New Balance Fresh Foam Crush

The outsole of the New Balance Fresh Foam Crush is made of a durable rubber material that runs the entire length of the shoe. This rubber compound found on the bottom of the shoe is made to be durable, flexible, and to deliver traction. The rubber is in a honeycomb-like pattern and grips the ground with ease. At the lateral heel and ball of the foot, the rubber is a little more grippy in order to help you pivot and change direction easily. The outsole does not feature large lugs but it does deliver lightweight and grippy performance. However, the outsole can sometimes sound a little sticky on harder surfaces while walking.

The name of the sneaker, the Fresh Foam Crush, gives away what is most impressive about this shoe: the Fresh Foam cushioning platform. This material makes up the midsole of this shoe and is made to be flexible, lightweight, and durable. Fresh Foam is also engineered to be highly responsive. The material compresses when weight is applied to it and then bounces back to its original shape right away, resulting in a bouncy and responsive experience. Fresh Foam is also designed to absorb shock which will help protect your feet and joints from impact. The inner footbed of this shoe is made of a fabric-lined foam for additional comfort. This shoe is specifically designed for women only and offers neutral arch support.

This shoe features a very unique upper. The New Balance Fresh Foam Crush not only has foam found at the midsole, but the upper also boasts a different kind of foam. The foam-molded upper of his shoe is lightweight and flexible. There are a number of specifically-placed perforations on the upper in order to aid in ventilation. The material that makes up the shoes; upper is very soft and flexible so New Balance added an internal support cage into the upper to help with lateral support and to give the shoe some structure. The heel counter is not stiff, rather it is also very soft and flexible. However, you will find foam on each side of the inner part of the heel that is placed to keep your heel in place. Another unique feature of this upper is the fact that the heel and tongue are not padded, rather they are the same material as the rest of the upper. The front of the forefoot includes a synthetic overlay for added protection and durability. This foam-molded upper allows the shoe to be able to be worn with or without socks and is comfortable either way.

These sneakers are made up of lightweight materials which makes them light on the feet. As stated earlier, they are designed specifically for women so there is only a women's’ shoe option. These shoes weigh in at a mere 6.1 ounces.

While the upper of this shoe features a molded foam material that is not that breathable by nature, New Balance tried to offset that fact with the perforations placed all over the upper. These perforations do not go all the way through the molded foam, rather, they go through to the soft fabric lining that lines the inside. This helps give the shoe some added breathability. They aren’t the most breathable sneakers out there and some users have complained that they are sweat-inducing. However, other users have said they are perfectly breathable and can be worn without socks for even more airflow.

These shoes are definitely engineered to be comfortable. The Fresh Foam midsole is shock absorbent and responsive. When you walk or perform an exercise in these shoes, you will notice the comfort of the midsole. The upper is also comfortable because it flexes and adapts to your foot shape easily with the molded-foam. There is no extra padding on the heel, ankle collar, or tongue, so that does not give the upper high marks for comfort there, but they aren’t necessarily uncomfortable, they just don’t have a lot of padding. Many consumers have sung the praises of the Fresh Foam Crush’s high level of comfort whether they are exercising or just wearing them as casual sneakers.

The New Balance Fresh Foam Crush has a unique style. It has a low-profile design and a sleek silhouette. They are attractive looking sneakers with their molded-foam upper and don’t have a lot of unnecessary bulk added to them. The almost-flush outsole gives these shoes a casual-sneaker-look combined with a running shoe appeal They come in a variety of colorways which are all aesthetically pleasing.

The internal support cage that New Balance added to the structure of this shoe helps the sneaker to maintain its shape and to withstand the abuse of high-intensity workouts. They molded foam upper holds up to a variety of movements and exercises and will last through hundreds of workouts. The full-length rubber outsole is also durable and protects the Fresh Foam midsole from wearing down quickly.

The New Balance Fresh Foam Crush will protect your feet from underfoot debris through the full-length rubber outsole and will keep you stable as you move through your workout. The heel counter is flexible so there is not a lot of heel protection but because the molded foam of the upper adapts to your foot, it protects your feet from movement within the foot chamber. The Fresh Foam midsole will protect your joints from shock because it is engineered to absorb impact and bounce right back to its original shape.

The Fresh Foam that makes up this shoes’ midsole is the most responsive part of the shoe. The honeycomb pattern found on the rubber of the outsole is mirrored on the midsole foam material. This molded foam compresses on impact and then returns the energy right away, resulting in a responsive and springy underfoot experience. The full-length rubber outsole works in conjunction with the midsole to deliver a responsive and comfortable ride.

Because this shoe is built to hug your foot with its molded foam upper, you will feel supported and comfortable simply due to this feature. The removable comfort-lined insole and adaptable upper takes away any negative space within the sneaker so you should feel snug and secure. The internal support cage that New Balance added to the structure of this shoe also aids in supporting you as you move through your workout. However, it should be noted that there is not a lot of lateral support in these sneakers because of the soft moldable upper. The ankle collar does not offer much support at all and does not support your ankle during side to side movements.

These shoes are ideally-suited for working out on solid terrains whether that be asphalt, concrete, rubber flooring, wood floors, or aerobic flooring. The waffle-like pattern of the full-length rubber outsole is designed to grip such surfaces but not designed to be worn on the trails. These sneakers are designed to be cross-training sneakers for women to participate in a variety of exercises whether inside or out.

Originally, these sneakers were priced around $100 but you can now purchase them at a discounted price for around $40. That is an extremely good deal especially for a pair of training shoes that boast the New Balance name. Even if they don’t work out for you in the exercise world, at this price, they are certainly comfortable enough to wear around casually.

The Fresh Foam Crush delivers a great amount of traction for what they are designed for. If you are looking for a shoe that will carry you over rough terrains, then this is not the sneaker for you. However, if you are looking for a women's cross-trainer that will grip a variety of surfaces with ease, then these are a great option. The full-length rubber outsole is designed to deliver traction throughout various exercise routines.

Due to the full-length rubber featured on the outsole of the New Balance Foam Crush, they are not the most flexible sneakers out there, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t flexible. The lightweight Foam Crush midsole and molded foam upper are both very lightweight and allow for the shoe to move and flex with your foot, especially in the forefoot area. The molded foam of the upper also flexes around your foot and adapts to almost any foot shape.

The New Balance Fresh Foam Crush is not marketed to be a “stability sneaker”. It does not boast a ton of stability features in its makeup. With that said, it does offer some stability thanks to the Fresh Foam midsole. This midsole allows your foot to be stabilized throughout your gait because the responsive foam cradles your foot and protects it from shock. The molded foam upper adapts to your foot shape and keeps the midsole hugged close to your body so you will feel more like you are one with your sneaker, allowing for the shoe to be more stabilized on your foot. However, as stated earlier, because the shoe is made up of such soft materials, it does not offer much support or stabilization when it comes to lateral movements.

The Fresh Foam Crush features a neutral drop of 6mm. Many cross-training shoes may feature a similar drop while some offer even less of a drop because they are more designed for weightlifting. However, the Fresh Foam midsole evident in this sneaker give these shoes a little more of a drop which allows for more comfort and underfoot support through your workout.

- Fresh Foam midsole is lightweight and responsive as well as shock absorbent
- Full length durable textured rubber outsole
- Foam-molded upper adapts to your foot with ease and is durable, flexible, and comfortable
- Internal support cage for added support
- Perforations in the molded foam upper deliver ventilation into the foot chamber

Overall, the New Balance Fresh Foam Crush is a highly versatile and comfortable cross-training sneaker that is designed specifically for women. It is ideal for the neutral foot so if you have foot issues or high arches, you may need to look elsewhere or put in your own orthotics. The lightweight nature of the shoes’ makeup gives this shoe an edge over the competition as far as cross training shoes go. They are responsive and durable and can even be worn without socks. Countless consumers have commented on how incredibly comfortable these shoes are and they feel like these shoes carry them through HIIT workouts comfortably and effectively. They are great to look at and can even go from night to day easily. There are some support concerns when it comes to lateral movements due to the lack of heel and ankle padding and support so if you have some ankle concerns and are going to be using them for lateral movements then these might not be your best option. In the end, they are affordable, lightweight, comfortable, and responsive and you really can’t go wrong giving them a try.