New Balance Fresh Foam X More v5 Review: The King of Chonk

All shoes are reviewed by the Fleet Feet tester team, which represents a wide variety of goals, foot shapes, running locations and terrains. Reviewers pound the pavement, climb the hills, tackle the trails, then come together to compare notes. Debates ensue over the feel of the cushioning, the purpose of the shoe, and how it compares to last year’s model. While each reviewer has their own individual preferences, we hope that capturing our debates will help you make an informed decision.
The New Balance More has long been synonymous with more cushion. More cushion equals more comfort, right? If you’re nodding your head yes, then you’ll likely enjoy the More v5.
The More v5 offers additional cushioning underfoot which, as a cushioning aficionado, made my ears perk up and my heart beat a little faster. But is more cushioning always better? Maybe not, according to some of our other reviewers.
Read on to learn more about the New Balance More v5 and how it compares to the More v4.
New Balance Fresh Foam X More v5
Weight | 8.6 oz (W), 11.3 oz (M) |
---|---|
Stack height (heel/forefoot) | 44 mm/40 mm |
Heel-to-toe drop | 4 mm |
Category | Neutral |
Surface | Road |
Price | $155 |
Comparable to… | Saucony Triumph 22, HOKA Bondi 8 |
Ride
Cushioning
Energy

Fresh Foam X serves up smooth, stable ride

The New Balance More lives up to its name with even more cushioning in the midsole–ten extra millimeters, to be exact. While this might sound like a dramatic increase terrifying to those with a fear of heights, reviewers noticed the shoe feels surprisingly stable.
“Slipping into the More v5, I did not expect the ride to feel as smooth and responsive as it was,” says Tony, who typically opts for stable shoes. “These were really fun to run in! I didn’t feel like I was running on such a thick stack of cushioning thanks to the way the foam compresses and rebounds. On paper, it’s not the type of shoe I’d go for–I typically like a firm, sturdy shoe–but these were undeniably fun in my opinion.”
Part of the reason Tony, a stability aficionado, enjoys the More v5 could be because of its broad base.
“The platform of the More v5 feels wider to me,” says Nate. “And, similar to other adjustments to the chonk-monsters in the New Balance line up, they’ve firmed up the foam just a touch to add a bit of stability and responsiveness.”
Stability is a must-have when creating a shoe with such a tall stack height, and New Balance pulled it off perfectly.
I’m rehabbing an ankle injury (I know, I’ve been saying this in every single shoe review and it’s probably getting old), and I appreciate the wide, stable base of the More. It has what I describe as “bucket-seat” cushioning–I’m surrounded by the shoe’s high side walls rather than balancing precariously on top of a huge slab of foam.
However, Kate mentioned the bucket-seat sensation was much less noticeable in the v5 when compared to the v4.
“There is a much thicker stack of cushion underfoot, which a lot of people will love,” she says. “Unfortunately for me, it feels like it’s just too much. With the v4, I got this bucket seat sensation, where it felt like I was sitting down in the cushion. With the v5 I feel like I’m sitting on top, and it’s just more cushion than I really want.”
We all had our own opinions on how the v5 differs from the v4, which we’ll dive into more below.
Plush upper prioritizes comfort

The More v5 is topped off with a breathable yet structured engineered mesh, providing a nice blend of flexibility and support.
“The New Balance More is the deluxe recliner sofa of shoes, and the upper lives up to that analogy as well,” says Nate, our wide-footed reviewer. “A very soft, thick tongue sits on top of my foot while a mesh upper wraps around the sides with a premium feel. The heel collar is structured yet comfortable, and the forefoot allows for a little wiggle room.”
The fit is largely unremarkable, which is a good thing. There were no complaints or issues from reviewers, despite us all having various foot shapes.
I’ve always been a fan of the way New Balance shoes contour perfectly to my feet, and the More v5 is no different. The step-in feel is nothing short of luxurious. It’s snug around my midfoot with the perfect amount of room in the toe box. The heel collar and tongue are padded enough to remind me this is a shoe meant to be comfortable above all else.
The More v5 is available in both medium and wide widths (D for women, 2E for men) so, if you really like the underfoot feel of the shoe, chances are good you’ll be able to find your perfect fit.
If you aren’t sure about the width of your feet, head into your local Fleet Feet. Fleet Feet outfitters use 3D fit id® foot scanning technology to gather information about your feet and the support they need by taking precise measurements of your foot length, width and arch height, so you can learn a lot about your feet while you’re there.
New Balance More v5 versus New Balance More v4
Tech Specs | New Balance More v5 | New Balance More v4 |
Weight | 8.6 oz (W), 11.3 oz (M) | 9 oz (W), 10.9 oz (M) |
Stack height | 44 mm/40 mm | 34 mm/30 mm |
Heel-to-toe drop | 4 mm | 4 mm |
Price | $155 | $150 |
The biggest change to the More is the addition of ten millimeters of Fresh Foam X cushioning in the stack height. New Balance has the More v4 listed as a 34-millimeter stack height on their product page (listed under product details), and the v5 is a whopping 44 millimeters.
I, for one, love the addition of more cushion. I will never complain about added stack height in a shoe. However, the foam felt firmer to me than it did in the v4, which is something I will complain about. My feet don’t really have any time to sink into the cushioning before pushing off for my next stride. I know I’ll probably be the lone reviewer who says this, as most of my colleagues prefer firmer shoes, but I would have appreciated a touch of extra softness akin to the 1080 v13. Nevertheless, the shoe felt comfortable and supportive during my six-mile easy run.
“It’s interesting to me that the other reviewers thought this shoe was firmer than the v4. I thought it was softer!” says Kate, who adored her pair of v4 and wore them into the ground. “But maybe I’m just feeling the fact that there is so much cushion here—more than in the past, and more than what I expected to feel underfoot. I’m looking for a little bit more ground feel instead. It’s a different sensation than my beloved v4, and I’m struggling with that.”

How does the New Balance More v5 compare?
We took a look at some comparable models to see how they stack up against the More v5. Here’s what we found.
Tech Specs | New Balance More v5 | Saucony Triumph 22 | HOKA Bondi 8 |
Weight | 8.6 oz (W), 11.3 oz (M) | 8.8 oz (W), 10.1 oz (M) | 8.9 oz (W), 10.8 oz (M) |
Stack height | 44 mm/40 mm | 37 mm/27 mm | 40 mm/35 mm (W), 41 mm/36 mm (M) |
Heel-to-toe drop | 4 mm | 10 mm | 5 mm |
Price | $155 | $160 | $165 |
The More v5, the Saucony Triumph 22 and the HOKA Bondi 8 all serve as their respective brand’s neutral, max-cushioned option. They’re all fairly similar in weight, stack height and price. The largest difference between the shoes comes down to the feel of the midsole cushioning and the varying heel-to-toe drops.
The Saucony Triumph 22 and the HOKA Bondi 8 both firmed up a bit in their latest updates, something that reminded me of the More v5 (although Kate will disagree).
Who is the New Balance More v5 best for?

Simply put, if you like a lot of cushioning you’ll love the More v5.
“This shoe is made for people who love cushion and just can’t get enough,” says Kate, who’s probably talking about me. “I’d recommend it for easy runs and to anyone spending a lot of time on their feet.”
If you’re like Kate and you like to feel a bit of the ground beneath your feet, you should probably opt for a shoe with less cushion like the New Balance 880 v14.
The More v5 is also great for runners who enjoy low heel-to-toe drops. Shoes with low heel-to-toe drops are thought to alleviate pressure from your knees and hips, making the More v5 a suitable choice for those who’ve experienced issues in those areas.