New Balance has a more than century long history. They say about themselves, that they empower people through sport and craftmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. New Balance believes, that Everyone’s Welcome and has the right to do sports. They seek to amplify all voices to shape the future of the sports industry. The New Balance 1080v12 is supposed to be a shoe that can do it all.
So What does New Balance say about the 1080v12?
If we only made one running shoe, that shoe would be the 1080. What makes the 1080 unique isn’t just that it’s the best running shoe we make, it’s also the most versatile. The 1080 delivers top-of-the-line performance to every kind of runner, whether you’re training for world-class competition, or catching a rush hour train. The Fresh Foam X 1080v12 represents a consistent progression of the model’s signature qualities. The smooth transitions of the pinnacle underfoot cushioning experience are fine-tuned with updated midsole mapping, which applies more foam to wider areas of the midsole and increases flexibility at the narrower points. The ultra-modern outlook is also reflected in the 1080’s upper construction. The v12 offers a supportive, second-skin style fit with an engineered Hypoknit upper, for a more streamlined overall design.
It’s time to find out if the shoe is all that.
How I used the shoes so far
Till today I ran more than 250 kilometers in the shoe. I did every run that I do right now in this shoe. From easy shorter recovery runs to long runs. From fast 1k repeats to longer tempo runs around my marathon goal race pace. Even used the shoe twice in a track workout at fast paces. The majority of the runs have been on pavement. All in all I really tried to put the shoe through a good test so I can write a good review of it.
Fit of the shoe
The shoe for me fits true to size. While putting on the shoe the first time I could feel, that the upper material hugs the foot nicely and that there is no problem with the lockdown. You can actually just lace up the shoe and you are good to go. The toe box is quite roomy and has enough space for your toes even if you have wider feet, the shoe should fit you. The heal cup has a lot of padding. All in all I must say that putting on the shoe for the first time it felt comfortable. During the runs I did I had no issue with any hot spots or blisters and my feet.
And one more thing about the upper. yes, it’s comfortable but not very breathable. I found that with warmer temperatures my feet got warmer then in some other shoes. That’s something you should consider if living in a warmer climate.
Performance of the shoe
If I could only use three words to describe the shoe I would go for: soft, responcive, workhorse. And to add one more word: stable. Probably you can tell where I’m going with this. The first run I did in the shoe was an 8 kilometer long easy run. What I remembered from the run was the soft feel of the midsole. But soft in a good way. I was not sinking into the midsole, rather I got back the energy I was putting into the shoe. That’s why responcive.
The outsole of the shoe is quite wide and provides a great grip on even wet surfaces but to be honest it’s not I shoe you should use on trails. I tried it but felt quite insecure by doing so. In the end, the 1080v12 is a road shoe and should therefore be used on roads. Even running through tight corners has never been a problem.
On to the faster runs I did in the shoe. It felt good, not great. There are other options out there, that are more suitet for faster running. Not, that you can’t use the shoe during a tempo run, but you just don’t get back the energy you are putting in and the percived effort level is higher than in some other shoes. I know I said responcive, but to some degree. The faster you want to run, the less responcive the shoe gets.
But the did best in long runs, that’s why the shoe is a workhorse. Even those really long long runs, when training for a marathon. Just last weekend I did a 32k run in the shoe and will do all my outstanding long runs at easy or moderate pace in the New Balance 1080v12. Just not the long run workouts with marathon goal race pace segments.
How will I use the shoe
Long runs for sure. But also all my easy to moderate middle distance runs and my recovery runs. Well, that’s not all. I will use the shoe even on some longer tempo runs around marathon race pace. Why? If I can run marathon pace in the 1080v12 for 10 or 14k, it will feel easier on race day in my race shoe.
Today, after 250 kilometers the upper of the shoe looks like fresh out of the box. Even the midsole feels the same as on my first few runs. However, there is some wear on the outsole. I would say, that the midsole and the upper would go even up to 600, maybe 700 kilometers but I’m not sure that the outsole has more than 400 kilometers of lifespan.
Would I recommend the New Balance 1080v12?
This is probably the best option if you only want to have 1 pair of running shoes. It can do everything but not at a 100 percent. It’s the best all around daily trainer I used in a long time. However, if you want to have more shoes in your rotation I would recommend the New Balance 1080v12 as your workhorse, your long runs shoe and go to shoe for easy to moderate paces.
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