running shoe foams

Comparing the Top Running Shoe Foams: Which Are the Best?

Arguably the most important component of a running shoe is the midsole foam. No one cares about the outsole, upper, and especially not the asinine heel pull tab. I ask yet again: how difficult is it to put on and take off a pair of running shoes? So, how can you choose the best running shoe foams to match your picky preferences? Beats me. However, if you’re looking for descriptions of why the name of every midsole foam is silly, you’ve come to the right place.

New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 review

New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 Review: Rebel With a Cause

Either running shoes have improved dramatically over the past few years or my continued growth as a runner has enabled me to enjoy running in more shoes than in the past. [Insert the “why not both” meme] The two statements aren’t mutually exclusive; both are true.

Case in point: The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 was one of my least favorite running shoes in recent memory. I only racked up about 30 miles in the shoe before I racked the shoe on my shoe rack, or, rather, in the heaping pile of other shoes on my closet floor. What a difference a yearly update makes! Find out why v4 has become one of my favorites, in this New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 review.

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v13

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v13 Review: A Softie but Goodie

You’re going to think I’m insane (and you’re not necessarily wrong), but I tried versions 10-12 of the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 and returned each of them. Despite now looking severely outdated (as happens with shoes), v10 of the shoe caught my eye, and held it even after I returned the shoe. I wanted to love it, but the heel just didn’t work with my foot strike. Each step just felt awkward. I was about to give up on the shoe, but then v13 arrived. The neutral shoe’s overhaul offers one of the softest rides on the roads, but is it too soft? Find out in this New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v13 review.