New Balance 870 v3

Name: New Balance 870 v3
Brand: New Balance
Rating: 4.4 (17 reviews)

Daily trainer · Stability · Road · 9.8 oz · 8mm drop · 24/16mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The New Balance 870 v2 replaced it

How it ranks

The New Balance 870 v3 ranks above most daily trainers in our data. Looks and value are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 17 runner reviews and 3 other rated shoes in the 870 product line.

Good

82/100

Overall

Good 82

Appearance

Good 81

Value

Decent 78

Comfort

Decent 73

Cushioning

Below average 68

Durability

Bottom-tier 50

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

82/100

Moderate 82

What runners say

“Light weight and flexible enough for fartlek or track work, stable enough for heavy road work.”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon

“My first pair of 870 v3 lasted 500+ miles, which is amazing for lightweight shoes.”

4/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a marathon

“I have gone through 3 pair now, logging over 500 miles per pair.”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon

“Absorbs very well, very soft and light and responsive, especially on the road.”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon

“The NB 870s provides a much better ride for a mid foot runner.”

5/5 Full review 75 mpw came from the Mizuno Wave Elixir 8

“The 870 was the first support shoe that felt lightweight enough for me.”

4/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a marathon

“Lightweight trainer, but with enough cushion to last 300-350 miles.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the ASICS GT-2000 2

“It's light and stable and has plenty of room in the toebox.”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon

“Fantastic low profile, lightweight stability shoe.”

5/5 Full review 75 mpw came from the Mizuno Wave Elixir 8

“It's beginning to show wear on the top of the toe box where it bends every step.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon

Prefer this shoe over another

50% 5/10

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers call it light and stable, workable for faster workouts.
Many reviewers find it comfortable, with room in the toe box.

Cons

Durability is its lowest-rated dimension at 3.6 out of 5, and reviewers report the forefoot rubber wearing quickly, one at 80 miles.
Reports on lifespan vary widely, from one reviewer at 80 miles to another getting 300 to 350.

870 v3 rates 82. This shoe has moderate certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the New Balance 870

Each dot is one version of the 870, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

78 2014 82 2013 96 2016 68 2019

Release year

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

870 v5

2019 · 5 reviews

68 Below average

22 Confidence
870 v4

2016 · 3 reviews

96 Excellent

80 Confidence
870 v3 This shoe

2013 · 17 reviews

82 Good

82 Confidence
870 v2

2014 · 2 reviews

78 Decent

15 Confidence

Reader Ratings

17 ratings

5/5 8

4/5 8

3/5 0

2/5 1

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 9.8 oz
Release: 2013
MSRP: $110
Stack Height: 24mm heel - 16mm toe
Drop Height: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Reader review

4/5

Overall

Wheely_Dean · Dec 1, 2015

55 mpw training for a half marathon

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

Reader review

5/5

Overall

Lightweight trainer, but with enough cushion to last 300-350 miles. Now on my third pair, only had one color scheme, but its a good looking shoe as well.

Anonymous runner · Dec 1, 2015

60 mpw training for middle distance came from the ASICS GT-2000 2

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

Reader review

4/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Apr 4, 2015

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

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

Reader review

5/5

Overall

Fantastic low profile, lightweight stability shoe. I ran in the Mizuno Elixir for years before they stopped making it. I really like a performance oriented shoe with a hint of stability. After mizuno axed the elixir I switched to the 870s. I wish I had done so before. The NB 870s provides a much better ride for a mid foot runner.

Anonymous runner · Mar 21, 2015

75 mpw came from the Mizuno Wave Elixir 8