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Max cushion
Very soft, bouncy and rockered with a sock-like upper; a few find it too soft for harder workouts.
A score out of 100 for how well reviewed a product is next to others of its kind. It rises with positive reviews and with how many there are; negative and mixed reviews take points off. The best in each category scores in the 90s.
So a handful of glowing reviews can’t beat a product lots of people like. No sponsored placements.
Showing 4 reviews mentioning durable Show all
Blog · WearTesters – Drew Whitcomb, Annie Keris · summarized
MixedAnother tester would only recommend it to shoe nerds: promising tech (knit tongue, foam outsole, rocker, PEBA blend) that doesn't come together. One tester liked its bouncy protection on long moderate runs, but faster efforts bottomed out the soft forefoot. The foam outsole may reach ~300 mi.
Blog · Tom's Guide – Nick Harris-Fry · summarized
PositiveA bouncy, versatile daily trainer that is terrific fun, from very easy runs to 1K reps. It made a dawn hilly 10-miler easy to face. The exposed foam outsole showed no undue wear after 50 miles, but avoid gravel. The high price and strong rivals are the catch.
YouTube · The Run Testers · Sep 12, 2024 · summarized
PositiveTwo testers who both mention about 70 km in the shoe, over easy runs, a 90-minute long run, track reps and a run of up to two hours. They love the soft, bouncy, protective ride, find the fit true to size, and saw no real outsole wear. One finds top-end speed the weak spot while the other enjoyed it at interval pace, and the high price makes it a tricky buy unless softness and bounce are the priority.
Reddit · r/RunningShoeGeeks · Aug 12, 2024 · summarized
PositiveAt 100 miles and 50 mpw, a 140 lb runner finds the Balos great for everything but harder workouts, with outsole wear on track for 300+ miles.
Most runners find the New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos very soft, bouncy and fun, with a rockered ride and a snug, sock-like upper. It works for easy and long runs, and many say it holds up well. A few note it is too soft for harder workouts and one thought it pricey.
Of the 18 reviews with a clear verdict, 78% are positive, 17% mixed and 6% negative. The praise mentioned most is responsive. The most common complaint is wears out fast.
The complaints reviewers mention most: wears out fast (1 review).
We collected and summarized 18 experiences shared on Reddit, blogs and YouTube, with links to the original sources. Reviews submitted here are checked for spam before they appear. Every review, submitted here or collected, is read as positive, mixed or negative.
The softest, highest-stack shoes for long and recovery runs, ranked by real runners.
