10 Best New Balance Running Shoes For Women in 2022

Jovana Subic
Jovana Subic on
| Reviewed using methodology 1.4
10 Best New Balance Running Shoes For Women in 2022

Women’s running shoes from New Balance are not just stylish. They’re also ready to fuel your runs with unmatched energy return and comfort. 

With hundreds of New Balance running shoes for women, it can be confusing. But because our mission is to help all runners, we took it upon ourselves to test and painstakingly select the ten best women’s running shoes from New Balance from five different categories.

Best overall
New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v11 New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v11
£160 £95 From SportsShoes
Best road
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2
£140 £119 From Amazon
Best trail
New Balance Shando New Balance Shando
£100 £63 From Amazon
Best neutral
New Balance Fresh Foam More v2 New Balance Fresh Foam More v2

No offers available

Best value
New Balance FuelCell Prism New Balance FuelCell Prism
£130 £89 From Amazon
See all 116 women's new balance running shoes

Overview of this guide

How we test running shoes

When we say “painstakingly,” we mean absolute thoroughness. As in, we buy them with our own money to avoid brand loyalty. Plus, we examine them carefully in our independent shoe testing facility. 

Those aside, we also go through the rigorous process of: 

  • Running in each New Balance women’s running shoes for at least 30 to 50 miles
  • Slicing them into pieces 
  • Measure and assess their parts via 30 parameters
  • Generate their Corescore using hundreds of comments from users and experts

Best New Balance running shoes overall for women

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v11
New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v11
£95
See deal  
£95
See deal  
£95
See deal  
£95
See deal  
Top pick

Corescore

89
Great!
4.5 / 5 from 10,977 users
88 / 100 from 20 experts

Pros

  • Extremely comfortable
  • Hugs your feet
  • Superb breathability
  • Tongue stays put
  • Flawless grip
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Upper too flexible
  • Wobbly 
  • Need caution on sharp/quick turns

Verdict

We found the New Balance Fresh Foam More 1080 v11 a daily running shoe where comfort is paramount! So much so that it lags behind in performance. Where it shines, however, is in its grip and surprisingly light weight. The grip was just flawless - on cement, wet and icy sections, it kept our strides stable.
See our full review and facts
New Balance Fresh Foam 860 v12
New Balance Fresh Foam 860 v12
£76
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£120
See deal  
£125
See deal  
£125
See deal  
Also great

Corescore

87
Great!
4.3 / 5 from 412 users
88 / 100 from 5 experts

Pros

  • Excellent stability shoe
  • Good lacing
  • Looks the part
  • Comfortable
  • Consistent ride in any condition
  • Good grip
  • Perfect daily runner

Cons

  • Runs half a size small
  • Heel counter is not for everyone
  • Quite heavy
See our full review and facts

Best road New Balance running shoes for women

New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2
£119
See deal  
£120
See deal  
£120
See deal  
£120
See deal  
Top pick

Corescore

90
Superb!
4.4 / 5 from 881 users
92 / 100 from 20 experts

Pros

  • True to size
  • Fits wide feet well
  • Lightweight
  • Responsive and bouncy ride
  • Breathable upper
  • Great lockdown
  • Ultra-comfortable
  • Bargain at $130 (should be $160)

Cons

  • Slightly unstable when walking
  • No heel-loop
  • Stiffens in cold temperatures

Verdict

Even as a nitpicking expert, it was so hard for us to find a flaw from the Rebel v2 from New Balance! The usual case is that all-rounders are good at everything and great at nothing. But this shoe literally REBELS against that! It excelled at everything we paced it through - it's plush for easy recovery days and long runs, but exceptionally bouncy and peppy to pick up the pace in tempo sessions!
See our full review and facts
New Balance Fresh Foam More v3
New Balance Fresh Foam More v3
£118
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£130
See deal  
No stock  
No stock  
Also great

Corescore

90
Superb!
4.5 / 5 from 643 users
91 / 100 from 10 experts

Pros

  • Insanely soft underfoot
  • Efficient stride 
  • True to size
  • Accommodates wide feet
  • Stable platform
  • Should last a lot of miles
  • Max cushioned
  • No break-in
  • Good lockdown

Cons

  • Runs warm
  • Feels a bit heavy
  • Grip is subpar on loose terrain

Verdict

The New Balance Fresh Foam More is a maximalist daily trainer that amazed us with its cushy and impact-absorbing ride! It's on the superlatives of comfort, we couldn't recommend it more for long runs and recovery days. Apart from its uber plush construction, what sets it apart from other max-cushioned shoes is that it's velvety smooth in its ride. It rolls you through your gait effortlessly and seamlessly.
See our full review and facts

Best New Balance trail running shoes for women

New Balance Shando
New Balance Shando
£63
See deal  
£77
See deal  
No stock  
No stock  
Top pick

Corescore

77
Decent!
4.3 / 5 from 2,247 users
N/A

Pros

  • Aesthetically amazing
  • Really grippy outsole
  • Durable materials
  • Super comfy midsole
  • Incredibly useful heel tab

Cons

  • Stuffy toe-box
  • Not ideal for difficult terrain
  • Lacing will give you a headache

Verdict

New Balance has made an incredibly comfortable, beautiful-looking shoe, inspired by the ruggedness of the current trail trend. They may not actually be too suited for any serious trail running, but with looks like this, you’ll still get lots of wear out of them.
See our full review and facts
New Balance Nitrel V4
New Balance Nitrel V4
£45
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£68
See deal  
£68
See deal  
£75
See deal  
Also great

Corescore

79
Good!
4.4 / 5 from 14,979 users
N/A

Pros

  • True to size
  • Supportive
  • Secure fit
  • Cushioned
  • Quick break-in period
  • Durable
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Not responsive
  • For short distances only
  • Slightly warm

Verdict

The composition of the Nitrel V4 from New Balance is centered on delivering superior traction, speed, and style, all packed in a lightweight package. Built for trail-specific performance, you can up your next off-road competition with this runner. Offered at an affordable price, the New Balance Nitrel V4 does not skimp on quality and comfort, encouraging enduring performance may it be on the roads or trails.
See our full review and facts

Best neutral New Balance running shoes for women

New Balance Fresh Foam More v2
New Balance Fresh Foam More v2
Top pick

Corescore

84
Good!
4.2 / 5 from 1,513 users
81 / 100 from 5 experts

Pros

  • True to size
  • Roomy toebox
  • Extremely soft
  • Very Stable
  • Plush, comfortable upper
  • Surprisingly light

Cons

  • Durability issues
  • Fairly expensive 
  • Slightly loose heel 

Verdict

The Fresh Foam More v2 is an update to an up-and-coming series that caters to fans of max cushioning. This New Balance running shoe touts a lightweight construction despite its generous midsole piece. The New Balance Fresh Foam More v2 is soft, comfortable, and a great shoe for recovery. It delivers a comfortable, cushioned ride for long, easy runs.
See our full review and facts
New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v6
New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v6
£80
See deal  
£80
See deal  
£80
See deal  
£87
See deal  
Also great

Corescore

91
Superb!
4.6 / 5 from 2,426 users
91 / 100 from 8 experts

Pros

  • Comfortable
  • Super plush
  • Protective underfoot
  • Amazing lockdown
  • Easy to put on (heel loop!)
  • True to size
  • Heel rudder
  • Looks amazing
  • Value at $135

Cons

  • Heavy 
  • Runs warm
  • Could be grippier

Verdict

A heavy-duty trail beast, the Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v6 has proved to us it's more than capable of taking a beating from harsh elements! It crushes everything underfoot and will last plenty of miles. After putting it to the test, we found that it works best as a road-to-trail transition shoe and a light to moderate dedicated trail shoe.
See our full review and facts

Best value New Balance running shoes for women

New Balance FuelCell Prism
New Balance FuelCell Prism
£89
See deal  
No stock  
No stock  
No stock  
Top pick

Corescore

87
Great!
4.4 / 5 from 1,683 users
87 / 100 from 17 experts

Pros

  • Reasonably priced
  • Great looks
  • Responsive midsole

Cons

  • No reflective detail
  • It runs half a size small

Verdict

We just loved the New Balance FuelCell Prism. It's a mild stability shoe that kept our feet supported all throughout our runs. It's not harsh, it's just subtle stability that even neutral runners will enjoy. More importantly, it's a fun ride too! It's got the bounce and it's light. In both wet and dry road conditions, this shoe did remarkably well!
See our full review and facts
New Balance Fresh Foam Tempo
New Balance Fresh Foam Tempo
£52
See deal  
£55
See deal  
£80
See deal  
£80
See deal  
Also great

Corescore

83
Good!
4.3 / 5 from 13,641 users
79 / 100 from 11 experts

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Bouncy ride
  • Smooth transitions
  • Breathable
  • Pleasant fit

Cons

  • Sole wears down fast

Verdict

120 miles in, and we've got nothing but praises for the New Balance Fresh Foam Tempo's bouncy and light foam. It's a speed trainer that's pleasant to the feet with its smooth-rolling ride and breathable upper. BUT, the biggest issue it possesses is in its durability (or the lack thereof). The outsole just wears down super fast!
See our full review and facts

What are the most popular women's New Balance running shoes in 2022?

  1. New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v11
  2. New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v6
  3. New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2
  4. New Balance Fresh Foam More v3
  5. New Balance FuelCell RC Elite v2
  6. New Balance Nitrel V4
  7. New Balance Lerato
  8. New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v12
  9. New Balance FuelCell Propel v2
  10. New Balance Fresh Foam 860 v12
  11. New Balance FuelCell Propel v3
  12. New Balance FuelCell Prism v2
  13. New Balance Fresh Foam 880 v11
  14. New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon v3
  15. New Balance Fresh Foam More Trail v1

See all women's New Balance running shoes sorted by popularity

What are the cheapest women's New Balance running shoes in 2022?

  1. New Balance FuelCell Propel v3 - from £28
  2. New Balance FuelCell Propel v2 - from £47
  3. New Balance Nitrel V4 - from £52
  4. New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 - from £72
  5. New Balance Fresh Foam 880 v11 - from £72
  6. New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v11 - from £81
  7. New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v6 - from £81
  8. New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon v3 - from £87
  9. New Balance Summit Unknown v2 - from £90
  10. New Balance FuelCell Prism v2 - from £109
  11. New Balance Fresh Foam 860 v12 - from £112
  12. New Balance Fresh Foam X Tempo v2 - from £114
  13. New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5 - from £118
  14. New Balance Fresh Foam More v3 - from £129
  15. New Balance Lerato - from £137

See all women's New Balance running shoes sorted by lowest price

Author
Jovana Subic
Jovana Subic

Whether it's a vertical kilometre or an ultra, climbing in the Alps or exploring local mountains, Jovana uses every opportunity to trade walls and concrete for forests and trails. She logs at least 10h/week on trails, with no off-season, and 4x more on research on running and running shoes. With a background in physics and engineering management, she prefers her running spiced with data.

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