The Gen XY Lifestyle
5 Things About The New Balance FreshFoam 980 Trail
The Active Age recently reviewed a pair of the New Balance FreshFoam 980 Trail running shoes.
New Balance shared with us that the FreshFoam 980 Trail is designed for trail running by ‘combining ultra-plush cushioning with a reduced drop from heel to forefoot and offering a super soft, bouncy ride that protects runners without sacrificing speed’.
From our test run, here are the five things you’ll want to know about the FreshFoam 980 Trail:
In A Nutshell
The shoe sports a synthetic and breathable mesh upper with no sew overlays and several colour combinations for runners of both genders wh want to run in style.
There is a 4mm drop that offers a more responsive experience and transition to land on mid-foot or forefoot while doing a run. The midsole features a convex and concave hexagonal design that aims to add to the structure, support and cushion in the right areas when running.
The FreshFoam 980 Trail was launched in July 2014 and is available at all New Balance Concept Stores and selected authorised retailers with a suggested retail price of S$169.00.
Smooth Run
The shoe provides pretty much full contact on the outsole, and coupled with the design, gives a slight forefoot ‘rocking’ sensation.
The gain in stability due to the FreshFoam midsole contributes to the inflexibility overall but still provides for a smooth transition.
The grip provided by the midsole is very good and helps prevent slipping in wet conditions without affecting forward movement.
Cushioning
The cushioning is solid and firm, hitting the sweet spot with the right amount of spring to move forward. It will give the runner extra protection for the feet especially when running over rocky, sandy or wet terrain. It works just as well when switching over to road as well.
However the shoe’s cushioning did mean that there was lesser feedback from the shoe to the foot, making the run somewhat muted.
Forget Intervals
Given the nature of the shoe’s build, there was no surprise that they feel a tad heavier and they did give me the impression that our interval runs were slower.
However for medium distances (and probably longer ones), we did not get the same impression. The solid Fresh Foam and overall system handled well during the five and 10km runs without any sense of being weighed down.
Stretch It Out
The toebox is somewhat pointier than other similar shoes and requires some getting used to as well as proper ‘breaking in’.
The first sets of runs were difficult with some chaffing and blisters. After a few weeks of consistent try-outs (once to twice weekly), the toebox started to stretch out and coupled with different shoe lace combinations provided a better fit for the feet.
We definitely recommend readers that have bought shoes to try and quicken the stretching process themselves before using the shoes for long distance trail runs or races.
