New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v8 - Women's Review

The updated New Balance Hierro v8 weighs in at just under 8 ounces per women's size 6.5 shoe. With a 9 mm heel-toe drop, a uniquely grippy traction pattern, and a plush upper, this shoe is a user-friendly, easy-to-wear trail shoe suitable for most moderate occasions.

Performance Comparison

Foot Protection

One of the things we love about the New Balance X Hierro v8 is that it is protective without feeling clunky or heavy. In a world of ultra-lightweight textiles and featherweight cushioning, the Hierro rides like shoes of the past in the best way possible. This shoe sits at 35 mm off the ground with an average 9 mm heel-to-toe differential. This Fresh Foam stack provides ample underfoot protection but allows the shoe to maintain adequate sensitivity on the trails.

The toe cap of the Hierro is quite small, though functional enough to prevent pain if you accidentally kick a rock or a stump. The shallow toe cap gives way to a very breathable mesh upper. While we appreciate the breathability, the upper protection of the Hierro doesn't match its lower protective capabilities. While splashes and debris can infiltrate rather easily, the firmness and build of the interior prevent this from feeling problematic. The true ruggedness of this shoe is in its ability to handle repetitive high mileage days. Even after our rigorous testing protocol, this shoe rides like it did straight out of the box.

Traction

With a uniquely designed tread pattern, the New Balance Hierro and its Vibram outsoles are here to accompany you on most terrain types. Many trail shoes treat runners to Vibram outsoles, but not all of them boast a tread pattern designed by Vibram as well. This double-whammy creates agility, grip, and confidence on loose and technical terrain, though the lugs are not as bitey as those with sharper edges. The exterior edge of the outsole is adorned with texturized, chevron-shaped lugs that bite down into the trail as you take tight turns. The middle portion of the outsole offers double-decker, oval-shaped lugs. All of these 4 mm lugs' elements combine to make the Hierro outsole capable and grippy without feeling overbuilt or spiky as you run.

Sensitivity

Even with an above-average heel stack height of 35 mm, the Hierro provides some trail information. Part of the magic of this shoe is that it is incredibly comfortable underfoot, but it doesn't feel like your feet are sitting too high above the ground. The outsole is flexible enough to conform to the trail features beneath you, all the while informing you of their presence. The Hierro is not a trail shoe for runners who want to feel all of the details of the trail beneath them, but we tout this shoe's good balance between comfort and mild sensitivity.

Stability

With relatively thick side walls, the Hierro v8 provides more lateral stability than many of the more speed-focused trail shoes in our lineup. Its thick lace bed helps secure your foot and keep your gait organized, though it is not the most stable trail shoe on the market. We tend to think of lower-drop shoes as being superior in terms of inherent stability, but that wasn't our experience with the Hierro. This shoe feels comfortably stable on flowing, open trails, but we found that we had to correct our steps as we barrelled over logs and rocks to prevent turning our ankles. This sensation was highlighted when landing on uneven terrain. In terms of comfort, the Hierro does not feel like it sits as high as it does, but this slight quirk illuminated how high this shoe sits. For context, the highest-stacked shoe we tested is just a few millimeters higher than the Hierro. Because we had so many successful runs in the Hierro throughout the course of our testing, we maintain that it is a solid trail shoe. We recommend trying to shoe on to assess how it feels on your body before purchasing.

Comfort and Fit

For complete accuracy, this metric needs to be teased out a bit when it comes to the New Balance Hierro. As we've mentioned, this New Balance trail shoe feels like your ol' faithful running shoe. Its body style is akin to a New Balance road shoe but with a bit of added cushion. The lateral taper of the forefoot feels a bit snug, but we never had any issues with hot spots of blisters across our toes. Some runners left online reviews encouraging buyers to opt for a half-size larger than their typical size to counteract the upper taper. We always purchase our shoes a half size up and find that the Hierro fits comfortably and without issue. New Balance offers three widths, which can also make up for its slightly narrow forefoot. We tested the regular width, but wide and extra-wide options are also available.

The tongue is incredibly stretchy and plush, providing long-standing comfort for endurance adventures. The length and stretchiness of the laces are minor comfort features that impede the Hierro's overall midfoot lockdown. We adjusted to this on our runs, but know that runners seeking a tighter clamp down across the upper won't appreciate the give of this lace bed. The heel collar is padded but rigid, providing a familiar fit and easy comfort.

Weight

At 8 ounces per women's size 6.5 trail running shoe, the Hierro v* weight is average. This allows you to feel relatively unencumbered as you run, but it isn't quite as free-feeling as some of the featherweight options. In the case of the Hierro, its weight should not be a make-or-break metric for most runners. It weighs enough to feel solid and provide durability, but it doesn't feel heavy while running.

Should You Buy the New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v8?

The updated Hierro v8 isn't an all-around high-scorer, but don't count it out just yet. New Balance is known for creating comfortable kicks that many runners enjoy. With a middle-of-the-road price tag, it is a shoe worthy of your consideration because of its easy comfort and durability. While we tend to recommend higher-scoring shoes, the Hierro is worth considering if you are prioritizing upper comfort and streamlined protection.

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