New Balance 1080 v15 Preview | It’s All New Foam

I don’t want to freak anyone out, but my favorite running shoe foam the NB Fresh Foam X is getting swapped out in the brand new NB 1080 v15.Have you ever heard NB say if they made only one running shoe it would be the 1080? I gotta admit, I agree. It’s been among our top recommendations for years which means we’re both excited and terrified to hear they’ve made a change.

Stamped proudly along the heel, the new Infinion Foam is here to shake things up, sort of.  It’s designed to be lighter, bouncier and still give you that cushion we so love and expect in this model.

1080 V15 Specifications

We have indeed starting testing this shoe already, but are holding our FULL review until the shoe is ready for purchase. But you’ll see sneak peeks in here that we think will probably give it away, we’re excited.

• Heel Drop: 6 mm
• Stack: 40 mm
• Weight: 9.5oz men’s, 7.3 oz women’s
• Available in Wide (and extra wide in men’s)
• $170
• Available January 15, 2026

Read our current comparison of the 1080 vs  880 >>

Checkout the current available 1080 models (and 100% we think the savings are worth buying now instead of waiting).

What’s New and Different in the NB 1080v15

All right so with this new Infinion Foam we have a couple key changes that are going to make this shoe more interesting to even more runners. While adding just 1mm in stack height (we appreciate them not trying to over do it), they have managed to drop about 1 oz in weight.With that drop in weight, we can see even more middle of the pack runners choosing this as both their training and race day shoe. Are they perhaps trying to compete with the Superblast 2? It’s not the exact same feeling, I don’t think I can pick the pace up quite as much, so it still seems more similar to the Novablast.

While it’s not designed to a speed work shoe, it is absolutely going to carry the every day runner through many miles comfortably.

Thus far we haven’t seen a massive difference in the feel of the shoe and are breathing a heavy sigh of relief. But we’ll continue to test and give you a full review!

The outsole is also shaped in such a way to really ensure that you are getting that “lively” feeling from the shoe. I would say the shoe definitely has bounce, you aren’t going to get the bounce of say a carbon plated super trainer, but a really wonderful feeling for a daily trainer.

I will say the upper feels a little stiff. They said they redesigned to make it a shoe you’d want to wear any day, but listen NB that’s not your lane. You aren’t an ON or a Tracksmith shoe that can pass as a casual shoe. You’re our go to running shoe and we don’t wear those all day because we don’t want to wear them down!

Who is This For?

It’s long been in our lest of best cushioned running shoes and these updates will keep it firmly a top that list.

• Wide Feet: Average fit, I wouldn’t consider it wide, but they offer wide and extra wide.
• Heavier Runners: Cushion is going to support without bottoming out.
• Long Runs: Absolutely designed to go the distance.
• Front of the Pack: Faster runners will enjoy these for easy runs or recovery days.

Should you Buy the 1080 v14 or Wait for 15?

I’ve gotten this question a few times already because as noted, I LOVE and recommend the 1080 v14 quite a lot. Which was on the heels of loving the V13 and 12 and you get the picture. While it’s become a much more cushioned shoe over time, I’ve just found it to be a reliable workhorse that is going to fit so many runners.

I’ve done 3 runs in the V15 and well over 200 miles in the others...I think if you can find the 14 on sale (right now it’s 21% off), get it. It’s a fantastic shoe with a great lifespan and it feels amazing.

I’m very intrigued to see what the Infinion foam will do with durability, so I love that it doesn’t come out until January and I can put in some serious miles to answer that question right off the bat.

There is a slight difference in feel, but if you’re holding out for that 1 oz lighter shoe, then it sounds like you may need both a daily trainer and speed workout shoe. I still consider the V15 very much in the daily trainer category.

All right, that’s your NB 1080 v15 preview coming in 2026.

Do you freak out when they change foams? Or are we just the weirdos who know way too much about shoes???

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