You have to follow the trends in some way and the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v12 is no less, joining the "Green Washing" campaign that basically proclaims using organic components and recyclable materials to take care of the planet. Of course, the American brand does not consider reducing the number of launches of running shoes wihtin its lineup or extending the useful life of existing ones, since it is easier to increase the price with the typical annual update and try to sell more joining a fashion pretending to be ecological. Regarding the shoe itself, the 1080 v12 maintains the maximalist design with plenty of cushioning, although it increases significantly in weight, being the reference model within the brand for long runs by runners with neutral tread. disputing the global throne to the almighty Asics Gel Nimbus 24.
Although the profile is very similar to its predecessor Fresh Foam 1080 v11, the rear part has replaced the controversial (because it is rigid) buttress for a more conventional solution, even increasing the height of the part responsible for protecting the Achilles heel. With this more homogeneous design, the Hypoknit fabric takes on greater prominence, playing both with densities and with ventilation holes to better adjust to the needs of each area. It includes a removable Ortholite® insole that can be replaced by another one more to the user's liking.
The rest of the Fresh Foam 1080 v12 maintains the same concept, evolving the solution: the imposing Fresh Foam X midsole slightly varies its configuration (shape and size of the hexagons in combination with the different perforations) to improve performance. The elevation at the ends (more accentuated than in the Hoka One One Clifton 8) favors a transition as fast as possible, but please take into consideration we are not talking about racing flats. The outsole continues with the same configuration in terms of type of rubber and flex grooves, although the design of the studs varies slightly with more marked grooves and less depth in the studs. Let's go for a run.
