe. The fit is similar to New Balance shoes. The ride is firmer. The pronation control is done with a guide rail that only helps the foot if it rolls against it. This allows the foot to function inside the shoes like it does in the New Balance 860v14. Available in two width women’s and three width men’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-adrenaline-gts-23-review/
Karhu Ikoni 2.5: A straighter roomier toe box allows for more foot function. Although not as roomy as an Altra or Topo shoe. The cushioning has a softer feel than other Karhu shoes. The Karhu Fulcrum helps to maintain forward propulsion, a quick cadence and more upright posture making you lighter on your feet. Not quite as much pronation support as others in this category. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/karhu-ikoni-2-0-review/
Topo Athletic Ultrafly 4: A broad rounded toe box with a 5mm heel to forefoot drop. Designed to promote a more midfoot landing but, still suitable for heel strikers. The cushioning is firmer than the 860v14 to stimulate more foot function. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-ultrafly-4-review/
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