New Balance 880v8

Name: New Balance 880v8 Review | Running Heroes
Uploaded: 2023-01-12
Description: New Balance is an American-based footwear manufacturer. They got their start in 1906

Editor rating: 8.2 / 10

User's rating: based on 10 user ratings

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By Abbie Copeland

All New Balance Shoes

New Balance 880v8 Review Facts

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New Balance is an American-based footwear manufacturer. They got their start in 1906 in Massachusetts and still manufacture their footwear in America to this day (though they also have a presence in the United Kingdom to cater to their European market as well). They are known for producing high-quality athletic footwear for sports like basketball, cricket, cycling and tennis and for not being a brand to shy away from trying something new. For years, the company has been employing some of the best cutting-edge technologies in their products. They were the first to manufacture shoes with rippled soles and to provide running shoes to the masses in varying width options (something those of us with wide feet are eternally grateful for).

Today we’re going to be reviewing the New Balance 880v8, one of the company’s shoes for runners. It has a lot of features present that cater to long-distance runners, but we think that it is a viable shoe option for people who plan to run any distance. They were designed with the neutral pronator in mind and still manage to provide plenty of stability and support. The extra comfortable in-shoe feeling is complimented well by the snug-fitting upper. Let’s see just what the 880v8 has to offer runners and if it’s worth the price tag that comes with it.

Editor's Pros & Cons

Pros

-Wide toe box with lots of room for the forefoot
-Variety of fits and styles
-Comfortable in-shoe feeling
-Outsole wears very well

Cons

-Some runners may find they need to size down
-Tongue is too short for the last eyelet to be properly utilized

Outsole

The New Balance 880v8 outsole is made of blown rubber. This material is a type of air-injected rubber that provides shoe manufacturers with a lighter and much more flexible way to outfit the sole of the shoe. It helps to give runners a great feel but is typically less durable than other rubber outsole options. That said, however, New Balance also used their N-Durance rubber compound while constructing the outsole of the 880v8. This rubber was designed to provide maximum durability in all of the typical high wear zones of the shoe. The outsole extends to the tip, providing a little extra protection from debris you may encounter on your runs.

Midsole

New Balance used their TruFuse cushioning technology when constructing the midsole of the 880v8. This cushioning system uses two more of New Balance’s technologies. The first of which is Acteva. This helps to give runners an extremely lightweight feeling in the midsole that will still manage to remain durable. It is 12% lighter than other foams on the market. The other technology is New Balance’s Absorbs material. The aim of this cushioning is to ultimately keep runners as comfortable as can be for as long as physically possible. Abzorb is a blend of isoprene rubber and foam that provides both shock absorption and displacement of energy. Runners will find that this cushioning helps to protect them from the jarring effects of the impact. Thanks to the TruFuse tech, the 880v8 manages to provide resistance without ever feeling too hard or uncomfortable.

Upper

The 880v8 has an engineered mesh upper that provides excellent breathability properties. The upper is seamless and with the no-sew overlays present in this shoe, it is able to provide runners with a very lightweight and secure feeling ride. The upper consists of three layers in total that not only help to provide comfort but an unprecedented fit as well. Runners should find that the 880v8 will give them an in-shoe experience that is smooth and irritation-free. The tongue is padded well and will provide even further cushioning than what is solely experience in the midsole. The lacing system present in this model consists of semi-flat laces that help runners to ensure they are getting a customized fit every single time they lace up.

Weight

The men’s version of the 880v8 weighs in at 305 grams or 10.8 ounces, meanwhile, the ladies is 260 grams or 8.2 ounces. The 880v8 is actually lighter in weight than the last few iterations of this shoe and fans of the 880 style will love the way this version feels and how light it is.

Breathability

Thanks to the extremely breathable construction of the upper, runners will find that the New Balance 880v8 allows for a lot of air flow in the shoe. This upper is new in this iteration and fans of the older versions will likely find that this updated newly constructed upper provides even more of a breathable running experience than they are used to. Mesh is a great upper material choice as the holes easily let air in and out. No more wet and uncomfortable feet on those long training runs!

Comfort

Thanks to the technologies that New Balance employed in the midsole, running in the 880v8 will be a very comfortable and cushioned experience. While we wouldn’t compare it to running on a cloud, we found the cushioning level to be more than adequate. New Balance’s Abzorb technology consists of a combination of rubber and foam materials that contain both cushioning and compression properties. What does this mean to a runner? Because of the addition of these materials, wearers are presented with a lightweight midsole that provides comfort similar to that found in shoes with EVA foams. In addition to that, they should find that these shoes are made to withstand impact and shock for a much longer time than usually found in shoes with EVA midsoles.

Style

The 880v8 is a very nice looking running shoe. Some styles feature a gradient style color scheme, with the back of the shoe typically being darker and fading into the lighter color. The men’s version is available in six different colorways – black/white, blue/black, grey/black, light blue/black, navy/orange and off-white/dark navy. The women’s version is available in just four different colorways, still employing the gradient theme. The colors available here are light blue/off-white, black/white, dark purple/baby pink and violet/grey.

Durability

There are some really great features in the 880v8 that help to boost the durability of the shoe. First of all, let’s look at the outsole. While we did mention that the rubber used to construct the shoe doesn’t tend to be the most durable, we actually found the 880v8 outsole to hold up very well. One other reviewer even mentioned that they are notorious for wearing down the outsole of their running shoes very quickly but this didn’t seem to be a problem with the 880v8. Secondly, the midsole construction is very durable as well. The TruFuse cushioning, while mostly present to add comfort, actually provides a very long lasting in-shoe experience as well due in part to the Abzorb and Acteva technologies it employs.

Protection

There are a couple of features present in the 880v8 that provide some level of protection for runners. The outsole of the shoe extends slightly to the toe box. This will give runners a bit of a bumper in case they encounter any debris during their runs. While this rubber piece won’t be as protective as it would be if this were a trail running shoe, the fact that it even exists at all says that New Balance did take their runner’s protection into account when constructing this shoe. When it comes to the in-shoe feel of the 880v8, the cushioning system present here actually does help to provide some protection as well. It does a great job at shock absorption which will ultimately help to protect your joints and knees from harsh impacts, especially when you’re running on the road.

Responsiveness

Thanks to the TruFuse midsole cushioning system, runners will find the New Balance 880v8 to be both comfortable and responsive. This feeling allows the shoe to work well for both long and shorter distance runs. Wearers will appreciate the snappiness of the midsole and the energy return experienced with this shoe.

Support

The New Balance 880v8 is a neutral trainer made for runners who don’t really require any additional support from their shoes. This iteration feels more supportive than previous versions of the shoe, especially in the heel area, however. Thanks to the engineered mesh and the 3D resin print on the upper, runners should find that their feet stay locked in during nearly any length of a run without any problems. If you know that you are an overpronator, however, you may want to reconsider your purchase of this product unless you are prepared to purchase some additional arch support.

Terrain

The New Balance 880v8 is made to be a road shoe. It will perform best on roads, tracks and even on light gravel surfaces. It seems to do a great job on both wet and dry surfaces as far as we can tell. We would not recommend this shoe for hikes of considerable lengths or for trail runs.

Price

This product is priced moderately with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $125.00. While the 880v8 is not a budget shoe by any stretch of the imagination, there is a lot to be said about the value that it will provide runners who choose to purchase it. When we look at previous, now discontinued, versions of this shoe, we see that the MSRP was significantly higher. The 880v7 was priced at $180.00, in fact. We believe this new iteration of the shoe has made some significant improvements from its predecessor and with a much lower price tag, you can’t really go wrong!

Traction

There are a few aspects of this shoe that add to its traction capabilities. Because of the durable rubber in the Abzorb midsole, runners will find that their feet aren’t slipping inside their shoes and that they are provided with an excellent amount of surface control. The blown rubber found on the outsole also provides out-of-shoe traction on a number of different surfaces.

Flexibility

There are a few crucial aspects of the New Balance 880v8 that add to the shoes overall flexibility level. This was designed using well-thought out geometries and important forefoot flexibility in mind. The rubber outsole provides a nice balance between a structured shoe and one that has some flexibility to it. Runners who loved the previous iteration of this shoe may find that the more structured heel in the 880v8 may take away from some of the flexibility they are used to, however.

Stability

The overlays featured in the upper of this shoe help to provide an extra layer of stability. The overlays accomplish this by hugging each individual foot, thus providing a stable environment in the shoe for your runs of any distance. We found the 880v8 to provide an ample amount of support, especially in the arch area of the foot. This was also commonly praised by other reviews of this shoe. The well-padded tongue adds an extra element of stability often overlooked by other companies. This extra padding on top of the foot will help to reduce mid-stride wobble and overall unsteadiness. Speaking of extra padding, the heel is also padded which really helps to lock in your foot during your runs.

Drop

The heel-to-toe drop in the 880v8 is 10mm. This is fairly standard when it comes to running shoes. Most options, barring zero drop and minimalist styles, come in at the 8mm to 12mm drop range.

Key Features

-Neutral cushioning
-No-sew overlays for added stability
-3D screen print on the upper for support and stability
-Breathable mesh upper for a comfortable running experience
-TruFuse midsole for a comfortable and responsive ride

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that the New Balance 880v8 is a fantastic running shoe option for nearly everybody. We loved the comfortable in-shoe feel as well as the breathability, stability, and support that it provides. We really appreciated the amount of energy return available because of the construction of the midsole. The $125 price tag might seem a little steep, especially for those of us who are tight budgets. But we think that it’s worth the investment.