New Balance Fresh Foam BB review

We played ball while wearing the New Balance Fresh Foam BB. We also subjected it to numerous tests in our lab. Based on our experience with this shoe, we conclude that it's suitable for the following:

• players and buyers who want basketball shoes that last long
• athletes who have narrow feet
• ballers whose gigs and games are mostly indoors
• basketball players who do not mind shoes that have slightly taller platforms

Players with sweaty feet should stay away from the Fresh Foam BB. Unfortunately, it's not as fresh as its name promises. We would recommend the Under Armour Curry Flow 10, but if this pick's a bit too pricey, the PUMA All Pro Nitro is a good alternative, too.

We also believe that wide-footers are not the targets of this shoe from New Balance. It has a narrow toebox based on our calliper measurements. We think wide-footers are better off with shoes like the PUMA MB.02.

We are going to be blunt here; the heat inside the New Balance Fresh Foam BB is not bearable. AT ALL! We were always looking forward to taking it off, especially after long games.

We did the smoke test, and we were so disappointed to see the lack of breathability in the toebox area. Smoke just couldn't get through the material there! If not for the tongue area, there wouldn't have been any air that got inside the shoe. We only gave this shoe a 2 over 5 because of the tongue, which in all fairness still somehow made the shoe work.

Needless to say, the New Balance Fresh Foam BB is far from the performance of the Under Armour Curry Flow 10 when it comes to ventilation. This shoe from UA got a perfect 5 because of how easy it was for smoke to pass through the upper during our tests.

During the light test, we saw that the upper of this New Balance shoe is one opaque mess. Light barely passed through, so it's clear that the upper doesn't have holes sizeable enough to allow proper ventilation.

Examing the upper material under the microscope only confirmed our initial observations. The material is pretty closed off and very closely knit. There is absolutely no space for air to pass through. Again, good thing the tongue area was there to save the day. Otherwise, we would have experienced hell right here on earth!

To be quite honest, the upper of the NB Fresh Foam BB felt sturdy to the touch. We thought, "Normal toe-dragging won't make a dent on this one." We're so glad we were not wrong to make such a statement!

We subjected the toebox to high-pressure Dremel drilling and we were pleasantly surprised by the results. That much assault left almost nothing. Nothing. Nada. Zero. That's how sturdy this shoe is. It's truly deserving of the perfect 5 that we ultimately gave it.

This NB shoe is way better than the Precision 6 from Nike, which only got a 1 over 5 in the same test.

Just like the toebox, the heel padding displayed impressive durability in the face of our merciless Dremel test.

As can be seen in the side-by-side comparison below, the Fresh Foam BB did a lot better than the Answer DMX from Reebok, which only got a 1 out of 5 for heel padding durability. The New Balance show amazingly maintained the it-barely-ruffled-my-hair look, a testament to its resistance even to the most intense rubbing during games. It ultimately got a solid 4.

Generally speaking, the outsole of the New Balance Fresh Foam BB did not feel extraordinary. But are we here to rant about it? Of course not! Even with its average appearance and feel, it worked as it should.

Our HC durometer gave it a hardness rating of 83.5, and it was fairly effective in resisting abrasion, even on rough concrete and asphalt. Using this shoe occasionally outdoors wouldn't hurt.

We also subjected the outsole to our merciless Dremel drilling, and it blissfully met our expectations.

The dent that our assault left was only 0.9 mm deep. This number is just around the average based on the data that our lab accumulated.

Using a caliper, we measured the thickness of the outsole. We found that it's just as thick as the average at 4.1 mm.

We used this outdoors, and it held up well. Occasional outdoor usage should be fine. But if you frequently take your game to the streets, you might want to get a sturdier basketball shoe. We would recommend the TWO WXY V4 from New Balance.

We dare say that the weight of the NB Fresh Foam BB is pretty well distributed. While we were testing it, not one part felt heavier or lighter than others. We were also able to jump and run without any issues, making our games a lot more focused and exciting.

Because of our good experience with it, it came as a surprise to us when our scale in the lab reported the weight of this NB shoe to be just around the average at 13.9 ounces or 394 grams. We swear; it definitely felt lighter than that!

The moment we put this shoe on, we already felt that the midsole had more material than usual. True enough, our caliper measured the heel to be 33.3 mm thick, making it slightly thicker than average.

Just like the heel, the forefoot is also thicker than the average at 25.0 mm. 

Now, what benefit did the thicker midsole bring? Aside from making us feel taller, the thick cushioning also helped us feel consistent comfort throughout our games. It diffused the impact of our landings.

Our calculations pegged the heel-to-toe drop at 8.3 mm. This number is just around the average, and we wouldn't have it any other way. 

The current setup allowed us to enjoy smooth transitions and efficient steps. We did not feel any clunkiness whatsoever.

We are happy to share that the midsole was not only thick, it was really soft as well. Our HA durometer gave it a softness rating of 22.0, a number that's significantly lower than average. 

We just loved how our feet would sink into it a little every time we put it on. The slight sinking into the midsole not only made us feel more comfort but it also enhanced the clasp of the shoe on our feet.

The New Balance Fresh Foam BB comes with an insole that's 4.5 mm thick and is removable.

Even if the midsole was a bit higher than usual, we never felt unstable in any way because the side walls and the heel counter did a very good job of keeping the foot in place.

As can be seen in the video above, the side walls are pretty much able to counter the force being put on it from the inside. The video below also shows the the foot being kept in place even if the wearer was motioning or sliding sharply sideways.

We never had to worry about foot twists because the base of the NB Fresh Foam BB was firm and pretty much resistant to force. Clearly illustrated below is the ability of the shoe to resist twisting even if the foot is already in such an awkward angle.

To assess the shoe's torsional rigidity in the lab, we gave it a pretty good manual twist and bend. We still had to exert our full effort before the shoe's structure started to give in. We had no other choice but to give this shoe a perfect 5.

As mentioned, the heel counter was not something that we had to worry or even think about. It was pretty successful in clasping the foot and keeping it in place even if we were already frantically running toward the basket. 

It's clear in the video below how resistant the heel counter was to our squeezes. We gave it a solid 4 out of 5 for stiffness.

What we found quite fascinating was the fact that the New Balance Fresh Foam BB left quite narrow footprints. Indeed, our caliper measured the forefoot part of the platform to be only 110.9 mm wide, a number that is slightly lower than average.

The heel part is even narrower. Our caliper gave out a reading of only 85.9 mm.

Had we not worn this shoe, these numbers would have led us to conclude that stability is going to be an issue. Fortunately, this was not the case. Other features such as the rigid base and stiff heel counter worked extra well to ensure stability despite the narrow platform.

The whole shoe felt less flexible than average, and we credit this inflexibility as the other good reason stability and lockdown were still dependable despite the high midsole and narrow platform. It was just so effective in keeping the foot well-mounted on the footbed.

The inflexibility of the New Balance Fresh Foam BB was confirmed when we did our flexibility test in the lab. Our digital gauge reported that this shoe needed as much as  47.9N of force so that it could bend at a 90-degree angle. 

We don't remember ever having problems with the shoe's bite on the courts. We felt its coral pattern acting like small suctions to give us the grip that we needed to stabilise our stances and runs.

We felt covered wherever direction we go. Forward. Backward. Sideways. When we say that the bite was multidirectional, we mean it.

The narrow platform was already indicative that the footbed was also going to be on the narrow wide. We were not wrong. Our in-lab caliper measured the widest part of the toebox to be only 96.7 mm wide, making it less spacious than average. 

Hence, we do not recommend the New Balance Fresh Foam BB to wearers who have unusually wide feet, unless they want something with a super snug, blood-draining fit!

Toward the big toe, the width is just around the average at 79.1 mm.

The tongue is fully gusseted, and we felt that this design enhanced the shoe's overall fit. It also stopped the tongue from moving unnecessarily when we were running up and down the court.

Surprisingly, the tongue had less padding than usual. Our caliper measured it to be 34% thinner than average. While it did affect the feeling of fullness that we would have wanted on top of the foot, the thinner tongue did not meddle with the shoe's fit.

The Fresh Foam BB from New Balance doesn't have a heel tab.

The insole that comes with this  New Balance shoe is removable. Taking it out of the shoe was easy whenever we needed to add inserts or just wanted more wiggle room inside the shoe.

The upper has reflective elements that make this shoe such a scene-stealer in situations with less-than-ideal illumination.