Editor rating:
9/10 on
JON OBER
User's rating:

PROS

  • High amount of cushioning. Delivers stability that sits above the rest.
  • Lower 8mm drop allows shoe to perform fast but not sacrifice comfort.
  • Impressive amount of reflective details.

CONS

  • Shoe is a little bulky.
  • Price.

OUR VERDICT

The New Balance 1260v7 is the trainer that is there for the long haul. High amount of support paired with a lower drop make this the go to premium stability shoe.
SHOE INFO
Brand
1260v7
Model
Type
11.70 oz. (332 gr.)
Weight
160 US$
MSRP
8 mm
Heel Drop
Previous model
WHO IS IT FOR
Recommended for runners that want a dependable trainer that feels fast. Works great for the half marathon and up.

New Balance is back again with its top of the line stability shoe. It provides comfort, control, and gives the runner confidence to go hard when they need to.

It is a little on the heavy side, weighing just slightly above last year’s model. It feels bulky, but not as bad as other shoes it competes against.

This is thanks to the lower 8mm drop and light responsive foam in the sole unit. It gave a springboard like lift off which allowed me to go faster and longer.

It sits with other heavy stability shoes like the ASICS’ Kayano, Brooks’ Adrenaline GTS and Mizuno’s Wave Inspire.

New Balance 1260v7 General Info

If you are familiar with New Balance’s model number structure, then you’ll know this is a heavy duty stability shoe with all the bells and whistles. It has all the latest tech that New Balance has to offer, with a hefty price tag to boot.

I knew I was in for a hefty ride, but was pleasantly surprised upon my first go around. I was able to log 9 fast miles right out the box. They dragged a little, but construction of the sole allowed me to push off fast.

New Balance 1260v7 - Lateral Side

New Balance 1260v7 – Lateral Side

I liked the sleek colors with subtle hints of neon and was especially impressed with the amount of reflective detail in it.

This is something that can be ignored from time to time so I was glad there is full visibility instead of only one or two small reflective accents; especially with Autumn night time running on the horizon for me.

New Balance 1260v7 Sole Unit

The sole is equipped with Abzorb cushioning that helps distribute shock. New Balance’s new Fuel Cell midsole compound does great on liftoff acting as a springboard.

New Balance 1260v7 - Sole and Heel

New Balance 1260v7 – Sole and Heel

I found myself landing on the midfoot but pushing off on the forefoot. The pattern of the sole correlated to that with a high amount of tread on the front of the shoe and softer foam on the rear of it. I never felt like I was out of control.

In terms of flexibility, it is a pretty stiff sole. The shoe doesn’t do too well in this area making it feel bulky at times. The lower 8mm drop compensated for this, allowing me to go fast when I wanted; pushing me forward.

New Balance 1260v7 Upper Info

The fit of the shoe is just a tad large. This is standard to New Balance so I was not surprised. The toe box gave plenty of wiggle room which was great for my long runs.

I did have to tie the shoes tighter and utilize lace locking as the heel slipped ever so slightly and did not cup my heel as well.

This was easily corrected but I did want to bring this up as it can turn a lot of runners off upon their first runs in them.

New Balance 1260v7 - Medial Side

New Balance 1260v7 – Medial Side

The material is a very light weight no sew mesh that breathes and feels great. This did not translate into it being weather proof, but I did not find my feet drenched in the summer heat which was a huge plus.

For as light as the mesh was, the tongue was incredibly thick, possibly the thickest I’ve come across in stability shoes.

This is not a bad thing as it added to the overall comfort of the shoe and allowed me to tie my shoes tight without the laces cutting into the top of my feet.

New Balance 1260v7 Conclusions

This is perfect for long runs. It gives optimal stability, but offers a unique ride allowing great energy distribution on landing and liftoff.

I was surprised how fast I could go in these because they feel as bulky as the other heavy duty stability shoes on the market.

New Balance 1260v7 - Heel

New Balance 1260v7 – Heel

While surprisingly fast, it is still a tank. In other words, don’t take these to track night and expect to easily make hair pin turns or run your mile PR.

Results were optimal when used in a rotation of lighter shoes. I would use these for my shakeout days and longer double digit runs where I needed to run long and slow to jump the mental distance hurdles of marathon training.

Out of all the higher end stability shoes out there, I definitely felt like the price tag was justifiable. The shoe has all the latest and greatest tech and it feels like I could easily churn out 1000+ miles on these.

I would absolutely spend the money on these over ASCIS’ Kayano. 160 dollars is still 160 dollars though and that is going to set you back quite a bit no matter how you slice it.

We purchased a pair of New Balance 1260v7 from runningwarehouse using our own money. This did not influence the outcome of this review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.

New Balance 1260v7 Price Comparison

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