REASONS TO BUY
Affordable
Good for walking and casual wear
REASONS TO AVOID
Not a good running shoe
Not breathable
New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v4 Review
A good lifestyle shoe that isn’t meant for consistent running
Credit: Natalie Kafader
RELATED: The Best Running Shoes for Men
Our Verdict
The New Balance FreshFoam Arishi v4 is a good casual shoe that can cross over slightly into running. It's not a good choice if you plan to run regularly, or if you want something that can hit the gym or a lap around the block, it might be worth considering. We think the lack of responsiveness is a drawback, as is the general lack of support. We do not recommend this shoe to runners. For the money, there are significantly better options that will handle daily miles more enjoyably.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Value Men's Road Running Shoes | Another Great Value Road Shoe | |||
| Price | $75 List $69.95 at Amazon | $135 List $111.49 at Amazon | $130 List $127.95 at Amazon | $70 List $59.95 at Amazon | $100 List $99.95 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A shoe that isn’t meant to handle daily mileage, but works for walks and daily wear | A daily trainer that blends comfort and versatility at a reasonable price | One of the best value daily trainers we’ve tested | A budget daily trainer that works, but is easily outclassed | An affordable daily trainer that isn’t great for lots of daily training, but is fine for walking |
| Rating Categories | New Balance Fresh F... | Puma Velocity Nitro 3 | Adidas Adizero SL2 | Asics Gel-Contend 9 | Brooks Trace 3 |
| Landing Comfort (30%) | |||||
| Responsiveness (20%) | |||||
| Stability (15%) | |||||
| Upper Comfort (15%) | |||||
| Weight (15%) | |||||
| Traction (5.0%) | |||||
| Specs | New Balance Fresh F... | Puma Velocity Nitro 3 | Adidas Adizero SL2 | Asics Gel-Contend 9 | Brooks Trace 3 |
| Sizes Available | 7-15 US, regular, wide & extra wide | 7 - 14 US, regular | 4-19 US, regular & wide | 6-15 US, regular & extra wide | 7-15 US, regular & wide |
| Style | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer |
| Measured Heel Stack Height | 28 mm | 38 mm | 38 mm | 33 mm | 36 mm |
| Measured Heel-to-Toe Drop | 7 mm | 11 mm | 9 mm | 9 mm | 14 mm |
| Plate Type | None | None | None | None | None |
| Rocker Angle | 25.0 deg | 18.0 deg | 21.0 deg | 25.0 deg | 23.5 deg |
| Rocker Apex Location | 61.7% | 66.7% | 53.3% | 65.6% | 66.7% |
| Measured Weight | 10.04 oz | 10.07 oz | 9.36 oz | 10.21 oz | 9.91 oz |
| Upper | Engineered mesh | Engineered knit | Engineered mesh | Engineered mesh | Engineered mesh |
| Midsole | Fresh Foam | Profoam | Lightstrike Pro, Lightstrike | AMPLIFOAM+ | DNA Loft v3 |
| Outsole | Rubber | PumaGrip | Rubber | Rubber | Rubber |
| Heel Tab Type | None | None | Pull tab | Finger loop | Finger loop |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
The FreshFoam in the Arishi v4 is decent, better than some other options in this price category. However, the lack of support, heavy upper, poor transitions, and bad responsiveness hold back this shoe.
Performance Comparison
This is a lifestyle shoe that shouldn't be used for regular running.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Landing Comfort
We think the Arishi v4 is a very comfortable walking shoe. On the other hand, the FreshFoam, while soft, isn't good for consistent running. We found the forefoot cushioning to be lackluster, and we experienced bottoming out at faster paces. Similarly, transitions through the landing were rough, hindered by the stiff upper materials. The Arishi v4 is plenty comfortable — as long as you aren't running much in it.
Forefoot cushioning is sub-par, and we bottomed out regularly.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Responsiveness
Soft foam in a heavier shoe paired with a geometry best suited to walking results in a shoe that is neither responsive nor fast. While the Fresh Foam formulation in this shoe has more resilience than that of many other budget shoes, it's softer than ideal for any responsiveness. We struggled to hit faster paces in this shoe. For runners who want a budget shoe that can do it all, there are far better options.
Nothing about this shoe is designed for speed. We do think it works well as a walking shoe.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Upper Comfort
The upper of the Arisihi v4 is comfortable but heavy and not very breathable. While it fit well, we did notice that some of the stiffer materials caused significant rubbing on our heels, a common issue with budget running shoes. For walkers — who don't bend the shoe quite as much as runners — this shoe will likely work better. Heavy suede and stiff, rough materials have no place on a running shoe.
There are a lot of heavy, non-breathable materials in the upper of the Arishi.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Stability
This shoe has little to no stability. The Fresh Foam on the Arishi v4 is soft, which makes it a little less stable. Plus, the footprint is not very wide, and there are no pronounced sidewalls to help stabilize the foot. We found that there was a dearth of support under the midfoot/arch area in this shoe, a concern that has been echoed by other users.
We noted that there is limited support in the midfoot of this shoe.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Weight
Our test shoes (size 10.5) each weighed in at 10.04 ounces, which is a little heavier than average in our lineup. We think the Arishi v4 has very little to show in terms of cushioning and upper quality for the significant weight.
This is a heavy shoe for the poor running experience it offers.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Traction
The Arishi v4 has decent traction thanks to the rubber outsole, although it's one that we think is more likely to grip well on a gym or weight room floor rather than on cold and wet pavement. That matches the intended use-case for this shoe: active lifestyle rather than road running.
The tacky rubber of this shoe is clearly designed for indoor surfaces more than roads.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Should You Buy the New Balance FreshFoam Arishi v4?
If you want to run regularly, don't buy this shoe. It's a decent active lifestyle shoe, but it is not a good running shoe. The lack of support will cause issues for some runners, and though the Fresh Foam cushioning is reasonably comfortable, there are far better options in the same price range.
What Other Running Shoes Should You Consider?
If you want to stick with a shoe that looks good during the day but also can handle mileage, check out the On Cloudsurfer. It has excellent cushioning and all-day looks. For budget trainers, it's hard to beat versions 2 or 3 of the Puma Velocity Nitro. It's a phenomenal daily trainer that is both comfortable and highly versatile.
—Nathaniel Bailey
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