Field Journal

The new Fresh Foam X Hierro v9 is a versatile, cushioned trail shoe from New Balance. Daniel Neilson reports on two months of testing on various terrains.

Wet rooty trails, slippery chalk paths, granite boulders, a bit of pavement pounding, Brittany, South Downs, Scottish Highlands, Liverpool docklands: these shoes have seen it all. The more I run, the more I’m convinced that versatility is the most critical aspect.

Some pros and enthusiastic amateurs will have a pair of training shoes and a race-day shoe, each slightly different. And, if you’re at the level where the words ‘marginal’ and ‘gains’ are regularly thrown around, then go wild with shoes. However, for most people, a good pair of all-round trail shoes is what you need. That is firmly the category where New Balance is pitching the Fresh Foam X Hierro v9. I’m using these for my daily runs until the off-road Beachy Head Marathon in October, and they’re winning for that usage so far.

So, immediate impressions. Out of the box, you’ll immediately notice the oversized sole unit. These look like they will be comfortable and highly cushioned, and they are exceptionally so, thanks to the Fresh Foam X midsole.

The other immediate impression is the weight or lack of it. You can swing these around on your little finger with an impressed look on your face. If New Balance gets these into people’s hands, they’re going to sell loads of them. And especially if people try them on, because putting your feet into the gusseted tongue and onto the plush cushioned insole, you can’t help but do that slo-mo, bouncy movement. Your face will remain looking impressed, possibly smug. But bouncing around a shop or your kitchen is no substitute for the trails.

My first outing was wet, windy, slippery, and very much like a June day in Britain. I was wearing a waterproof jacket, for goodness’ sake. The chalk hills near me are incredibly slippery when wet, so I err towards shoes that work well on this ground – shoes with large lugs and a soft undercarriage. If there were such a thing as an earth’s eye view, the shoes would land on the ground, the Vibram Megagrip lugs – 6mm – would dig into the soft ground, and the midsole wrap around the stones and uneven surface. This is not the case with harder outsole units and less cushioning. It felt steady and secure. It gave me confidence. They rebounded, and I felt propelled. Smug look again.

Into the woods, and the trail sloped off. Like many shoes with high stacks, the sole is wide – it has to be, and so to avoid your feet slipping to the side, it’s advised to ensure the laces are tightened accordingly. It’s worth noting that the laces wrap through cord, which holds the laces well.

There is a mesh upper that I found very breathable, and the aforementioned gusseted tongue has the dual purpose of keeping your foot snug and debris out. Splashes dry very quickly on this material. Out of the woods and back on the paths home. The first outing was very impressive. Two months in and running almost every day wherever I go, and they are equally admirable. They always feel stable and responsive for the variety of terrain I’ve tried them on. My regular runs start briefly on the pavement before downland, but my injury-prone calves remain injury-free. The shoes are highly cushioned, so if that’s your thing, and it is mine – I find fewer injuries with cushioned shoes – these should shoot to the top of your ‘my-next-trainer’ shortlist. You, too, can feel smug in them!

The TL;DR verdict?

A cushioned, comfortable shoe that has proven to be highly versatile, stable, and hardwearing.
We’ve gone into a lot more technical detail in our article Sure Footing