New Balance - Fresh Foam More Trail v2

Hey everyone, I've been running for about 8 years now and have gone through lots of shoes in that time but I still don't feel like I've found a perfect shoe for me, so I am here seeking advice. For context, I am 6'1"(186cm) and \~205 lbs(93kg) and I have really wide feet with high arches. I've run in a mix of trail and road shoes between Asics, Saucony, Hoka, and New Balance, and most recently, Atreyu. Out of these, my favorites have been Hoka Speedgoat 2 & 3 and the New Balance Fresh Foam More Trail v2 because of their comfort and durability. I like a higher stack height to help soften the heavier strike I have from being a relatively larger frame. Additionally, I tend to break/tear most of my shoes in the exact same way on the medial/interior side of the forefoot where the upper meets the midsole. I suspect this has something to do with my wide feet, but it still happens in wider shoes or when I order shoes in wide sizing. However, in some shoes this happens after 500-600mi (Speedgoat 2) or only after 100mi (Speedgoat 5 be damned). Also, for those of you wondering: Yes, the Speedgoats are quite narrow and they're somehow my favorite shoe, usually this requires a not-so-pleasant 50mi break-in period. I am looking for a trail shoe with decent/high stack height, the best durability possible (500mi+), and catering to wide feet. Ideally, I would also like good wet-surface grip since I live somewhere very rainy. I am mostly familiar with the big running shoe brands (Nike, Saucony, Asics, New Balance, Hoka, Brooks, etc.) but I know almost nothing about more niche/new trail shoe brands (e.g. Salomon, Topo, Altra, North Face, NNormal, Norda, La Sportiva, etc.....). Any input would be appreciated!

I wear Craft shoes (CTM Ultra) and New Balance More Trail (I think mine are v2). The Craft shoes are light, run really well and work equally well on road or moderate trail and they are designed for both so you’re getting a shoe that actually runs well on road and trail. The New Balance are fine on the road and are my long run/heavy cushion shoe for winter. They work well but are so much heavier than the Craft that I don’t want to wear them if I want to run at anything other than slow paces. Running on the road in most trail shoes will destroy the lugs. And some trail shoes are terrible on the road (eg Saucony Peregrine) because the lugs/foam are designed for trails, and they are quite jarring on hard surfaces. The Craft and New Balance work well for me (I’m in New England in a town that uses private contractors for plowing roads-meaning, the roads are never clear). I do like the Tempus as a shoe. It’s a little heavier than some of what I run in, but it’s a really good shoe. The Craft is as responsive, but a bit firmer and not as heavy.

I ran most of States in the NB More Trail v2 and still have a couple pairs in rotation.  The v3 has more aggressive lugs, as does the Hierro v9, but might be worth trying anyway, though I have not tried either.  The More v5 road shoes could be decent if you don't need lugs.

Zegama 2 is firm, fresh foam more is firm, speedgoat is firm. I have tried them all and they might be softer than an old style trail shoe, but definitely not soft shoes. The softest I have tried so far is ASICS trabuco max 2&3 But I would love to find a similar or softer and bouncy trail shoe, like Neo vista but for door to trail type shoes.

Presently, NB as a brand has been coming out with squishy foam in most if not all models in road and trail running. The one I'm thinking of is the NB MORE trail shoe (they have a road version) which is a squishy soft, max cushioned shoe with a 4mm drop. The Brooks Caldera is another max cushion trail shoe with great traction and has a pretty soft midsole coming in with a 6mm drop.

I’m heavier than you and have gone through a few pairs. Here are some insights on the pairs I’ve used Altra Lone Peak 8s have held up really well. Altra Outroads not so much, version 1 compressed really fast and haven’t enjoyed the feel of version 2 as much but apparently they fixed some durability issues. New Balance Fresh Foam X More, really like these shoes but they are a lot of shoe despite feeling relatively light.

Do not do this with plantar fasciitis. Get a shoe with a high stack like the hola speedgoats or the NB fresh foam. PF is not something to mess around with because it will end your hike in a way that nothing else can by making every step agony.

I'm a die hard New Balance person (because they consistently have wide shoes that feel good for me) and I've been using the minimus trail and love them. The fresh foam shoes don't hold up super well with sharp/rocky terrain.