New Balance - Fresh Foam X Hierro v9
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 25, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
561
131
"I was quite impressed with its comfort and trail capabilities, and truly believed I had found an excellent shoe for my long runs and hikes. ... the New Balance Hierro v9 remains my top choice for comprehensive trail running. Its superior comfort and, crucially, its consistently reliable grip in varied and challenging conditions make it a more dependable partner on the trails I typically encounter. ... I feel more secure in the Hierro, and that confidence is key. In fact I will be using it for my upcoming races and that says it all."
"The Vibram Megagrip outsole on the Hierro v9 is simply outstanding. Its 4.5mm lugs provide excellent, reliable traction across various surfaces, from dry dirt to slick roots and muddy patches. I've always felt incredibly secure, and it consistently inspires confidence in diverse conditions. ... Great Vibram outsole grip, even on mud and wet rocks"
"The Trabuco 12 have been the best trail shoes I’ve ever owned. ... I’m 6”4 and charge hard over serious rocky terrain…and I feel completely safe in them."
228
50
"Ran a 50k and never once bothered my feet."
"I was quite impressed with its comfort and trail capabilities, and truly believed I had found an excellent shoe for my long runs and hikes. ... the New Balance Hierro v9 remains my top choice for comprehensive trail running. Its superior comfort and, crucially, its consistently reliable grip in varied and challenging conditions make it a more dependable partner on the trails I typically encounter. ... I feel more secure in the Hierro, and that confidence is key. In fact I will be using it for my upcoming races and that says it all."
"super comfy (my knees ache so much less on descents with them) ... I can’t stress enough how much they’ve helped my bad left knee on descents."
39
12
"Heiros have been the best fit wise that i've found outside of Altra."
"really like the Salomon Ultra Glide (wide) ... there is padding in the heel which in my case keeps the bump from getting too irritated."
"The wide fits perfect for me in the toebox."
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7
"I weigh 253 lbs (115 kg) and had been searching for a long time for a trail shoe with strong cushioning, suitable for forest and light path running. ... I couldn’t find any with both high cushioning and a sole that performs well even in muddy conditions. New Balance really filled that gap perfectly"
"struggling to find a trail shoe I could wear for long miles ... long runs and ultra made me need more protection for long days ... I'm an older runner so my feet require more than my old Lone Peaks could offer. ... Buying another pair for AC100 in August. :)"
"I was very pleased with the level of comfort they gave me."
7
7
"I was quite impressed with its comfort and trail capabilities, and truly believed I had found an excellent shoe for my long runs and hikes. ... the New Balance Hierro v9 remains my top choice for comprehensive trail running. Its superior comfort and, crucially, its consistently reliable grip in varied and challenging conditions make it a more dependable partner on the trails I typically encounter. ... I feel more secure in the Hierro, and that confidence is key. In fact I will be using it for my upcoming races and that says it all."
"My longest day in them was 32 miles with 10k gain and not a hotspot to write about. And this was over East Coast muddy rooty rocky wet."
"struggling to find a trail shoe I could wear for long miles ... long runs and ultra made me need more protection for long days ... I'm an older runner so my feet require more than my old Lone Peaks could offer. ... Buying another pair for AC100 in August. :)"
Disliked most:
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"I find the higher the stack leads to more rolling ankles. ... Shoes that have not worked for me: Brooks Cascadia, New Balance Hierro ... they have been directly correlated to rolled ankles for me"
"Personally I can't stand the soft foam right below the heel on those shoes- it wears thin enough after maybe 100 miles that small pointy rocks jab right in there. ... I have repeatedly bruised my heels on rocky downhills in Speedgoats, once so badly that I thought I'd broken my calcaneus. ... Never buying them again."
"They fit more rigid with more pressure points and have less room in the tow box. ... They were never as comfortable out of the box or hiking as a topo athletic shoe and I’ve had several pairs. ... I’m always very ready to take these shoes off at the end of the day.. ... after a long day, my feet feel like they were in a rock crusher since the cushion 0%."
1
9
"They fit more rigid with more pressure points and have less room in the tow box. ... They were never as comfortable out of the box or hiking as a topo athletic shoe and I’ve had several pairs. ... I’m always very ready to take these shoes off at the end of the day.. ... after a long day, my feet feel like they were in a rock crusher since the cushion 0%."
"if you start impacting closer to the heel they start getting clunky and cumbersome because there’s almost no rocker to help roll you forward"
"if you start impacting closer to the heel they start getting clunky and cumbersome because there’s almost no rocker to help roll you forward"
39
111
"downhills my feet were all over the place"
"I’m not convinced the Zegama is suitable for terrains that are moderate and up in terms of technicality. ... And I’m not convinced they can hold up on slippery surfaces. ... If I’m going to go for a mountain run with small rocks and tree roots, where there might be some damp/water, I’m going to reach for another shoe."
"I’m not convinced the Zegama is suitable for terrains that are moderate and up in terms of technicality. ... And I’m not convinced they can hold up on slippery surfaces. ... If I’m going to go for a mountain run with small rocks and tree roots, where there might be some damp/water, I’m going to reach for another shoe."
5
6
"It does feel snug, and I actually found it a bit tight at first, but after 100 miles it feels perfect now – I guess it molded to my foot or the foam compressed a bit. I have narrow feet though, so I can definitely see how it would feel too tight for wider feet, especially with that firm toe cap."
"the toe cap does limit toe room, to the point i have runner’s toe on my second toe."
"The width is shocking, narrower than Hoka 2e."
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4
"It does feel snug, and I actually found it a bit tight at first, but after 100 miles it feels perfect now – I guess it molded to my foot or the foam compressed a bit. I have narrow feet though, so I can definitely see how it would feel too tight for wider feet, especially with that firm toe cap."
"the toe cap does limit toe room, to the point i have runner’s toe on my second toe."
"The toe cap presses into the foot."
Hi all, Just wanted to ask for an assessment (opinion) on the sole wear on my NB Hierro V9s after 285km...
r/trailrunning • Hierro V9 sole wear ->Cheers. Yes, road to trail then road to home. They're wearing pretty quickly but there's some life left. One issue I have with this shoe is I 'fall off' them on occasions, they can twist under my foot. I'm considering the Gel Trabuco as a replacement when they're done even though I've been a long term NB fan.
r/trailrunning • Hierro V9 sole wear ->Yes, resoling is an option. I find that the upper on these is less snug. On tramlines the shoe feels like it rolls whilst my foot remains upright. It's disconcerting. My older V7s were a completely different shoe.
r/trailrunning • Hierro V9 sole wear ->These have more cushioning but less 'feel' for the trail I sense.
r/trailrunning • Hierro V9 sole wear ->Midsole is holding up well. They ride really nicely, very good job of cushioning rocks and stones.
r/trailrunning • Hierro V9 sole wear ->I normally wear SG wide size. Went with NB Hierro 9, it’s a much softer ride but a bit heavier.
r/trailrunning • Recommendations for wide & flat feet trail runners ->I have always worn Speedgoats in wide (2e) the past but moved to a NB Hierro 9 this year. It’s a softer, more comfortable ride. Gonna try the Norda 005 when they arrive in a few days.
r/trailrunning • Recommendations for wide & flat feet trail runners ->5'10 and 210 and I dig the New Balance Hierro series, my 8s are going strong at 250 miles and 9s are quite nice in the rotation as well.
r/trailrunning • Heavy runner looking for some new shoes ->new balance hierro ftw (lowkey shocked to see it as high as 15)
r/trailrunning • The 25 most recommend trail runners on Reddit (in the past year as of Jul 2025) ->Came here to say this. I used mine for mixed road trail running all week and for walks around town. Very durable outsole
r/trailrunning • Looking for train running shoes that can be used for regular streetwear ->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.
r/trailrunning • Shoe advice ->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!
r/trailrunning • Trail shoes for weak ankles ->New balance makes some 4e trail runners . I have used the fresh foam more trail version though I don’t see that available now, not sure if it’s coming back. I haven’t tried the hierro, but if the fresh foam more doesn’t come back in the next few months that’s what I will try. I haven’t found the Alta’s wide enough for me. I’ve had little luck with any kind runners, trail or road if a 4e version isnt available.
r/Ultramarathon • Wide fit trail shoe options ->New Balance Hierro comes as wide as 4E for men and 2E for women. Topo is also legit wide. I wear a women's D width and their wide shoes are TOO wide for me. That never happens with my hobbit feet 😂
r/trailrunning • Need help finding extra wide shoes ->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.
r/PacificCrestTrail • Trail Running Shoes Opinion ->Great review, and I fully agree with basically everything you said. I ran the Grand Ballon Trail (50K, 2500 altimeters) in them and I was very pleased with the level of comfort they gave me.
r/RunningShoeGeeks • New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v9 | 50+ Mile Review ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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