New Balance Fresh Foam BB v3 review

The Fresh Foam BB v3 is most likely to feel like a perfect shoe for the following:

• centres/forwards who need maximum comfort and impact protection underfoot
• players with past injuries or painful foot conditions
• folks with medium-to-narrow feet who prefer a close-fitting shoe

This New Balance kick is the complete opposite of what a nimble guard would look for in their hoop shoes. If you're after court feel and agility, try the Nike Sabrina 3 or the Jordan Luka 4 instead.

And if you do want a well-cushioned shoe like the BB v3 but have reservations about its snug fit and lack of outsole durability, you can find some alternatives in our guide on basketball shoes with the best shock absorption.

If you thought that the BB v2's cushioning was exceptionally abundant, wait until you try the BB v3! Packing some of the thickest slabs of midsole foam we've seen in a hoop shoe, we recorded a record-breakingly high shock absorption measurements in both the heel (127 SA) and the forefoot (101 SA) of this New Balance kick!

This is the best bet for players looking for ultimate comfort for long training sessions and all four quarters of the game! If you have a history of injuries or painful foot conditions like plantar fasciitis, this could be your saving grace!

But while the Fresh Foam X cushioning excels in comfort, its rebound remains modest at best. You're not going to find much propulsion here with its below-average energy return of 55.6% in the heel and 58.7% in the forefoot.

If you got to play in the BB v2, you will find an equally tall platform in the BB v3. With a towering heel stack of 34.3 mm, it is one of the tallest basketball shoe midsoles we've tested. Our feet felt completely disconnected from the court.

Consequently, the shoe's forefoot stack also ended up among the tallest at 25.8 mm. An ideal setup for people with ball-of-foot pain or toe joint pain.

At 8.5 mm, the shoe's heel-to-toe drop is gradual and on par with the category average.

Having sliced the NB Fresh Foam BB v3 in half, we found that it packs a softer layer of Fresh Foam X inside a firmer carrier foam.

The interior foam showed an unusually low durometer reading of 25.6 AC, confirming it as one of the plushest foams we've encountered in a basketball shoe! And that's exactly how it feels directly underfoot.

The external frame of this New Balance shoe's midsole is also made of Fresh Foam X, but it's a much firmer blend. With a 38.1 AC on our durometer, it falls within a moderately firm range of foams.

It adds structure and stability to the BB v3 without compromising the plush comfort in the centre.

The changes made to the NB Fresh Foam BB v3's upper resulted in a notably snugger, borderline tight fit. Creating a gel mould of the shoe's interior allowed us to obtain its precise dimensions using a digital calliper.

The widest part of the mould (the ball of the foot area) returned only 91.0 mm, which is on the narrow side of the hoop shoe spectrum. An immediate no for players with wide feet.

The mould also revealed the BB v3's much more pronounced taper. Measuring only 68.3 mm in the big toe area, it is a whole 4 mm narrower than the v2!

Vertical pressure can also be a problem in this New Balance shoe, as its toebox height measured only 20.9 mm.

The lack of wiggle room becomes particularly apparent during long practises, when toe swelling starts to kick in.

We were happy with the traction offered by the shoe's predecessor, but New Balance made the Fresh Foam BB v3 even grippier!

Measuring its friction coefficient (CoF) on professional court flooring, we recorded a high reading of 0.81. That makes it one of the most reliable options for stopping on a sixpence and making split-second direction changes, earning a spot in our selection of hoop shoes with the best traction.

Why make a complicated outsole design when a simple one does the trick?

Even though the shoes' undulating treadlines are only facing one direction, we found them equally effective for both forward stops and side-to-side moves.

Measuring the amount of force it takes to bend the New Balance Fresh Foam BB v3 by 30 degrees, we were utterly surprised by the results. Believe it or not, but at only 14.9N, it is one of the most flexible hoop shoes in the forefoot area! About 30% bendier than the category average!

This adds some welcome comfort and agility to the shoe's otherwise bulky and platformy design.

We have to give New Balance credit for keeping the Fresh Foam BB v3's weight fairly moderate for its massive stack height. At 14.0 oz (397g) in a men's US size, it is on par with the average basketball shoe in our lab.

The brand also took breathability seriously this time around, using airy mesh as the shoe's primary upper material.

As a result, the BB v3 is literally smoking in the toebox and the vamp, raising our breathability score as high as 4/5!

This is a nice surprise because our light test didn't show a single transparent area or ventilation channel throughout the upper.

Examining the mesh under our microscope revealed an intricate web of thicker threads interwoven with ultra-thin plastic yarns.

The New Balance Fresh Foam BB v3 remains a supportive and reliable shoe when planting and pushing off laterally.

It keeps the foot perfectly centred with a stiff midfoot TPU shank, large sidewalls, and zonal 3D printing on the upper.

The shoe's rigid TPU plate and raised midsole topline prevent it from easily twisting in the midfoot. We only lowered its torsional rigidity score to 4/5 because of the flexible forefoot.

As blocky and structured as its rearfoot looks, we found the shoe's heel counter only moderately stiff. On a 1-5 scale, we gave it a middle-range score of 3.

However, we never had issues with heel shifting or slipping, given how abundantly padded and secure its containment is.

The underfoot platform grew even wider in the Fresh Foam BB v3, exceeding the average by 5+ mm. Our digital calliper recorded a broad measurement of 120.5 mm in the forefoot.

The widest part of its heel also proved to be wider than average at 93.8 mm. It's a great option for big players who don't mind a chunkier shoe in return for more contact area.

Synthetic overlays reinforce the front of the shoe's toebox to protect it against chafing and abrasion. And as our Dremel test showed, they do so quite effectively, earning a high durability score of 4/5.

The mesh lining inside the shoe's collar showed decent wear resistance, scuffing a bit faster than the outer fabric. Because of that, we gave it a more moderate score of 3/5.

But to our disappointment, the outsole rubber of this New Balance shoe doesn't promise much longevity. Developing a dent as deep as 1.4 mm, it wore out much quicker than the average hoop shoe outsole.

We would keep the BB v3 away from outdoor courts.

But at least the shoe's outsole proved to have a solid thickness of 4.1 mm.

A generously padded insole is in part responsible for the Fresh Foam BB v3's glorious in-shoe comfort. Our caiper recorded its thickness at an above-average reading of 5.9 mm in the heel area.

And if you want to add some customised support, the shoe's stock insole is easily removable. Just be sure not to use an overly thick orthotic, as the toebox space is limited in the BB v3.

The small details at the back of the shoe's heels even showed some mild reflectivity in the dark.

Internal padding is also put to the max in the shoe's tongue, particularly in its upper portion. We measured its thickest part at an above-average 13.8 mm.

The Fresh Foam BB v3 has some of the tallest gussets we've seen, stretching nearly the entire length of the tongue! But even though they make the containment exceptionally secure, they also leave a very small opening for getting the shoe on. Especially for someone with wider feet or higher insteps.

There are no finger loops to help with putting the shoe on, either.

The New Balance Fresh Foam BB v2 saw no price increase over the previous model but introduced welcome updates to shock absorption, stability, and breathability. Sounds like a great deal!