Running Shoe Series: New Balance Fresh Foam 1080

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 Infographic

Illustrations by: Cynthia Park

Written by: Mattie Schuler


New Balance's Fresh Foam 1080 road running shoe series isn't new—the first iteration debuted in 2010— but how the company continues to improve the series is game-changing.

Pressure-sensing force plates, high-speed cameras, and a motion-capture system used by physiologists feed data-driven research and design in New Balance's Sports Research Lab in Massachusetts.

That focus on science and design helped create a top-cushioned running shoe with Fresh Foam Technology, but that's not the only perk your feet will enjoy after lacing up the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v8.

Fresh Foam Technology

The first five versions of the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 running shoe were breathable, supportive, and lightweight, but the shoe didn't truly catch serious runners' attention until the 2016 debut of Fresh Foam Technology, a super cushioned underfoot support system. Professional runners, like Olympic athlete Emma Coburn, have sported the Fresh Foam 1080 as their go-to trainers ever since.

In these shoes, a single piece of foam in the midsole has both convex and concave hexagonal shapes, which you can see in the sidewall detailing of the shoe. The midsole is the layer of foam that is placed above the grippy outer base of the shoe but below the insole and footbed.

"Everything we do in terms of the design is fueled by intelligent geometries," says Fresh Foam 1080 series project manager Claire Wood. The hexagonal shapes offer a cushioned support and a flexible release through the stride and foot strike of a runner.

"We are using no assumptions, but are being completely scientifically informed," Wood says. "Fresh Foam is the perfect union of science and art for a running shoe."

In the Lab

Data gathered from professional athletes and non-professional runners in New Balance's Sports Research Lab allows the company to improve each new version in the Fresh Foam 1080 series.

For the Fresh Foam Technology in version six, researchers used in-shoe sensors that showed where a runner's foot applied the most pressure and impact to the top of the midsole while running. This data helped designers understand where a runner might need extra support underfoot to release and absorb impact for maximum comfort.

Version seven was designed with data gathered from sensors on top of the midsole, and also from the sidewalls of the midsole and the outsole, the base of the shoe that grips the ground. Sensors in three places offered data on how a runner strikes the ground from heel to toe, and how their foot moves overall, like rolling inward or outward with each stride.

"Too much pressure in an area, if the footwear isn't responding to correctly, can cause injury," Wood says. "Our goal is to understand what a runner tends to do, be it strike on the heel, strike in the mid-foot, or need more inherent stability in general."

Version eight employed Aramis, a program that lets designers see how a shoe performs while being worn. Using motion sensors in the shoe that can show 3D coordinates and imaging, the program allows designers to see the amount of strain on different parts and materials of the shoe. This allowed designers to better understand where impact or tension is being placed on the shoe, inside and out, while in motion.

This current version of the 1080 uses Fresh Foam Technology for a supremely cushioned yet sleek shoe with an 8mm drop, which is how the shoe's cushioning and construction lowers from heel to toe, or how large the heel of the shoe feels (shoes without any cushion have a zero millimeter drop). No-sew construction helps eliminate seams that might cause friction between the shoe and the foot, which can lead to blisters. The upper is a custom-designed breathable and wicking mesh. You'll feel supported, cool and stable throughout the entire run.