Daily Trainer

New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v14

New Balance's flagship daily trainer — soft Fresh Foam X and a low 6 mm drop for the easy miles that fill an ordinary week.

The 1080 is the shoe New Balance builds first, and the v14 is the soft one in its range: Fresh Foam X under a knit upper, tuned for the runs that make up most of a week rather than the ones you time. Easy days, steady days, and the long one at the end of them.

It suits you if you want cushioning without a plate or a rocker telling you how to run. The 6 mm drop sits lower than most daily trainers, so coming off a taller-heeled shoe your calves will notice for a week or two.

It is not a workout shoe. At close to 300 g there is too much underneath it to feel sharp at pace, and the road outsole has nothing to offer off tarmac.