New Balance - Fresh Foam Hierro v6

I had Hierro v6 GTX. They were very plushy and quite lightweight for a well padded and cushioned trail shoe. They also did well on paved roads, where I used them on bad weather days. I was really disappointed when just after half a year they started showing tears on the toebox and collar. I ditched New Balance for Hoka Speedgoats. Much more fun to run in, due to more springy foam and the rocker. One and a half year later, the outsole (also a Vibram Megagrip) is missing half of the lugs, so I switch to another pair.

I use goretex running shoes as my daily walking / running shoes on rainy and snowy days. It used to be Adidas Supernova, which had amazing grip and survived for a long time until the midsole snapped in half. Then Hierro v6 which were super comfy, but started showing wear and tear of the upper after only 6 months. I moved to hoka speedgoats, which are not known for their durability, but I found 2 pairs in price of 1, so I thought a set would last me long enough. Indeed the vibram lugs after 18 months of using mostly on hard surfaces were destroyed on one side. And that may happen in general to trail shoes with big lugs instead of more asphalt oriented outsole. Despite some opinions, their traction on wet or icy asphalt is very good. The only specific situation when they turn into slipgoats is when I come from very low temperature and step on wet concrete like puddles of melted snow in a garage. There is yet another option. Couple of years ago my wife bought herself Reebok Work n Cushion. They were quite comfy, ridicuosly cheap and simple oldschool shoes. There are other brands making shoes for work. Something like Hoka transport, which can have interesting upper with its cordura lining plus the rich midsole.

Funny to see multiple adidas shoes listed here, they don't get mentioned a lot in this sub. My rotation: * VJ Lightspeed: OCR training (interval based so the running sections are faster) * VJ Spark: OCR races (continuous slower pace) * Inov8 parkclaw g280: road to trail runs, I only have non-technical trails where I live, those only require mild trail shoes in autumn and winter (eyeing to replace this with Salomon Aeto Blaze GRVL or other mild trail shoes) " New Balance More V4: road runs and summer trails * New Balance Hierro V6: retired, now used for hiking

I have a pair of V6s that are very nice for their purpose but I read the V9 was made very stiff and has much more cushioning than previous models, so a very different shoe. https://runrepeat.com/new-balance-fresh-foam-x-hierro-v9

New Balance Hierro are nice for this.

New Balance Hierro, they're plush, cushioned, comfortable, grippy, but also a bit slow and heavy. Great hiking shoe as well. Inov8 Parkclaw: jack of all trades, master of none. Very durable, very allround, comfortable right out of the box, but the cushioning doesn't give much energy return so it feels a bit old fashioned and a little bit uninspiring. Doesn't feel like a trail shoe when running on road, but it does have trail shoe features like (mild) lugs, toe protector, ankle collar. It has a really wide toe box but also a good lockdown. Nike Vomero: cushioned road shoe that has an outsole tread pattern that is much more trail-like than other road shoes

The new NB Hierro v9 is supposed to be a solid remake that is a better actual running shoe than previous versions of the Hierro. I think you might like the HOKA Speedgoat or the Altra Experience Wild, but I honestly haven't found a comparable shoe to the KOM that fits my foot like a NB.  Zegama is too squishy, More Trail is gigantic, Olympus too squishy, Lone Peak too thin.  Maybe the Altra Timp but you gotta buy in to the 0 drop thing.  I ran through 2 pairs of those but still not the same feel as the KOM. As a side note gripe: constantly disappointed in NB for dropping and creating new trail shoes all the time these days.  I feel like there's no continuity in their shoes anymore and has caused me to start running in other brands that fit me worse.  The 910 v4/Summit KOM was one of the last great shoes they made.  These days it seems like the More Trail super stack marshmallows or the Summit Unknown racing flat, or the Hierro which is pretty much a lifestyle shoe with a tread and sucks for running.  Maybe the new v9 will be a return to a solid mid stack trail shoe.

I like the New Balance Hierro for my paddles. You can get them in up to a 4E. Good cushion, rocker design and foam bounce (if running matters to you), and Vibram rubber grip. They have a high stack so not the most groundfeel or stability on technical terrain, but still totally fine for anything short of a class 3 scramble.

I've had no problem with my lone peak 9+ in shallow mud and puddles, but they were as bad as your run of the mill sneakers for walking on ice (didn't dare run on ice but had to walk a few times). In the distant past (2016?) fresh foam hierros were good for any kind of weird terrain and supportive if you're heavier. I learned they moved away from zero drop so ymmv depending on preference...

new balance hierro ftw (lowkey shocked to see it as high as 15)

Came here to say this. I used mine for mixed road trail running all week and for walks around town. Very durable outsole

For affordable running shoes new balance Hierro are under appreciated. I put them through bearings and have had pairs hold up nearly to 1000 miles.

I find the higher the stack leads to more rolling ankles. Shoes that have not worked for me: Brooks Cascadia, New Balance Hierro Shoes that have worked for me: La Sportiva Bushido, Topo Terraventure. Also would like to find a more cushioned shoe but they have been directly correlated to rolled ankles for me and I'm sick of spending money on shoes for now. I'll see how far I can go in the Bushidos, I did a 50 miler in them and it was good, although I was definitely hurting at the end!! The more you do the more you adapt though!

Absolutely adored the OG-EUs. Also quite like this year's New Balance Hierros (I was a tester last summer).

Topo are pretty durable and are in my summer rotation…once the snow and rain hit they’re dangerous though. Speedlands are awesome in the bad weather but they’re pretty expensive, I’ve only purchased one pair of GLs due to price. The new balance Hierro are pretty wide as well and super tacky. I don’t have a wide foot but do appreciate some wiggle room on longer runs and hikes so my rotation also has some nnormals (my preferred shoe) and Saucony…