7 Best New Balance Walking Shoes in 2024

As we pushed Fresh Foam X 1080 v13 to its limits in and out of the lab, it easily emerged as our top New Balance walking shoe. It gave an unparalleled experience and satisfied our craving for supreme comfort. With its ultra-breathable upper and pillowy cushion, standing on our feet all day is a breeze.

From the moment we set our foot into the shoe, we were blown away by its cloud-like touch. As we thoroughly tested it on the streets, it absorbed much of the impact, leaving us with fresh legs after a long day. To take a deeper look, we pressed our durometer into the midsole and the result confirmed our observation: 10.0 HA, one of the softest we’ve ever measured in the lab!

Another feature that makes it so comfortable is its free-flowing nature. Our 90-degree bend test shows it’s 30.0% more malleable than average, further establishing that it’s highly suitable for walking.

We spent long hours in this shoe with no sweat and blisters! This came as a surprise since knit uppers tend to limit airflow, but this pair defied all odds with a perfect score on our breathability test.

Given its marshmallow-like cushion, we advise those with mild pronation and stability needs to find a more supportive shoe.

For us, the best New Balance walking shoe with arch support should be able to provide a consistently stable ride without any hiccups. After testing the New Balance Fresh Foam 860 v12 in our lab and on foot, we found it to be beyond reliable – having tons of features that put in the work day in and day out. What blew us away was its stability features, its satisfyingly firm cushioning, and its rain-or-shine grip.

Having the New Balance Fresh Foam 860 v12 on our feet felt like going to stability heaven. Its medial post was satisfyingly firm, forcing our feet to the right positions whenever they tried to roll in. Plus, its heel counter locks feet without fail. Heel slips never crossed our minds as we strolled through the streets. We tested this in the lab by prodding it systematically to see how stiff it was. It scored a 3 out of 5 for our heel counter stiffness test (with 5 as the stiffest), which translates to a superb feeling of being locked in.

As we pounded the ground with the New Balance Fresh Foam 860 v12, we found its sole to be extremely comfy, especially as we clocked in longer times. We took a deeper look into this in our lab by pressing our durometer to its midsole (5 times for improved accuracy). We found that its hardness of 32.3 HA is on the firmer side (17.0% more firm than the average walking shoe), but it still has some softness when compared to other stability shoes.

Another great thing about the New Balance Fresh Foam 860 v12’s sole is that it grabs the ground well. We found it to be particularly grippy across several surfaces and weather conditions. We measured its outsole thickness with our caliper, yielding a result of 4.6 mm. This measurement is a whopping 170.6% thicker than the average walking shoe. Plus, wiith an outsole hardness that’s 22.3% tougher than the average walking shoe, this translates to a strong outsole that will last a long time.

While it provides a lot of structure to feet, it’s rather weighty, being 24.6% heavier than the average walking shoe. We cannot recommend it to those looking for a lightweight walking partner.

We assessed the performance of New Balance walking shoes both in and out of our lab, and the pair with top-notch cushioning is none other than the New Balance Fresh Foam X More v4. This is without a doubt the best because our feet are welcomed by a footbed that’s packed with all-in-one goodness: softness, comfort, bounce, and protection!

On the outside, the stack height of v4 can be deceiving. So we delved inside and measured the height at the heel and forefoot, which are 32.5 mm and 27.9 mm, respectively. The heel is 0.7 mm narrower than the average while the forefoot is 3.6 mm greater. While this equates to a 4.6 mm drop, we are absolutely safeguarded from any shock even during our brisk walks.

We also enjoyed the springs on each of our steps in v4. We investigated more and discovered that the midsole is 15.5 HA soft. Compared to the average, this is 36.2% softer, giving us a pillowy platform without the unwanted squish. Even though v4’s super soft, we are still unfazed by the thought of unsteadiness because we measured the base widths at 119.5 mm in the forefoot and 102.1 mm in the heel. They are 5.8% and 13.3% wider than the averages, suggesting stable rides.

However, with more cushioning comes more weight. v4 tipped our scales at 10.62 oz (301g), which is 12.3% heftier than other shoes. If this does not fall within your weight criteria, select other lighter walking shoes.