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Fresh Foam 980

New Balance Fresh Foam 980

Name: New Balance Fresh Foam 980
Brand: New Balance
Rating: 4.2 (30 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock.

How it ranks

The New Balance Fresh Foam 980 rates in the 1st percentile overall among daily trainers. Its strongest dimension is looks (52nd percentile); its weakest is durability (1st). Of 12 runners who came to it from another shoe, 1 preferred it to what they ran before.

Based on 30 runner reviews.

Bottom-tier

39/100

Overall

Bottom-tier 39

Appearance

Appearance rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Good (75/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 52% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Good 75

Cushioning

Cushioning rating

Better Shoes Rating

Good (74/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 46% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Good 74

Value

Value rating

Better Shoes Rating

Average (67/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 31% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Average 67

Comfort

Comfort rating

Better Shoes Rating

Average (64/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 24% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Average 64

Durability

Durability rating

Better Shoes Rating

Below average (51/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 1% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Below average 51

What runners say

“Rubber is way too soft and wears out very quickly—no rubber left in toe area by around 100 miles.”

going woodward 3/5 Full review

“Two rubbed forefoot near the toe line, causing deep cuts and heavy bleeding during runs.”

4/5 Full review

“Feels nearly as responsive as the Kinvaras and much more comfortable for longer runs.”

beaconheel 5/5 Full review

“Lacks traction—running on well-maintained gravel or trails feels much more slippery than traditional shoes.”

runintherain 4/5 Full review

“Much firmer than marketed—translates to a snappy, up-tempo shoe good for daily runs and speed work.”

sbdirtrunner 4/5 Full review

“Outsole is thin and starting to wear into midsole on outer edge by around 175-200 miles.”

4/5 Full review

“Moderate to firm ride, needs a little breaking in—once done, fantastic shoe handling pavement, trails and tempos.”

sjt 4/5 Full review

“First shoe I genuinely looked forward to putting on and running in.”

4/5 Full review

“Like a minimalist shoe thanks to the 4mm drop and lighter weight, but with some nice cushion underneath.”

4/5 Full review

“Low drop and low weight for a trainer, not as soft as advertised, but has a great ride.”

4/5 Full review

Prefer this shoe over another

25% 5/20

Where to buy

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Pros & Cons

Pros

Popular shoe among LetsRun.com readers.
Rated among the top 25% of shoes on comfort.
Rated above average on cushioning.

Cons

Most reviewers like this shoe less than their last shoe.
Rated among the bottom 10% of shoes overall.
Rated among the bottom 10% of shoes on durability.

Reader Ratings

30 reader ratings

5/5

4/5

3/5

2/5

1/5

Runner reviews

Write a review

Reader review

Gmcxrunner · Sep 20, 2014

4/5

Overall

This shoe is best ones and gives my knees and feet some support.

Comfort: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

bugdoc · Sep 20, 2014

5/5

Overall

A very comfortable shoe. I use it for everything from tempo runs to long runs. I find that it keeps me to my forefoot. Unfortunately, the shoes wear quickly, particularly towards the toes.

Comfort: 5/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

beaconheel · Sep 19, 2014

5/5

Overall

I've been running in Saucony Kinvara's for several years and have grown to really like them over the years. I've recently started ramping up my mileage in preparation for a spring marathon and started noticing my feet hurting a little at the end of long runs in the Kinvaras. I thought it might be a good idea to find a similar shoe with a little more padding. When I went to the running store, the NB 980 was the best thing I tried on. After running in it for several weeks, it's quickly become my go-to shoe for long runs. It feels nearly as responsive as the Kinvaras and much more comfortable for longer runs. When I first tried it on, it felt a little loose around the heel, but I never noticed it once I started running. I'm a big fan of the shoe.

Comfort: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5