New Balance More v5
Men: 11 oz
Women: 8.6 oz
Drop: 4mm
MRSP: $155
Fit: True to Size
I feel like the More was a bit of a hit or miss shoe for New Balance in the first few years, but in years four and five they have really hit their stride. While version 4 was very much a long run recovery shoe only, version 5 has surprised me in that it has a bit more versatility than I was expecting!
The Breakdown
The Oustole
The More is a shoe with a lot of mass, so to balance the size, New Balance has done what it can to save weight where it can, and one of the greatest places to save weight is in the outsole. They have incorporated a very nice strategy of rubber placement in key areas to maintain durability and grip on the road, while leaving exposed EVA areas where they can. After nearly 40 miles of testing, there are areas of exposed EVA that have some definite road chew, but the rubber on the outsole is holding up nicely. There are some added layers of what seems to be softer rubber that build out the aesthetic of the outsole that are wearing down, but the true rubber that will provide the durability for the shoe is solid and intact.
The Midsole
This shoe is appropriately named, in every way it provides more, including the midsole. This is the thickest stack of New Balances Fresh Foam that I have ever seen on a shoe, and it feels amazing. With this much midsole material, the first question that comes to mind is how stable or wobbly will this shoe be, but the midsole is shaped in such a way that it provides a remarkably stable ride. It has a bit of a 360 degree flair that seems to ensure you don’t roll over in either direction.
As a larger runner I do worry about a shoe this soft and with this much midsole crushing over time. I am currently sitting just shy of 40 miles run and walk time on the shoe and it is showing no sign of that midsole crush you might find with a lower quality shoe that contains similar midsole stack. It looks and feels as sturdy and stable as it did on mile one and I haven’t had any issues with the stability during my running or walking either.
The Upper
The upper had a generous engineered mesh design that feels roomy and plush. There is ample room in the toe box but the shoe still hugs through the mid foot creating a secure ride during activity without being constricting. There is plenty of cushion around the tongue and heel collar resulting in a secure fit without any rubbing on the heel or achilles. While the shoe has a generous fit, I recommend purchasing true to size.
Running and Walking
This is by far the best and most versatile version of the More to date. When I put the shoe on out of the box I expected that this would primarily be an easy/recovery run shoe only, but it surprised me. This version has a bit of get up and go in it. It’s not going to be my first choice for intervals, but I was very pleasantly surprised to find that when I was doing a run with pickups or even a longer tempo session, the more More responds incredibly well! While this isn’t the lightest shoe in the lineup, it feels much lighter on the feet than it shows on the scale. The fit is generous and will allow for the swelling that comes with longer runs.
A shoe with this much stack height has tendency to be plodding and mushy; however, whatever configuration of fresh foam they used in this version of the More works for me. The wider base keeps the shoe from crushing to either direction, and while there is more than enough cushion, I don’t feel myself sinking into the shoe on the run, which is saying something for a runner of my size. The flip side to this is that the cushion stays consistent through the run. I have had the experience with other max cushioned shoes feeling softer at the beginning of the run and then feeling like they get firmer and firmer as you go. The More builds a very nice balance of softness and stability that can be counted on.
While this is a neutral shoe and doesn’t have any specific pronation support or guidance, if you are a runner with mild pronation, due to the shape of the midsole, I would be perfectly comfortable recommending this as an option for someone who needs a little stability in their life.
When it comes to mixing it up on the road and trail, I think this is definitely a shoe I’m sticking to the roads with (this includes crushed gravel/granite running paths). While it is shockingly stable for the size of the shoe, the shoe is made for the road and should be kept primarily on road conditions.
To sum things up, this version of the More has been an incredibly pleasant surprise. I loved the previous version of the shoe for recovery runs, but version 5 can do a little bit of everything so much better! It won’t be my speed day shoe, but I found myself reaching for this shoe for everything from walking the dog to my longer tempo runs.
The Gym
If you run or use the elliptical for your cardio and stick to dumbbells for your lifting, the More can potentially be a good choice for the gym. The heavier you lift, the more the amount of cushion in the shoe becomes an issue. If you’re doing cardio that requires you to strap into a bike or rower and are doing lifts that incorporate the barbell, this isn’t going to be the first shoe I reach for, I would recommend something more in line with the 880 or the Rebel from the New Balance line.
Daily Living
The More makes an incredible daily living shoe! It is comfortable, has a generally neutral color palette, and feels great whether you’re out for the day with friends at the farmers market or working a 12 hour shift on concrete or tile. If you work in the service industry and need a slip resistant option, there isn’t one in the More lineup, however, the new 840 slip resistant is essentially the More v4, with a slip resistant outsole and leather upper.
Purchase the New Balance More v5 here, and use the code “spirit” at checkout for a 10% discount!