New Balance Balos Review: A Big, Cushioned Long Run Shoe That Stays Light

Introduction

The New Balance Balos sits in an interesting spot. It has the footprint of a max cushion shoe but the weight of something much closer to a daily trainer. That combination, a big 38.5 mm heel stack paired with an 8.9 oz build, makes it an appealing candidate for long runs where you want comfort without feeling weighed down. After putting real miles into it, the Balos emerges as a fun, bouncy, highly cushioned option, with one notable caveat for a small group of runners.

Specs and Construction

On paper, the Balos is a 38.5 mm shoe with a 6 mm drop, leaving 32.5 mm of stack in the forefoot. The midsole uses New Balance’s Fresh Foam X, and in the Balos this is a PEBA blended material. The main outsole is ground contact EVA, which mixes a bit of rubber into the compound for added durability and grip. There is also material in the forefoot and the back lateral part of the heel that feels like rubber, though New Balance has not specified it as such, placed in those high wear areas. Some exposed foam is present too, inset from the protective outsole material, though it will still touch the ground slightly under compression.

The upper features a knit tongue, a very breathable mesh, and minimal but nicely upholstered padding around the heel cup that ends in a small pillow-like cushion. All together, the shoe weighs 8.9 oz or 252 g, which is light for a shoe of this size.

How It Feels on the Run

This is a very fun long run shoe. The Fresh Foam X implementation here feels like a double stack of what New Balance delivers in the 1080 v13: great cushion and comfort, but also genuinely bouncy. Bounce here means excellent responsiveness without the excessive firmness that responsiveness can sometimes bring. The foam compresses and then decompresses quickly, giving the shoe its lively, fast sensation.

Despite the sub-9 oz weight, it feels even lighter on foot. A very early but gradual rocker helps you flow with the shoe and your foot strike, creating a smooth running rhythm. It can handle a wide range of paces, from recovery runs up to light workouts, and it seems ideally suited to longer runs with strides or slightly faster miles thrown in, up to around marathon pace.

There is one significant downside worth flagging. On runs beyond roughly the five mile mark, a sharp pain developed under the pads of one foot, and it grew worse as runs got longer, to the point of noticeable soreness after multi-hour efforts. This seems tied to a specific combination: a very tall stack of very bouncy foam with little room for the foam to deflect away from the foot under pressure. It is likely to affect only a small subset of runners, and it did not occur in a less thickly stacked bouncy shoe like the 1080. But in testing, it was consistent every time the Balos was worn.

Fit and Upper Comfort

The fit is true to size, and it is a comfortable, forgiving upper. The knit tongue interacts nicely with the rest of the upper at the toe box, and the padded heel collar is plush without being puffy. It is simply a pleasant shoe to put on your feet.

Where It Fits in the New Balance Lineup

New Balance runs two parallel, overlapping shoe lines. FuelCell shoes are aimed at more serious training and racing, while Fresh Foam X shoes are built for daily training, durability, and fun. Within the Fresh Foam X line, the 880 is the classic daily trainer, the 1080 has evolved into a plush, luxurious version of the 880, and the Fresh Foam More v4 is the true max cushion option. The Balos sits alongside the More as the highly cushioned shoe that can also pick up the pace on faster long runs.

Should You Buy It

For bigger, taller runners especially, the Balos could be the daily trainer that has been hard to find: plenty of cushion, plenty of bounce, a true-to-size upper, and comfortable padding that never feels excessive. It retails at $200, which is a touch on the expensive side.

Alternatives to Consider

The closest comparison is the Nike Invincible 3 at $180. It uses premium Zoom X foam in a relaxed configuration and serves a similar long run role, but it is substantially heavier and can feel like it fights you at easy paces, so it works best when you are picking up the pace. The ASICS Superblast 2, at the same $200 price, takes a similar concept with FF Turbo Plus foam stabilized by FF Blast Plus Eco, and it is slightly lighter than the Balos. If the Balos interests you, pairing it with the Fresh Foam More and 1080 for daily miles, plus a FuelCell shoe like the SC Elite v4 for racing, would make a well-rounded lineup.

Conclusion

The New Balance Balos is a fun, bouncy, highly cushioned long run shoe that stays remarkably light for its size. For most runners, especially those who want max cushion performance without a heavy feel, it is an easy recommendation at $200. Just be aware that a small number of runners may experience forefoot discomfort on very long efforts in tall, bouncy stacks, so if that sounds familiar, it is worth testing the shoe on shorter runs first.