New Balance Fresh Foam More v4 After 100 Miles: Comfort That Lasts

Introduction

New Balance built the Fresh Foam More v4 around one goal: delivering the plushest, softest running experience possible. In initial impressions, the shoe delivered exactly that. The real question is whether that comfort holds up past the honeymoon phase. After 100 miles, the answer is a resounding yes, with surprisingly little wear to show for the distance.

Who This Shoe Is For

The More v4 earns its place as a long run shoe, a recovery shoe, and an easy day shoe. It is built for the runs where you want the most comfort: relaxed paces, easy miles where you want to take it nice and easy, and long slow distance.

Main Strengths

The midsole carries roughly 34 to 35 mm of Fresh Foam X foam with a 4 mm drop, the most Fresh Foam X New Balance has ever put in a shoe. This year’s version has an airy squishiness to it, striking a strong balance between absorbing cushioning and springy responsiveness without feeling dense underfoot.

Despite all that foam, the shoe is not overly heavy at 10.4 oz or 295 g, so it does not feel like you are paying a heavy penalty for the comfort. The wide base also adds a nice, stable ride: even on softer or uneven surfaces, there is plenty of support every time your foot hits the ground.

How It Held Up Over 100 Miles

Durability is where the More v4 genuinely surprises. After 100 miles, the shoe looks like it has hardly been touched. The upper appears pristine, and the airy midsole foam, which often compresses heavily over time in shoes like this, is holding up well with only light surface creasing. Comfort feels just as good now as it did fresh out of the box.

The comparison is backed by an unusual apples-to-apples test: a 100-mile pair next to a completely fresh New York City Marathon edition pair that was only worn for two shakeout runs and a post-marathon travel day. On the run, there was no noticeable fresh-versus-broken-in difference. Performance is remarkably consistent from mile 0 to mile 100, with high-level squishy comfort throughout, which suggests the shoe will last a long time.

The outsole tells the same story. In the highest-wear areas, there is very little degradation: only the beginning signs of rubber shaving under the pads of the feet, and minimal wear on the outer heel edges. Comfort and longevity rarely go together in max cushion shoes, but this one delivers both.

Things to Consider Before Buying

This is not a fast shoe. The wide base and sheer volume of foam mean it is best left for easy days rather than speedwork. It is also worth separating this style of traditional max cushion shoe from the newer super stack subgenre: shoes taller than 40 mm in stack height, sometimes with carbon plates or racing foams, which serve a very different purpose.

Buying Advice

If your week includes easy miles, recovery runs, or long slow distance, the More v4 is one of the strongest options for keeping those runs comfortable. It keeps the old-school max cushion category up to date with modern foam technology, offering a plush ride that does not fall apart after the first hundred miles.

Conclusion

After 100 miles, the Fresh Foam More v4 stands out as a max cushion shoe that combines plush comfort with genuine durability. It was a top max cushion pick in a previous version, and this version confidently earns the same distinction.