New Balance 860 V9

Name: New Balance 860 V9
Brand: New Balance
Rating: 4.4 (5 reviews)

Daily trainer · Stability · Road

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The New Balance 860 v10 replaced it

How it ranks

The New Balance 860 V9 trails most daily trainers in our data. Comfort and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. The rating rests on 5 runner reviews and 11 other rated shoes in the 860 product line. Another 7 reviews would set the confidence on this shoe's own reviews.

Bottom-tier

54/100

Overall

Bottom-tier 54

Comfort

Decent 70

Durability

Below average 69

Value

Bottom-tier 59

Cushioning

Bottom-tier 59

Appearance

Bottom-tier 58

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 will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

83/100

Moderate 83

What runners say

“For someone who overpronates, it gives the support you need while not being overly clunky and annoying.”

5/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide ISO

“Very stable with significant medial post, comfortable, durable outsole, firm cushioning.”

4/5 Full review 15 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Ultra Boost ST (Stability)

“500+ miles out of these shoes multiple times.”

5/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide ISO

“Doesn't transition well—a bit clunky and not very flexible.”

4/5 Full review 15 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Ultra Boost ST (Stability)

“Built more for the long haul than speed.”

5/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide ISO

“A little too loose in the heel capsule, but adjustable with socks and lacing.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 23

“Good outsole and semi-firm midsole.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 23

“Solid stability trainer for marathons.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 23

Prefer this shoe over another

57% 4/7

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers rate durability 4.6 out of 5, and two report 500 miles or more per pair.
Reviewers rate comfort 4.6 out of 5, and three say the medial post gives support without feeling clunky.
Two reviewers describe a firm midsole they favor for long, steady road miles.

Cons

Reviewers rate appearance 3.8 out of 5, its lowest dimension.
One of five reviewers so far finds it clunky and inflexible through the transition.
One of five reviewers so far finds the heel loose enough to need sock and lacing adjustments.

860 V9 rates 54. This shoe has moderate certainty. 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

40 60 80 100

53 2014 47 2014 66 2016 52 2018 55 2018 60 2019 54 2019 74 2020 55 2020 54 2021 54 2022 50 2024

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Fresh Foam X 860 v14

2024 · 11 reviews

50 Bottom-tier

88 Confidence
Fresh Foam X 860 v13

2022 · 5 reviews

54 Bottom-tier

81 Confidence
Fresh Foam X 860 v12

2021 · 1 review

54 Bottom-tier

64 Confidence
Fresh Foam 860 v11

2020 · 1 review

55 Bottom-tier

45 Confidence
860 v10

2020 · 8 reviews

74 Decent

74 Confidence
860 V9 This shoe

2019 · 5 reviews

54 Bottom-tier

83 Confidence
860 v8

2019 · 10 reviews

60 Bottom-tier

78 Confidence
860 v7

2018 · 4 reviews

55 Bottom-tier

66 Confidence
860 v6

2018 · 2 reviews

52 Bottom-tier

65 Confidence
860 v5

2016 · 4 reviews

66 Below average

69 Confidence
860 v4

2014 · 16 reviews

47 Bottom-tier

94 Confidence
860 v3

2014 · 2 reviews

53 Bottom-tier

68 Confidence

Reader Ratings

5 ratings

5/5 2

4/5 3

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Release: 2019

Runner reviews

Write a review

good workhorse

4/5

Overall

solid stability trainer with which I ran my first two road marathons. Good outsole and semi firm midsole which I personally favor. A little too loose in the heel capsule which I adjust by selecting socks and tying correctly, but could be improved in an update. Overall solid trainer that I've actually chosen to buy three times in a row

Anonymous runner · Jan 21, 2020

25 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 23

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

Perfecf

5/5

Overall

I’ve had less pains while running and honestly just love this shoe. Don’t get any other besides the new version of the same shoe. Every new version gets better

Anonymous runner · Sep 10, 2019

70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Lunar Glide+ 5

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

TL;DR: I think the 860 is great

5/5

Overall

the 860 is a great shoe, it does exactly what you need it to. For someone like me, who overpronates, it gives me the support I need while not being overly clunky and annoying. The V9 also looks better than previous iterations. This shoe can go fast, if need be, but it definitely is more built for the long haul. I've gotten 500+ miles out of these shoes multiple times. Definitely a lot of bang for your buck, but if you need to do a lot of speedwork I'd recommend a pair of flats, too!

Anonymous runner · Aug 29, 2019

65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide ISO

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

Reader review

4/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jul 11, 2019

16 mpw training for a half marathon

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

New Balance 860 V9

4/5

Overall

The New Balance 860 V9 is a great starter stability shoe. It's a bit of a throwback to the "old days" and maybe what you might think of when you hear stability shoe. It's very stable with a significant medial post, very comfortable on foot, the out-sole is durable, and the cushioning is firm. It doesn't transition very well as it's a bit clunky and not very flexible but it does offer outstanding support.

Steve84 · Jun 21, 2019

15 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Ultra Boost ST (Stability)