
New Balance - 860v12 (M860S12)
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Based on 1 year's data from Mar 23, 2026 How it works
Everybody's feet are different, so that's a tough answer. I have collapsed arches and over-pronate, fairly severely with my left foot, and have had varying success with wildly different shoes. The key for me is a stable heel matched to a non-intrusive arch. I had to trial and error quite a bit with different shoes. I like running in the Saucony Hurricane 24 because it has a lot of good cushion, a lot of different stability elements going on, without having a traditional medial post. There's enough cushion that I feel protected, matched with enough guidance that I'm not moving/wobbling excessively anywhere. The New Balance 860v14 is similar for me, though it's less exciting and the arch-support is slightly more intrusive. I tried the Saucony Hurricane 25 on in store and they seem lighter and a touch more sporty feeling. The Saucony Triumph 20 oddly enough works great for me as well because the lockdown is flawless for me in addition to a stable feeling heel. I think a good, stable heel keeps my inner-ankle from rotating inward and is just enough that I'm not beating up my foot/arch. These next two are really oddballs for me and it took me years to even consider giving them a shot. On a whim I tried a Saucony Kinvara 15 and Altra Escalante 4 recently and love them both. I always figured this type of shoe would never ever work for me, but they do. The light, low, firm setup is inherently stable and the ground-feel allows me to really focus on my form: not slamming my feet or heels down, running quietly is what I tell myself. I think many shoes just have too much height and squish that allows too much movement for me and lower stack, firmer shoes leave less room for error. The Kinvara feels both light and minimal but just protective enough at the same time. They also have minimal arch-humps so I never feel uncomfortable pressure there. I keep runs in these shoes less than 5 miles since they're on the more minimal side. Here are some that did not work for me: Saucony Guide 16: horrible, painful stiff medial post, slappy shoe New Balance 860v12: too firm, invasive arch New Balance 1080v12: insane instability Adidas Adizero SL2: I occasionally use these but they are very soft with minimal structure Topo Fly-lite 5: rock-hard, invasive arch support, wildly uncomfortable Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19: like running in a wooden clog
I wear Brooks Ghost extra wide. They're the only ones my wide feet tolerate. I tried New Balance 860 in extra wide but found they were too cushioned for my feet.
Ahh I really like those new balance 860s! Thanks for sharing, they’re both super helpful starting points for me
The 1080s are beaut but I think I do need more stability sadly! The 860s were actually one of the shortlisted shoes that the gait analysis people recommended, so I think they’ll be a great shoe for me
This is actually what I’ve ordered since making this post! They’re beautiful 😍 can’t wait for them to arrive, they’re exactly what I was looking for. It’s great to hear a good rec for them!
I debated this question a lot as wanted a supportive yet race day shoe. First marathon last year I did in the New Balance 860s, this year ended up going for the New Balance Supercomp Elite V4 and absolutely loved them. Went from 3:59 to 3:44
It's all trial and error. You have to find the best fit for you. I've been running on New Balance 860s for years. They're perfect. But you might hate them. I'd just go to a store and try on as many pairs as I could, then pick the one that feels best.
Well currently I’m not a marathoner 😂. Hopefully come November I will be. I’ve trained in 1080’s, 860’s and Hoka Mach X’s so I’ve been all over the place.
I have flat wide feet and I overpronate like you. The NB 860 (fresh foam yes) are great, and the 8 mm drop doesn't cause any issues. They're a dream to run in on the treadmill (I'm not an outdoors runner), and I even took them on vacation to Thailand where I did a lot of walking. Not foot or ankle pain at all. You should give them a try
I'm having issues too! Brooks really changed the shape of their shoes after 21. The adrenaline 21gts was my favorite. And I would pick the glycerin over adrenaline these days. I really liked the new balance 860 and just bought a 880 pair off mercari. The ones I've been recommended but have not tried is the asics gel kayano, new balance 1080, new balance 880. Currently running in Nike pegasus 39 (felt horrible for the first 100 miles, but the foam got better with time) and I'm liking it in my rotation right now. Have 280+ miles on it Puma velocity nitro 2 - love hate relationship but seems to flare up plantar fascitis being a narrow midfoot. can't wait to retire this shoe, just crossed 100 miles Saucony kinerva - not liking the low drop but breathed new life to it by putting in super feet inserts and we're tolerating right now. Probably retiring them out soon too due to too many miles (everyday wear, plus I run in them. They're prolly already dead) 120 running miles but probably 300+ walking miles
Ooo this is my territory! I've tried out dozens of shoes and found that 90% of "wide" shoes aren't that wide all the way through. A wide toe box doesn't cut it. I LOVE New Balance Fresh Foam 880s and 860s in D-width (wide). They also come in E (extra wide). I cut the elastic that connects the tongue to the sole because i find it constricting. For trail, Altra Lone Peak D-width. Some people will say that all Altras are "wide-fitting": don't fall for it. If you actually have wide feet you probably need a wide (D or E width) size. I know a lot of women suggest trying men's shoes, but I have small feet so my shoe size doesn't overlap with men's.
People can recommend shoes, but it might just be more waste of money. Shoes are not cheap. Best bet is go to a running shoe store and spend 20 minutes trying on shoes they recommend. I would do that and buy the pair there and then go online and find the previous year's model and buy that at a bigger discount. Stability with cushion would be something like Brooks Adrenaline or Glycerin or New Balance 860 or ASICS Gel-Kayano or Saucony Guide. If you are having foot pain custom insoles from a foot doctor would be the best bet. I had to do that after fracturing my foot twice.