New Balance

Fresh Foam X Hierro Series

Overall

#43 in

Trail Running Shoes

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score61% positive
63
14
26

Top Pros

Top Cons

Last updated: Jun 30, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit IconA1naruth
11 months ago

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.

Reddit IconAaronParke
7 months ago

My New Balance Hierro V7s in goretex are good on mixed terrain. A little flat perhaps and not great in full on mud. V9 is well cushioned but soft compound soles wear fast on tarmac. I'm 25% tarmac and got 350kms out of a pair. V7s are much longer lasting but getting hard to find. I think you'll struggle to get a consistent reply for you Goldilocks shoes.

9 months ago

Hi all, Just wanted to ask for an assessment (opinion) on the sole wear on my NB Hierro V9s after 285km...

9 months ago

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.

9 months ago

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.

9 months ago

These have more cushioning but less 'feel' for the trail I sense.

9 months ago

Midsole is holding up well. They ride really nicely, very good job of cushioning rocks and stones.

7 months ago

My New Balance Hierro V7s in goretex are good on mixed terrain. A little flat perhaps and not great in full on mud. V9 is well cushioned but soft compound soles wear fast on tarmac. I'm 25% tarmac and got 350kms out of a pair. V7s are much longer lasting but getting hard to find. I think you'll struggle to get a consistent reply for you Goldilocks shoes.

7 months ago

I haven't, no. Looks like a similar shoe to the 7. The 9 is a new beast entirely.

Reddit IconAsianthunder17
8 months ago

try getting some V8s off amazon if they have your size. i found the 9s to be much narrower than the 8s. my feet overhand my 9s and the 8s fit like a glove.

8 months ago

try getting some V8s off amazon if they have your size. i found the 9s to be much narrower than the 8s. my feet overhand my 9s and the 8s fit like a glove.

Reddit IconBillyBobGTS
6 months ago

Altra Olympus are great shoes, but it's worth noting that theyre zero drop, which if you're not used to it will feel really strange and likely give you pain in your calves due to them putting more pressure on your lower legs. If you want that Altra feel but aren't used to zero drop it's worth looking at the Altra Experience Wild which have a 4mm drop Personally, I love my New Balance Hierro v8 and my Nike Pegasus Trail 5, which are very do everything shoes and are really comfortable

Reddit Iconbuckbuckwhatup
7 months ago

Have love every version except for the v8 where the lack of tongue loop and laces stink. Haven’t tried v9 yet but ordered a pair and just arrived, and will once my v8’s wear out. Encouraged by the tongue loop on these.

Reddit IconChango13
5 months ago

I'm a mega shoe nerd and have tried a lot. I can't recommend Hokas or other high stack shoes on our trails since you come across several different types of topography in the same hike. The high stack runners, I find, are way too unstable and wobbly... great if you're just going in a straight line on flat trail... but not so great for lateral movement and scrambling. My favorite all around trail runner has been the New Balance Hierro 7... which sadly is all done and they've turned into yet another wobbly high stacker with the 9. Recently I tried a Brooks Caldera 8, and I gotta say it's pretty much spot-on the money. Really solid stability and traction for gravel, rock, incline up and down, and lateral motion. Great cushioning without being a high stacker. Nice ample toebox. They're like wearing nice comfy tanks on your feet, and fit our PHX trails almost perfectly. Shame they're so ugly, lol.

Top Trail Running Shoes on Reddit

1
Mount to Coast H1

Mount to Coast

H1

85% positive of 177 users

Versatile road-to-trail, but struggles on wet, technical downhills.

2
Altra Lone Peak Series

Altra

Lone Peak Series

69% positive of 500 users

Spacious toe box, but cushioning and durability are polarizing.

3
La Sportiva Prodigio Series

La Sportiva

Prodigio Series

75% positive of 220 users

Great technical grip, but unstable for some, with sizing issues.

4
Nike Pegasus Trail Series

Nike

Pegasus Trail Series

75% positive of 227 users

Versatile for non-technical trails, but poor on wet, technical.

5
Mount to Coast T1

Mount to Coast

T1

87% positive of 89 users

Lightweight, cushioned; but lacing and underfoot protection are issues.

Rankings by Use Case

Other Reddit Recommendations:

FAQs