New Balance 880 v9

Name: New Balance 880 v9
Brand: New Balance
Rating: 4.5 (17 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8.6 oz · 10mm drop · 32/22mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The New Balance Fresh Foam 880 v10 replaced it

How it ranks

The New Balance 880 v9 sits about average for daily trainers in our data. Value and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 22 runner reviews and 13 other rated shoes in the 880 product line.

Decent

78/100

Overall

Decent 78

Value

Excellent 96

Durability

Excellent 94

Comfort

Good 87

Cushioning

Decent 79

Appearance

Decent 76

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

90/100

High 90

What runners say

“I can't get a good lock in the heel, even with heel lock lacing, mostly because the tongues slip over mid-run”

3/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

“They've lasted me 400 miles on 2 pairs thus far, so they hold up quite nicely.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

“They were very durable, and the cushioning never really seemed to wear down or compress much”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19

“They're stiff, so much so that my toes ache after long runs in them.”

3/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

“Cushioning is great, responsive and firm, the best combo.”

4/5 Full review 32 mpw training for middle distance came from the Altra Escalante 2

“They survived about 4-5 months of 50 mile weeks before begging for retirement”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 880v8

“These shoes feel the most minimalist, while still having the support needed.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Freedom 3

“Toe box is great for an average to wide foot.”

5/5 Full review 80 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

“They are "mid-cushioned" technically, but don't feel soft.”

3/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

“I now have about 100 miles on the shoes and they feel like new.”

5/5 Full review 13 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 10

Prefer this shoe over another

50% 10/20

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers report pairs lasting hundreds of miles before the cushioning fades.
Many find the firm, responsive ride works for tempo and faster running.
Reviewers rate value 4.6 out of 5 across twenty-two reviews.

Cons

Runners wanting soft cushioning often find it firm and stiff.
A few reviewers struggle to lock down the heel and midfoot.
Appearance draws the lowest ratings of any dimension, at 4.2 out of 5.

880 v9 rates 78. 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 2016 92 76 2018 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 This shoe

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

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

22 ratings

5/5 12

4/5 9

3/5 1

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 8.6 oz
Release: 2020 Q3
Stack Height: 32mm heel - 22mm toe
Drop Height: 10mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Clunkers. Get the Ghost, Ride, or Pegasus.

3/5

Overall

That's it, that's the review. Seriously though, the 880v9 has some issues, and the other big running shoe companies' daily high-mileage trainers are probably a better bet. These are just kinda old school, in an uninspiring way. My main issues are fit and feel: I can't get a good lock in the heel, even with heel lock lacing, mostly because the tongues slip over mid-run and so the lace tension where there is no tongue bruises my heels if I heel lock or lace tightly. They are "mid-cushioned" technically, but don't feel soft. I have a pair of NB Beacons that are ounces lighter and feel soft and cushioned without being mushy. They're stiff, so much so that my toes ache after long runs in them. This has improved considerably after 200 miles, but at this point the cushioning seems to be flattening out and my knees are starting to ache a bit.

Anonymous runner · Jul 5, 2019

40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

Comfort: 3/5
Cushioning: 2/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 3/5

Two Thumbs Up

5/5

Overall

The shoe is comfy and fairly durable. They survived about 4-5 momths of 50 mile weeks before begging for retirement, which is about all one can ask. Not sure how long they'd last for a higher mileage runner. They are responsive and pretty light for a regular trainer. I could see them working for tempos or even some I-paced stuff, if need be.

RunHillsinHighWaters · Jul 2, 2019

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 880v8