Customer Reviews New Balance Fresh Foam 880v11

Before the NB 880 v11 review, a little background: The NB 880 underwent a big change from v9 to v10, and it was wonderful. Version 10 fits great. It's a neutral shoe, but still provides support in the form of a structured heel counter and locked down fit. It's very well cushioned, but doesn't feel as though you are sinking into foam - it's just right. I had high hopes for version 11 (this shoe), but it disappoints. The exterior heel counter is now inside the heel. This cuts some of the weight, but loses a bit of the support. The comfy, padded heel of the 10 has been replaced by a modified elf heel. It's not as aggressive as some elf heels, but still comes up too high on the back of my achilles to be comfortable. The forefoot is tighter and the shoe feels a tad shorter than version 10. The cushioning is about the same, but the overall fit of version 11 was "off" for me. For reference I wear a 7.5 in street shoes and an 8.5 in athletic shoes to allow for thicker socks and foot swelling. I returned these and ordered another version 10 from another vendor. Why did they change such a good thing?

I ordered my usual size 9 in these new balance shoes. The toe box is much narrower than other N.B. Shoes I’ve owned and it was too small in length as well. Beautiful bright blue but these will be returned!

I have “bunionettes” and scars from previous bunionectomies on both feet. So I need a shoe with an extra wide width, removable inserts for orthotics, no “guard rails” that could cause compression on the sides of my feet, and a low heel toe offset/drop. With this pair of NB’s, I figured 3 out of 4 isn’t bad. Unfortunately, I was wrong, and I will need to spend the extra money on Fresh Foam Trail or More v2 or v3 that are designed with a lower offset. The drop on this pair of 880v11’s is 10mm, and after about a week of 1-2 mile walks a day to get accustomed to them before returning to a 3 mile per day minimum, it is too painful to continue wearing this shoe. The orthotist explained to me that for someone with bunions, the higher offset from heel to toe can cause all the pressure to fall the front of my feet instead of spreading evenly. Basically it is like wearing sneakers with heels. It can also make bunions a lot worse. So I am going to try a pair of NB’s that have something around a 4mm drop. This is frustrating because those designs with a lower drop tend to run around $150-175 instead of the more attractive $130 range for the 880v11’s. ***Fortunately, Zappos’s customer service is phenomenal, and there is a 30 day “Runlimited” guarantee from New Balance, so I am able to return these to try again. This is a major reason why I continue to take all my shoe shopping risks at Zappos. Another thing some may be interested in regarding this shoe is the feel and aesthetics. I had stopped hoping for anything that felt as nice as the HOKA Bondi 7’s I tried (the vinyl HOKA decal was placed OVER the part of the mesh you need to have stretch the most in an extra wide shoe) or the Altra’s (same issue with squishing side of foot with a decal). But this pair of 880v11’s absolutely does NOT deliver. I told my friend that I felt like I was walking on the kind of foam you would find on a life preserver or in novelty costume shoes. Once you stand in the shoes the foam will compress as it should, but it will also leave a LOT of permanent wrinkles the first time you wear them for any length of time. I mean, a LOT. I had almost expected to hear the sound of the foam compressing, never to bounce back. On the bright side, you will never have to guess if someone has tried on these shoes before you wear them. As for the feel inside the shoe, it is a little like wearing a pair of Brooks. There is a surprising lack of plushiness for something equipped with “Fresh Foam”, especially compared with a pair of Fresh Foam Cross Trainers I got back in 2019 for around $120, which had a lovely bounce but were definitely not meant for road or trail walking. The mesh upper on the 880v11’s is also less soft, though admittedly it is also probably more durable due to that very fact. I wasn’t going to get too picky about aesthetics since I was after function, but I was pretty disappointed in the flotation device feeling of a $130 pair of NB’s.

Too short, too narrow even in EE. I ordered Extra Wide-EE but could barely even get my foot into this shoe. The toebox is quite tight and cramped, with a lot of angle at the toes. Length was also short -- I wear size 7.5 in other shoes, but that is too small in this model.

Yay, these come in 2A!!! May other brands have stopped offering narrow widths, and I need the narrow. I'm not a runner but am a very active walker and athlete. These are cushy and I love the grey with aqua. I am so thankful that the color they offer in narrow is neither pink or black. (Asics, are you listening?) I wish they had more arch support, but I have good inserts for that. So happy to find these I may buy extra pairs! As for size, my usual 11 is fine in length (I am a 10 or 10.5 in street shoes) but I think they run just a bit short. The toe box is perfect for me -- I dislike wide toe boxes (cause my feet are narrow).

I am baffled by these shoes. They are a full size smaller than the last pair of this shoe that I have. What the heck?

Too narrow. I wear the WW but this one is very narrow.

Still testing these out. According to foot experts I have an unusual foot ( high arches and hypermobile). So, new orthotics and new shoes. I need both cushioning and support but not rigid support. So far , so good. I got a wider shoe to fit the orthotics. I will be ordering a second pair if all goes well. Unfortunately the shoes change every year and you can't count on getting the same shoes again.

Size was perfect, wide enough to accommodate my bunion. Toe space is roomy. I added an orthotic and I still had plenty of space. These are light shoes, perfect for the gym, neighborhood walking, treadmill, biking etc. I have the 990 and use them for distance walking. These shoes are perfect for my everyday activities. The look good on my feet, not clunky and large. I can wear these with my leggings or skinny jeans and not look like I’m wearing a giant brick. Fashionable but very comfortable. I wear a women’s 10 extra wide.

I appreciate a wide shoe in fun colors. I opted for the coral color of these in a wide. Overall, they fit pretty good, but I feel like they're just a tad too short. Also, the bottom of the heel area is not flat, and it is super soft... So things (like tiny pebbles) get embedded in it, and that's weird. (I am including a photo where you can see that.) I have actively walked 315+ miles in these in just under three months, and the inside heel is also very beat up... so back to them feeling just a tad too short, I'm thinking maybe I should've sized up. Anyway, these just have a few flaws to me, but otherwise, they're okay.

It took me three tries to garner the correct size. I wear strictly New Balance. They have been perfect over my years of running and walking. Never have had a foot problem ever and I attribute it to this brand. I wear a AA width normally. These shoes were too tight in my normal size and seemed snug in length at the toe box. So I went longer with a AA…no luck. Stayed at my same size with a medium width. They are great now! Thanks to the kind and patient customer service team at Zappo’s…finally found my new shoe. These shoes have the right amount of cushion to support you well. They are comfortable right out of the box once you find your correct size. Styling is good; however they add at least an inch plus to my height. I have a high arch with neutral pronation and these work well. If you want to protect your feet and enjoy a comfortable shoe…these are for you!

I bought these recently to replace my Brooks Ghost 12 as running shoes. I didn’t like the Ghost 13 update. This shoe is very similar in fit to the Ghost, a little bouncier. Front of shoe is roomier than the Asics and Saucony I tried. Very nice and comfortable.

I love these shoes so much that I bought a second pair for the future. They provide excellent support, laterally and through the arch. Very, very comfortable for daily walks...like walking on a cloud! I ordered a half size up knowing that they run a tad bit short. Perfect!

After reading the reviews, I decided to buy a half size larger than I usually wear, in a wide, which is standard for me. With a half size larger, the fit is great in both length and width. It is a great looking shoe, very comfortable and has stayed comfortable throughout my long, high intensity treadmill walking.

I always purchase a size 7 in tennis shoes, but I had to purchase a 7 1/2 in this shoe. Regular shoes I wear between a 5-6.

If you don’t like your toes touching the tip of the toe box, go up a half size. Overall a nice looking, comfortably cushioned sneaker that hugs your foot.

I ordered the New Balance Fresh Foam shoes and received my shoes in poor condition. The right shoe appears to have an irregularity in the mesh fabric, which causes it pouch out, and I haven't even worn them yet!!! I have ordered these shoes from Zappos before in the Garnet with pink glo color and really liked the shoe, enjoyed the fit & style, and the mesh was perfect! However, I was very disappointed when I seen the irregularity in shoes I received! I will be returning these ! :(

I have worn New Balance 880's for over 10 years and Version 11 is nothing like the 880's that I loved. They are 2 sizes narrower and .5 to 1 size shorter. The cushioning is also already compacting and I have only had them a couple of months. My feet ache now after only walking a mile in these shoes. For reference I got an 8 2E in Version 11, but wore a 7B in the Version 9 and a 7.5D in the Version 7. I do not recommend the 880 as they fit and feel very different than the past versions.

This is my 2nd pair of these shoes. They provide a good level of support and are comfortable for my wide foot.

i always take a 10.5 in new balance, so i was confident these would be a good fit. when i put them on they were comfprtable but i soon realizes my toes were cramped and they were too small. unfortunately i had worn them around the block, so now im stuck with them. so disappointed