New Balance 1080v15 Review

Comfort and Fit

The step-in feel of the 1080v15 is immediately plush. There's generous padding in the tongue and heel collar, and the upper wraps the foot in a soft, secure way we really loved. The two-layer perforated mesh is lighter than it looks and has a clean, modern feel. The toe box has plenty of room, and the overall volume is on the higher side. The shoe runs a touch loose through the midfoot, and we had to cinch the laces tighter than we normally would to get a secure hold. This isn't a dealbreaker, but runners with narrow or average-width feet may notice some looseness in the middle of the shoe, while those with higher-volume feet may rejoice. The lacing system itself works fine; it just takes a little more effort to get dialed.

New Balance offers this in regular, wide, and extra wide, which is one of the best size ranges we've seen. This wide range matters because many runners with wider feet end up choosing between shoes that actually fit and those that actually perform. Thankfully, this shoe does both. The materials feel premium throughout, and we experienced no hot spots or rubbing. The heel counter was firm enough to hold our feet without being intrusive. Sizing runs true to length. We could easily see this shoe pulling double duty for walking and errands on non-running days because it's genuinely comfortable to stand and move around in.

Cushioning

New Balance's Infinion foam is the real story here. It provides a pillowy, soft landing that absorbs impact well and returns a little energy with each step. On easy runs, it felt like we were floating. The foam compresses under weight and then rebounds smoothly, which makes landing feel effortless rather than jarring. On longer efforts (past eight or ten miles), we didn't notice the cushioning breaking down or bottoming out, which is important in a shoe with this much softness, as some very soft foams start to feel flat after an hour. Thankfully, this one held up. The rocker geometry helped us roll through the gait cycle smoothly, so the shoe didn't feel sluggish despite the thicker foam. There's about 40mm of cushion (or stack) in the heel, and it provides a lot of protection without feeling disconnected from the ground.

The tradeoff for all this cushion is a lack of speed. When we tried picking up the pace, the foam absorbed the energy we put in rather than returning it. It felt like we were working harder than we should have to go fast. Our foot sank in slightly at toe-off instead of springing forward, and the softness that feels so good at easy paces started to work against us when we wanted to turn over. The 1080v15 is not a shoe for tempo runs, intervals, or anything where pace matters. It's designed for the slower, easier side of running, and it excels there. If you want one shoe that does both fast and slow, we think you should look elsewhere. However, if you want something dedicated to making your easy days feel great, this is hard to beat.

Breathability

The two-layer perforated mesh on the 1080v15 is solid for airflow. It isn't the most breathable shoe, but it handles moderate temperatures well and doesn't trap heat like some thicker uppers in this group do. The perforations in the outer layer lets air move through, and the thinner inner layer keeps things comfortable against the skin. We ran in these on some warmer spring days without any issues. In peak summer heat, we'd probably want something with a more open mesh, but for three-season running, this works.

The 1080v15 dries at a normal rate after getting wet. Nothing remarkable here in either direction. For a max-cushion shoe with generous collar and tongue padding, the breathability is respectable. We'd say it sits right in the middle of the pack. Not a selling point, but not a concern either.

Traction

New Balance's “Ndurance” rubber covers the high-wear zones at the heel and forefoot on the 1080v15, but there's a fair amount of exposed midsole foam on the outsole. On dry pavement and concrete, the grip is perfectly adequate. We could plant and push off with confidence. On wet roads, the rubber sections hold up, but the exposed foam has no traction at all, so we had to be acutely aware of where we were planting our feet. A couple of times on damp pavement, we could feel the foam sections sliding slightly, which isn't ideal. We wouldn't take these on gravel paths or any other surfaces other than maintained road surfaces.

The outsole durability of the 1080v15 looks adequate so far. The Ndurance rubber seems to be holding up in the high-contact areas without any peeling or unusual wear patterns. This isn't a shoe we'd buy for its grip, though. It's a cushion-first shoe that happens to have enough outsole to handle dry roads reliably. If you run regularly in wet conditions, keep that in mind; you might want to consider something with more rubber coverage.

Should You Buy the New Balance 1080v15?

If your priority is comfort on easy and long runs, absolutely, this could be your new favorite shoe. The Infinion foam delivers one of the softest, most forgiving rides in the lineup, and the weight savings make it feel nimble for a max-cushion shoe. It's not for speed, and the midfoot fit could be tighter, but for the runs that are supposed to feel good and easy, this does the job better than most. The wide sizing options make it accessible to a wide range of feet. If you're training for a half or full marathon and want something that makes your recovery runs and long slow days feel effortless, this is worth a serious look.

What Other Running Shoes Should You Consider?

If you want a similar level of cushioning with a firmer, more controlled feel, the Asics Gel-Nimbus 28 rides smoother at steady paces and is lighter on your feet. For runners who want plush cushioning with built-in stability, the Brooks Ghost Max 3 offers a similar level of softness with more structure in the midfoot. And if you want cushioning that's bouncier and more versatile across different paces, the Asics Novablast 5 is one of our favorite shoes and works for both easy runs and faster efforts.