New Balance 880 v5

Name: New Balance 880 v5
Brand: New Balance
Rating: 4.6 (12 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The New Balance 880 v7 replaced it

How it ranks

The New Balance 880 v5 ranks among the stronger daily trainers in our data. Comfort and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. The rating rests on 12 runner reviews and 13 other rated shoes in the 880 product line.

Very good

92/100

Overall

Very good 92

Comfort

Excellent 95

Durability

Excellent 95

Cushioning

Very good 90

Value

Good 90

Appearance

Good 87

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

89/100

High 89

What runners say

“The tongue slides down your foot within the first few minutes of running”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw came from the Nike Air Pegasus+ 30

“The soles wear down like butter on a hot day”

4/5 Full review 55 mpw training for middle distance came from the New Balance 680 V4

“Will reasonably last about 300 miles, but above 350 the quality diminishes quickly”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw came from the Nike Air Pegasus+ 30

“Runs 1/2 size smaller than Fresh Foam 1080”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon

“Upper mesh is tough, comfortable while providing a snug fit and seems to wear well”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon

“When worn down, protection from sharp objects is nonexistent”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

“The lack of bulk and weight allow it to be an effective speed trainer”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

“The treads and uppers have lasted longer and look great”

5/5 Full review 28 mpw came from the Brooks Ghost 12

“As someone who pronates, the sides wear out quickly”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

“A solid, neutral shoe that protects feet from wear and tear day in and day out”

4/5 Full review 55 mpw training for middle distance came from the New Balance 680 V4

Prefer this shoe over another

56% 9/16

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 comfortable and well cushioned for long runs and daily miles.
It is the highest-scoring version of the 880 line we cover.
Two reviewers use it for tempo runs and intervals as well as easy miles.

Cons

One high-mileage reviewer finds the tongue slides down within the first few minutes of a run.
Two reviewers say the outsole wears down quickly, one putting the practical limit at 300 to 350 miles.
Three of twelve reviewers report an injury while running in it.

880 v5 rates 92. This shoe has high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the New Balance 880

Each dot is one version of the 880, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

73 2012 72 66 92 2016 76 66 78 2020 70 79 2021 90 60 2023 72 64 2018 78

Release year

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

Fresh Foam X 880v14

2025 · 6 reviews

78 Decent

74 Confidence
880v8

2018 · 3 reviews

64 Below average

81 Confidence
Fresh Foam X 880 v15

2025 · 2 reviews

72 Decent

53 Confidence
Fresh Foam X 880 v13

2023 · 13 reviews

60 Bottom-tier

85 Confidence
Fresh Foam X 880 v12

2022 · 13 reviews

90 Good

84 Confidence
Fresh Foam 880 v11

2021 · 3 reviews

79 Decent

53 Confidence
Fresh Foam 880 v10

2020 · 6 reviews

70 Below average

75 Confidence
880 v9

2020 · 22 reviews

78 Decent

90 Confidence
880 v7

2018 · 11 reviews

66 Below average

81 Confidence
880 v6

2018 · 1 review

76 Decent

36 Confidence
880 v5 This shoe

2016 · 12 reviews

92 Very good

89 Confidence
880 v4

2016 · 7 reviews

66 Below average

85 Confidence
880 v3

2013 · 10 reviews

72 Decent

78 Confidence
880 v2

2012 · 4 reviews

73 Decent

73 Confidence

Reader Ratings

12 ratings

5/5 7

4/5 5

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: 2016

Runner reviews

Write a review

Durable!

5/5

Overall

I moved to the NB 880 from Brooks Ghost 12 and am impressed. The treads and uppers on the 880s have lasted longer and look great. I've worn through each of my last 4 pairs of Brooks in 300 miles or so and these NBs are still going strong at 400. I've not had any pain or issues, after the initial break-in, with the NB 880s.

Anonymous runner · Jan 3, 2020

28 mpw came from the Brooks Ghost 12

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

New Balance 880s

5/5

Overall

This is my go-to shoe. I love this shoe so much because of its appearance, durability, and cushioning. I am a gal who loves cushioned shoes to train in.

Anonymous runner · Oct 5, 2019

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

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

I Tried Something New and it Paid Off! (New Balance 880 v5)

5/5

Overall

This shoe fits my average feet well, is light, not bulky and is good for any kind of run! I have done long runs, tempo runs and interval training (indoor and outdoor) in this shoe. The cushion is sufficient enough to be comfortable for long runs up to 18 miles. The lack of bulk and weight allow the shoe to be an effective speed trainer. I have zero complaints other than I wish it could last a little bit longer and was cheaper. As someone who pronates, the sides on this shoe wear out quickly. To compare, the side of the shoe wears out as quickly as the Nike Pegasus 33s and 34s. At least it is better than the Pegasus 35s- those shoes are brilliant but wear out in no time. I am also a college student that prefers to save money- this shoe is the same price as the average newest pair of running shoes on the market. One pretty unique bad experience came at the bitter end of the shoe's life cycle when I ran into broken glass that was frozen down into the side of the road. When this shoe is worn down, protection from sharp objects on the ground is nonexistent. I have never worn shoes that were from New Balance before but this shoe has given me a glimpse at the competency and expertise that goes on within the development team.

Anonymous runner · Jul 29, 2019

60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

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

Great shoe overall

4/5

Overall

Good for long runs and general mileage days

Anonymous runner · Jul 25, 2019

45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Flux 4

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

Reader review

5/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jul 3, 2019

30 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 6

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

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Analyses

New Balance 880 v5

Very good