Type a shoe name, like Pegasus, Clifton or Kayano.

New Balance 860 v7

Daily trainer · Stability · Road

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The New Balance 860 v6 replaced it

How it ranks

The New Balance 860 v7’s rating is an early estimate. We’ve collected 4 runner reviews so far, with product line history also informing the score.

Bottom-tier

57
Overall
57
Comfort
74
Appearance
71
Value
65
Durability
63
Cushioning
62
Confidence

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

75 Moderate

75

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

  1. Product line track record
  2. Our ratings
  3. External ratings

What runners say

“Without fail, the upper separates from the lower on the outside of the toe box. Every. Single. Pair.”
3/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13
“I regularly get 500–600 (and once 700+) miles out of the shoes.”
5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 860 v6
“I was able to regularly get 450–500 miles on a pair with minimal injuries.”
5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance 860 v6
“Mine tended to tear in the fabric in the midsole on the outside of the foot.”
4/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 860 v6
“It feels best on roads while doing longer runs, and can be a bit cumbersome if running on the track or doing quick intervals.”
4/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 860 v6
“They give enough support without being overly cushioned.”
5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance 860 v6
“It fit nicely, with a lot of padding but also not too stiff or heavy.”
4/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 860 v6

Prefer this shoe over another

40% 2/5

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.


Pros

  • Comfort averages 5 out of 5 across four reviews, with appearance at 4.8 and cushioning 4.5.
  • Two reviewers get 450 to 600 miles from a pair, one of them once past 700.

Cons

  • Durability averages 3.5 out of 5, the lowest of its dimensions, and two reviewers have the upper tear or separate before the soles wear out.
  • One reviewer finds it cumbersome on the track or in quick intervals, and another misses the rolling forefoot feel of the earlier versions.

Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale

Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.

Confidence
50 60 70 80 90 100 25 50 75 100

Better Shoes Rating

860 v7 rates 57. This shoe has moderate confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the New Balance 860

Each dot is one version of the 860, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.
  • Fresh Foam X 860 v15

    2026 · 0 reviews

    55 Bottom-tier

    54 Confidence

  • Fresh Foam X 860 v14

    2024 · 11 reviews

    63 Below average

    77 Confidence

  • Fresh Foam X 860 v13

    2022 · 5 reviews

    69 Below average

    82 Confidence

  • Fresh Foam X 860 v12

    2021 · 1 review

    63 Below average

    74 Confidence

  • Fresh Foam 860 v11

    2020 · 1 review

    61 Below average

    77 Confidence

  • 860 v10

    2020 · 8 reviews

    73 Decent

    82 Confidence

  • 860 V9

    2019 · 5 reviews

    60 Below average

    81 Confidence

  • 860 v8

    2019 · 10 reviews

    63 Below average

    87 Confidence

  • 860 v7 This shoe

    2018 · 4 reviews

    57 Bottom-tier

    75 Confidence

  • 860 v6

    2018 · 2 reviews

    55 Bottom-tier

    80 Confidence

  • 860 v5

    2016 · 4 reviews

    62 Below average

    80 Confidence

  • 860 v4

    2014 · 16 reviews

    49 Bottom-tier

    89 Confidence

  • 860 v3

    2014 · 2 reviews

    54 Bottom-tier

    77 Confidence

Runner Ratings

4 ratings
5/5 2
4/5 1
3/5 1
2/5 0
1/5 0

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Release
2018

Runner reviews

Write a review

Showing 1–4 of 4 written reviews

Good for running until they fall apart

3/5

Overall

860s have been my go to shoe for years now but without fail, the upper seperates from the lower on the outside of the toe box. Every. Single. Pair. I wish I had another shoe I could use to stop supporting crappy manufacturing but these work best for my feet.

Anonymous runner · Jul 3, 2019

45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
1/5
Appearance
4/5
Value
3/5

Small Changes to a Proven Commodity

5/5

Overall

I have been wearing the New Balance 760 and now 860 series for fifteen years (fall of '02). This shoe is in line with what I have come to expect from New Balance. I regularly get 500-600 (and once 700+) miles out of the shoes. The one change I could tell that they made from the previous model (and which they have partially gone back to in the newest model - v8) is a shift in the plane of the shoe. It is hard to describe, but it is like the shoe had a plane it rested on while standing regularly, but as you rolled towards the balls of your feet, you could feel a fulcrum point past which another plane appeared as you stood on the balls of your feet. I really liked that feature in the older versions, and was sad to see it go in the v7 (and thus happy to see it back in v8). This change did not substantially effect my experience with the shoe, nor did it stop me from buying the next model of the show. It was merely a change that I noticed.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 860 v6

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5

Highly recommend the New Balance 860v7

5/5

Overall

I've been wearing various versions of the New Balance 860 for the last 4 years or so and have had great success with them and the 860v7 is no exception. I was able to regularly get 450-500 miles on a pair with minimal injuries. They give enough support without being overly cushion-y. I used to wear the Nike Air Structure Triax back in the day for years until I transitioned to the New Balance 860's and haven't looked back since.

jbrun20 · Feb 7, 2018

70 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance 860 v6

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
4/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
4/5

I've used it for a while

4/5

Overall

I first used it because it was the continuation of the 860v5, which in my opinion was the best running shoe I've ever ran in due to it's comfort and snug fit. It fit nicely, with a lot of padding but also not too stiff or heavy. It feels best on roads while doing longer runs, and can be a bit cumbersome if running on the track or doing quick intervals. In addition, mine tended to tear in the fabric in the midsole on the outside of the foot, meaning I had to buy them before the soles had actually worn out. Overall though, I really enjoyed them, and the fact that they've been the only shoe I've used for almost a year and a half without major injuries and with great comfort is a testament to their good qualities.

Anonymous runner · Feb 6, 2018

55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 860 v6

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

Alternatives

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Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

Current shoe
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Reference shoe
Newest
Lightest / Lowest price / Best overall
Shoe properties
Type
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Pronation
Stability
Stability
Neutral
Weight
—
10.5 oz
9.9 oz Lightest
Stack
—
40/34mm
40/35mm
Drop
—
6mm
4mm
Release
2018
2026 Q2 Newest
2022 Q3
MSRP
—
—
$165
Best price
—
$150
$95 Lowest price
Ratings
Overall
57 Bottom-tier
55 Bottom-tier
99 Exceptional Best overall
Comfort
74 Decent
65 Below average
99 Exceptional Best comfort
Cushioning
62 Below average
58 Bottom-tier
99 Exceptional Best cushioning
Durability
63 Below average
62 Below average
97 Exceptional Best durability
Appearance
71 Decent
63 Below average
75 Decent Best appearance
Value
65 Below average
60 Below average
77 Decent Best value rating
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