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

New Balance 890 v7

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 6.9 oz · 7mm drop · 24/17mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The New Balance 890 v8 replaced it

How it ranks

The New Balance 890 v7 ranks among the stronger daily trainers in our data. Value and looks are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 9 runner reviews and 6 other rated shoes in the 890 product line. Another 3 reviews would set the confidence on this shoe's own reviews.

New Balance 890 v7

of 5

Good

88/100
Overall
88
Value
86
Appearance
80
Comfort
74
Cushioning
70
Durability
58
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 will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

85/100

85

What runners say

“Combines the responsiveness of a neutral fast shoe and the cushioning of a distance shoe”
4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Pure Flow 4
“The foam's firmness is the best of both worlds: a bit of give, but minimal material for the minimalist runner”
5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon
“Wide toe box yet form fitting upper that narrows in the body of the foot”
5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon
“Pretty light, but still provide enough cushioning for long runs”
5/5 Full review 45 mpw came from the adidas adizero Boston 7
“Durability is a minor concern”
5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3
“The low-drop is ideal for pushing forward in workouts and races”
5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon
“Good cushioning and support in heel/midfoot and enough room for toes”
5/5 Full review 10 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Skechers GOrun 7+
“Cushion is a bit on the light side”
4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Type A
“Has served me well for everything from marathon training to easy doubles”
5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante Pursuit

Prefer this shoe over another

73% 8/11

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.


Pros

  • At 6.9 oz, reviewers use it for both workouts and long runs.
  • Reviewers praise the roomy toe box and the well-ventilated upper.
  • It is the highest-rated 890 version we cover, well clear of the v6's 58 and the v8's 56.

Cons

  • Durability is its lowest-rated dimension, with three reviewers marking it 3 out of 5.
  • Two reviewers find the cushioning light, one calling the foam minimal.

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

890 v7 rates 88. This shoe has moderate certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the New Balance 890

Each dot is one version of the 890, 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.
  • 890 v8

    2020 · 2 reviews

    56 Bottom-tier

    70 Confidence

  • 890 v7 This shoe

    2019 · 9 reviews

    88 Good

    85 Confidence

  • 890 v6

    2018 · 8 reviews

    58 Bottom-tier

    84 Confidence

  • 890 v5

    2015 · 4 reviews

    59 Bottom-tier

    75 Confidence

  • 890 v4

    2014 · 57 reviews

    50 Bottom-tier

    98 Confidence

  • 890 v3

    2013 · 27 reviews

    63 Below average

    88 Confidence

  • 890 v2

    2012 · 5 reviews

    70 Decent

    67 Confidence

Reader Ratings

9 ratings
5/5 6
4/5 3
3/5 0
2/5 0
1/5 0

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight
6.9 oz
Release
2019 Q1
MSRP
$120
Stack Height
24mm heel - 17mm toe
Drop Height
7mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Showing 6–9 of 9 written reviews

Great shoe

5/5

Overall

Just getting back into running. New Balance 890 are comfortable, good cushioning and support in heel/midfoot and enough room for toes.

Anonymous runner · Jul 23, 2019

10 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Skechers GOrun 7+

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

Reader review

4/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jul 18, 2019

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas adizero Boston 7

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

Reader review

5/5

Overall

This is the first version of the 890 that I've run in, but I've loved them so far. They are a great lightweight trainer. They're pretty light, but still provide enough cushioning for my long runs while I've also used them for some workouts.

Anonymous runner · Jul 3, 2019

45 mpw came from the adidas adizero Boston 7

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

Nice job NB

4/5

Overall

I really like this shoe - not sure why people online have been nagging these-I think New Balance hit a home run. I love the ride, cushion is a bit on the light side but I usually run on softer surfaces so I don’t mind. The biggest advantage for me is that the upper is amazingly well ventilated and doesn’t really absorb water, I’ve sweat through plenty of shoes and these have the best moisture management by far.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Type A

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

Alternatives

Other shoes worth considering.

More from New Balance

Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

Current shoe
Choose a model
Lightest
Newest / Best overall / Best comfort
Shoe properties
Type
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Pronation
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
6.9 oz M Lightest
8.4 oz M
8.5 oz M
Stack
24/17mm
40/35mm
Drop
7mm
5mm
Release
2019 Q1
2020 Q2
2023 Q1 Newest
MSRP
$120 Lower MSRP
$145
Best price
$149.99
Ratings
Overall
Good (88)
Bottom-tier (56)
Exceptional (99) Best overall
Comfort
Decent (74)
Bottom-tier (53)
Exceptional (99) Best comfort
Cushioning
Decent (70)
Bottom-tier (60)
Exceptional (99) Best cushioning
Durability
Bottom-tier (58)
Bottom-tier (53)
Very good (92) Best durability
Appearance
Good (80)
Below average (67)
Very good (91) Best appearance
Value
Good (86)
Below average (65)
Good (88) Best value
Specific shoe

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