New Balance 1080 v15 Review: To Infinion and Beyond

Introduction to the New Balance 1080 v15

MEAGHAN: When you think of New Balance running shoes, it’s hard not to think of the 1080. It’s the staple daily trainer, the blue-collar hero of your rotation. Not the shoe you brag about on Strava, but the one quietly hauling your weekly mileage on its back. Hard to believe we’ve hit version 15, but what’s even crazier are the updates this time around. A brand-new midsole has entered the chat: Infinion. That’s right — FreshFoam is out. Gone. Retired. Sent to live on a nice farm upstate.

The 1080 v15 gets a full upper redesign, too, featuring a double-layer mesh and a gusseted tongue. Underfoot, there’s a little more foam (2 mm to be exact) while the familiar 6 mm drop remains. So the real question: does it still feel like a 1080, or has this overhaul rewritten its DNA?

THOMAS: We go way back with the New Balance FreshFoam 1080. Just because you change the name of the foam to Funions, Infinium, Funkyfoam, or Infinion and beyond, doesn’t mean we don’t know who you are deep down. I get it; New Balance wants consumers to know that their new foam lasts longer, providing you with more cushioned miles. I can imagine the marketing brainstorm for the name was done by the same team that comes up with pharmaceutical names.

New Infinion side effects may include increased mileage, feelings of supercriticality, and, of course, nausea.

However unnecessary the name change may or may not have been, I’m here to let you know, the ride and use case for the 1080 v15 have not changed. I give the New Balance team kudos for updating the 1080 while keeping the DNA familiar.

One more disclosure: while I like the 1080 just fine, it falls into a category of shoes that don’t blow my skirt up. I would lump the 1080 in with the Asics Nimbus, Brooks Glycerine, Hoka Clifton, and Saucony Triumph, all solid shoes, just not my favorite category.

If this group of shoes were professionals, they would work in financial institutions with names like Bob, Brad, Steve, and Jim. All my shoes are male. I haven’t figured out why. It could be that the box reads Men’s, or maybe there are deeper issues I need to talk to my therapist about. BTW, any time I have to spell ‘therapist,’ I picture SNL’s Sean Connery saying ‘The Rapist’ for $200. Am I the only one?

CHAD: Man, I gotta tell you, it feels super weird not typing out Fresh Foam X before the 1080 v15 when writing this review. Having reviewed v13 (which I liked overall but found unstable) and v14 (which I loved), I was personally shocked to see that New Balance was eschewing the Fresh Foam X in its premium daily trainer, substituting a new midsole foam called Infinion.

Meg highlighted that there wasn’t just a change underfoot, but rather the shoe got a full overhaul for 2025. Does my love from the Fresh Foam X 1080 v14 carry over to the now just 1080 v15?

What we like about the New Balance 1080 v15

MEAGHAN: I usually start with aesthetics, but not this time… you know what that means. Instead, let’s talk about step-in feel because it’s honestly quite nice.

Right away, the new upper stands out. It’s soft, stretchy, and has that premium touch around the collar and tongue that feels like a clear upgrade from the last version. Underfoot, the foam delivers too. There’s a fine line with supercritical foams: go too firm and you lose comfort and bounce, but this one hits the sweet spot. It’s soft and squishy with just the right amount of rebound.

Since I was curious about the need and shift to Infinion, I did what any running shoe nerd would do: I took them both out for a side-by-side run — v14 on the left foot and v15 on the right. Eight miles later, and here’s the verdict: while I still prefer the fit of the v14 (more on that below), the new version feels better overall. The upper is softer and smoother, and the ride feels a touch more responsive. It’s still unmistakably a 1080, with smooth transitions, plenty of cushioning underfoot, and a neutral feel that makes for an easy and enjoyable ride.

Oh, and it dropped some weight, too. My US W7.5 came in at 7.3 oz compared to 8.3 oz for version 14. You won’t necessarily notice it mid-run, but it’s a nice bonus.

THOMAS: First, for my narrow-footed friends, I say thank you. The 1080 v15 gets a much-needed slimming out. If you have a chunky foot, don’t worry – New Balance loves treating you to a wide version.

The new fit feels closer to the fit of the SC Elite v5. If I didn’t think that the Rebel was the training partner of the SC Elite, I’d certainly say the 1080 v15 is. I have been training, doing long runs, and running marathons in the SC Elite v5. For this review, I put away the SC Elite v5 and swapped in the 1080 v15 for a 16-mile LSD (long slow distance, not drugs) run. The 1080 v15 with the new foam feels smooth and resilient. The difference between the supercritical foam and Fresh Foam becomes noticeable as you accumulate the miles. Where the Fresh Foam can lose a little liveliness, the rebound of the Infinion keeps going.

The materials have an elevated feel. I expect that from the flagship model. The upper is soft and structured, there isn’t any excessive padding to hide bad design, and the outsole is tacky in the forefoot and durable in the heel.

CHAD: I, like Meg, normally start with aesthetics… Moving on, I do think a lot of what New Balance did in the 1080 v15 was nicely done. I really enjoyed the new double-layer mesh upper with the thinly padded and gusseted tongue. It was breathable while still having a nice hold on the foot, and it definitely has that really premium feel that you would hope for in their top-of-the-line daily trainer.

I also enjoyed the feel of the Infinion midsole foam. I really thought that New Balance was onto something with the added responsiveness in the newer forms of Fresh Foam X, but this new supercritical Infinion feels a bit firmer while still having good bounce. It somewhat reminds me of the slightly firmer feel of the 880 model, but with the pop from the 1080v14. Overall, a very pleasant ride.

What we don’t like about the New Balance 1080 v15

MEAGHAN: I thought we left bright neon trainers back in the 2000s? When I first opened the box, I honestly thought there’d been a mix-up. Surely this highlighter-green shoe with a silver-painted midsole snuck over from Skechers (no shade, they make great shoes, but you know what I mean).

Colorway aside, the fit was also not great. The previous version felt roomy and accommodating for my wider foot, but this one comes in noticeably narrower — and a bit longer, too. Personally, I preferred the shape and fit of the last version a lot better.

THOMAS: I have to agree with Meg. The Grinch colorway isn’t my fave. I have seen a couple of other colorways, and nothing has showcased the incredible skills New Balance’s team possesses. Nearly every color of the Fuelcell Rebel v5 has been outstanding. From their Lifestyle apparel and shoes to the entire Fuelcell line, New Balance has dominated the industry. Show me someone doing it better. That’s what makes the 1080 v15 look so, well, unbalanced.

Structurally, the shoe runs long. And not the kind of long that you can fix by going down a half size. With the new Narrower fit (aka last), I fear the shoe would fit too tightly for many. The extra room didn’t bother me much. I did try on the SC Elite v5 side by side and noticed it fit better in length, and the sculpting around the arch was superior.

My final complaint is that the shape of the shoe from above looks like a baguette. I call this the flounder fit. The shape could be adjusted by bringing the arch in and narrowing the throat. That kind of tailoring makes the shoe look better and fit better. One caveat: when I mention ‘fit,’ I am referring to my preferences with a high-arched, narrow foot.

CHAD: Okay, aesthetically this shoe is fairly unpleasant. I feel like the design overall falls very flat, and the highlighter yellow is sort of offensive. Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of brightly colored shoes…when they’re done right and with some stylistic elements to them. This shoe just looks boring, even in its bright color.

Also, not sure what New Balance is doing with its fit, but this was odd. Normally New Balance shoes err on the side of wider fit. Whenever someone tells me they have a wider foot, I usually recommend they try New Balance. However, the fit of the 1080 v15 was both narrow and a bit longer than normal. I have very normal width feet and felt that the shoe felt far tighter than prior models. My feet didn’t get bothered by the extra length because they were so snug in the shoe they didn’t slide around.

One of my favorite things about the v14 was that it was almost borderline stable-neutral, based on the reduced drop and the geometry of the shoe. I had no stability issues in any of the miles I did in the 1080v14, but I feel like the changes made in the v15 have brought this shoe back squarely into the neutral category. Not the end of the world considering it’s always been a neutral trainer, but disappointing to those of us who prefer to swim in the stable-neutral waters.

Final thoughts on the New Balance 1080 v15

MEAGHAN: The craziest thing about the New Balance 1080 v15? Somehow, everything’s different… and nothing has changed at all. The materials feel premium, but the ride is pure 1080, the blue-collar workhorse of your rotation. It’s still not the shoe you’re bragging about on Strava, but it’ll last a heck of a long time with this new Infinion foam… which I guess is the whole point?

THOMAS: Meg is right, the 1080 v15 remains true to itself. I’d compare it to your basic pub burger — while it may not be the best burger you’ve ever had, it’ll get the job done. When the waiter brings the bill, you might ask your friend to check the total, but you really won’t fight it that hard. It’s good, a little expensive, but still good. Can you get better burgers at a better price point? Sure can, but in this case, money buys trustworthiness.

The $170 price tag puts New Balance’s 1080 v15 in premium daily trainer territory. At that cost, though, it’s a good bet if you really just want a one-shoe rotation that doesn’t look like you’re trying too hard. If you want that cheap, fast-food burger that hits the spot, might I recommend the $140 New Balance Fresh Foam 880 v15?

CHAD: I hate to say it, but I feel like the 1080 v15 takes a bit of a step back from where the shoe was headed after the v14. The new Infinion foam is perfectly fine and will probably provide lots of comfortable miles. The new upper is comfortable and breathable, made from premium materials, as it should at $170. But the change in the fit, the poor aesthetics, and the loss of the stability that had been added in the v14 are all pretty big factors on the con side of the list. If I needed to use one word to describe the 1080 v15, it would probably be “average,” and it’s probably one of the first New Balance shoes that won’t last in my rotation.

You can pick up the New Balance 1080 v15 for $170 in January 2026 from New Balance by using the buttons below.