Comparing 5 New Balance 2026 New Shoes by Official NumbersThe 1080v15 is 38g lighter than the previous generation

Among New Balance's new 2026 shoes, the one with the most reasons to buy is the 1080v15. It dropped from the previous generation's 298g to 259.6g, 38.4g lighter. 5 new shoes went on sale in Japan, and official prices range from JPY 13,970 to JPY 31,900.

Quick table of the 5 new New Balance shoes for 2026

The pick of the 5 new 2026 shoes is the 1080v15. It beat the other 4 on 3 counts: difference from the previous generation, width, and range of use.

This year was also one where New Balance's names got shorter. "Fresh Foam X 1080 v14" became "1080v15," and "FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5" became "SuperComp Elite v6." What disappeared in both cases is the name of the foam (the cushioning material in the sole).

First, the 5 pairs lined up. Release dates are from New Balance Japan's announcements; weight and drop (the difference in sole thickness between heel and forefoot) are from the official online store product pages, read on Oct 13, 2026. Prices are what the official site showed that day (tax included).

Men's weights: 1080v15 259.6g, Ellipse 273g, Elite v6 198g, SuperComp Rebel 222g. Women's: 1080v15 205.9g, Ellipse 218g, Elite v6 154g, SuperComp Rebel 175g. Drop (the difference in height between heel and toe) is 6mm for the 1080v15 (per the US official listing) and 8mm for the Ellipse and Elite v6.

The table tells you 2 things first. First, sole thickness is not published. If you want to compare by thickness, New Balance does not give you the material. Second, drop splits into 6mm and 8mm. What matters when choosing is 4 things: weight, drop, price and width.

What Fresh Foam X and FuelCell do

New Balance running shoes have long been split into lines by these 2 foams. Pick up the taglines and the roles are clearly different.

Fresh Foam X catches softly; FuelCell bounces back. That much is last year's map.

In 2026, Infinion was added on top of that map. The 1080v15 page on the official online store explains that you feel a shoe is "worn out" when the foam has flattened and its function has dropped. The maker's explanation is that Infinion delays that flattening so the first feel lasts however many times you run.

What is interesting is that Infinion went into both lines. It is in the cushioning flagship 1080 and in the rebound flagship SuperComp Elite, and both lost the old foam's name. In other words, New Balance in 2026 divides first by "is Infinion in it," before "Fresh Foam X or FuelCell."

How far can you choose width (wides) in New Balance's new shoes?

Many people cite width as a reason to choose New Balance, so I tabulated the lineup written in the announcements. D is standard, 2E is wide, and 4E is wider still. For women's, B is standard.

Only the 1080v15 comes in 3 widths. The 2 SuperComp shoes come in 1 each: men's D, women's B. A wide-footed runner looking for a plated shoe has no option among the new 2026 releases. The Ellipse comes only in 1 width wider than standard: men's 2E, women's D.

How do the 1080v15 and v14 differ? 38.4g lighter, JPY 2,200 higher

What changed from the previous generation. The announcement lists 4 changes. The midsole changed from Fresh Foam X to Infinion. A new material is used in the insole for the first time. The outsole shape was rebuilt, with durable rubber N durance on the outer heel. The upper became a light, breathable mesh.

Let me convert 38.4g into distance. Assume a stride of 1.2m, and 42.195km is about 35,163 steps (42,195 ÷ 1.2). 38.4g × 35,163 steps = about 1,350kg, so over 1 full marathon the total weight the foot lifts differs by about 1.35 tons.

Difference from its sibling. Compared with the Ellipse, also an everyday shoe, the 1080v15 is 13.4g lighter (273 − 259.6) with a 2mm smaller drop. The foam is Infinion in the 1080v15 and Fresh Foam X in the Ellipse.

Strengths. It got lighter, got a new foam, and kept 3 width options. In the 5 shoes of 2026, this is the only shoe that did all 3 together. Women's also comes in 3: B, D and 2E. Its use is "jog to long run," so the range 1 pair covers is wide too.

Watch out. The price went up. The v14 is still on the official online store, and on the day I checked it was in stock in width 2E. The choice becomes: take the price gap, or take the 38.4g and the new foam.

Who fits? Someone who wants 1 pair for daily jogs and weekend long distances, and wide-footed runners. For plate rebound or a race-day shoe, the SuperComp line fits.

What Infinion changes is dug into on one pair only in the 1080v15 review.

Ellipse: 13.4g heavier than the 1080v15, and cheaper as the table shows

Previous generation. The Ellipse is a model with a new name, released Mar 12, 2026. It has no previous generation. It was built on the idea of enjoying running itself, apart from the numbers on a watch. The target runs from people who have just started to experienced runners jogging lightly after a race.

Difference from its sibling. The foam is Fresh Foam X, with no Infinion. The weight is 273g, the heaviest of the 4 with weights. The drop is 8mm. The announcement lists a rocker structure (a sole shape with toe and heel curved upward), stretch laces and a cushioned tongue.

Strengths. The build is all on the "easy to wear" side. Its uses even include "casual wear," and the colors and shape head in a direction that does not stand out in town. For someone who wants 1 pair for both running and walking days, it is the quickest answer of the 5.

Watch out. You cannot choose width. Men's is 2E only, women's D only. Someone for whom standard width (men's D) fits well may find it roomy. One more thing: it is not the new foam. It is not a shoe for someone who wants to feel 2026's headline Infinion for themselves.

Who fits? A first pair for starting to run, a dedicated shoe for slow days, or for someone who wants it to double as everyday wear. For narrower feet or faster-paced training, the 1080v15 or the Rebel line fits.

SuperComp Elite v6: 17g lighter, a race-day shoe

What changed from the previous generation. The v5's midsole was FuelCell, 100% PEBA material. The v6 is announced as a new foam blend combined with Infinion technology. The carbon plate changed to a shape that gains thickness and stiffness toward the forefoot. The upper's FANTOMFIT (a build bonding thin materials together) carries over.

Calculated at the same 1.2m stride, 17g × 35,163 steps = about 598kg. Over 1 full marathon, a difference of about 0.6 tons. It is the same JPY 2,200 price increase as the 1080's generation change, with under half the weight shaved. Making a light shoe lighter still costs a lot.

Difference from its sibling. The difference from the SuperComp Rebel is plate and weight. The Elite v6 is 198g with a full-length carbon plate, the Rebel 222g with a nylon plate. A 24g gap.

Strengths. 198g and the 8mm drop are both written on the official page. 8mm is the largest number in the comparison of 10 carbon thick-sole shoes, tied with the PUMA Elite 4. For someone switching from a training shoe with a large drop, the change in tilt can stay small. That is a strength on paper that other makers' race shoes do not have.

Watch out. Anyone involved with certified records should first check the model number on the approved list World Athletics publishes. Width is just 1. Price per 1g is also far out in front among the 5, as the table below shows.

Who fits? Someone chasing a personal best in the full marathon, or whose usual shoe has a drop around 8mm. For daily training or wide feet, the 1080v15 fits better.

SuperComp Rebel: a new face for training, with a nylon plate

Previous generation. A new model released Aug 20, 2026. It is not the next generation of the similarly named FuelCell Rebel v5. It was announced that New Balance Harajuku would sell the 2 side by side, and the Rebel v5 remains current.

Difference from its siblings. Line up the 3 and you can see their positions.

Compared with the Rebel v5, it is only 4g lighter. The price is about 42% higher (7,040 ÷ 16,940). What you buy with that extra is not lightness but the nylon plate and Infinion.

Strengths. A cavity inside the sole and the plate work as a pair, storing the force of landing and returning it to the next step. It is the same idea as the race-oriented Elite, made usable every day with a nylon plate and an outsole said to be durable. For someone who wants to pile up training with a feel close to a race shoe, it is a pair that makes sense.

Watch out. Width is men's D and women's B only. The 2E that the Rebel v5 had is not offered here.

Who fits? Someone who plans to wear the Elite v6 in races and wants training in the same line. For no plate, wide feet or a lower price, the Rebel v5 fits better.

The build where cavity and plate work as a pair is written up in detail in the SuperComp Rebel review.

FuelCell Flite-R: sold only at Xebio, 1 pair for school sports clubs

Pair 5 is of a different stripe. It went on sale Jun 5, 2026, and is sold only at Xebio Group stores nationwide and their online store. New Balance's official online store has no product page for it.

The build in the announcement: a FuelCell midsole, a nylon shank (the arch core) that smooths the shift of weight, double mesh, a reinforced toe, and durable rubber N durance. The target is "from school club students to runners who train hard." Width is men's D, women's B.

The strength is the price. As the quick table shows, it is the lowest of the 5, and it still has FuelCell and a core. The watch-out is that it is sold only at Xebio Group. It is a shoe for someone who wears them out daily in club activities, or who has a Xebio nearby.

Re-ordering by price per 1g

For the 4 shoes other than the Flite-R, and the Rebel v5 as a reference, I divided the official price by weight.

With a plate, the price per 1g steps up. The 3 plateless pairs are JPY 66 to 85, about JPY 108 with a nylon plate, and about JPY 161 with a carbon plate. The Elite v6 is about 2.4 times the Ellipse (161 ÷ 66).

The 1080v15 sits at the highest position among the plateless shoes. What that extra buys is the new foam and the 3 width options.

The 1 pair with the most reasons to buy among New Balance's 2026 releases

Conditions first. (1) The difference from the previous generation or a sibling can be shown in official numbers. (2) Width can be chosen. (3) It has a wide range of use. I matched the 5 pairs against these 3.

The answer is the 1080v15. For (1), a 38.4g weight cut, the largest numerical difference of the 5. For (2), 3 options: men's D, 2E and 4E, women's B, D and 2E. For (3), a range from jogs to long runs. This was the only pair that met all 3.

The other 4 each lack something. The Elite v6 meets (1), but is a race-day-only shoe with 1 width. The SuperComp Rebel has no previous generation to compare. The Ellipse has 1 width and the foam is unchanged. The Flite-R is sold only at Xebio Group.

If you wear the v14 and have no complaint about its weight, wearing it out first is still in time.

FAQ

Why did the Fresh Foam X name disappear from the 1080v15?

Because the midsole changed from Fresh Foam X to the new Infinion. The announcement describes the 1080v15 as a model with an "all-new midsole." Fresh Foam X has not gone away; it is used in the Ellipse of March 2026.

What is the difference between the SuperComp Rebel and the FuelCell Rebel v5?

They are separate models, not old and new generations. The SuperComp Rebel went on sale Aug 20, 2026, the Rebel v5 on Jul 1, 2025. The SuperComp Rebel has a nylon plate and Infinion; the Rebel v5 has FuelCell, a blend of PEBA and EVA. The Rebel v5 comes in 2E for men, and its price sits on the low side as in the table.

Which of the new New Balance shoes come in wide (2E, 4E)?

Only the 1080v15 comes in 3 widths. Men's is D, 2E and 4E; women's is B, D and 2E. The Ellipse is men's 2E only, and the 2 SuperComp shoes and the Flite-R are men's D only.

How does the SuperComp Elite v6 differ from other makers' race shoes?

The biggest difference is drop: 8mm is on the large side of the 10 pairs compared. 198g, 8mm drop and the official price of JPY 31,900 are in the table of the article that compared 10 carbon thick-sole shoes by official numbers. The weight is around the middle of the 10. A cross-maker comparison of everyday shoes is in the article on recommended shoes for 2026.

Gear in this article

Ads and images: Rakuten Ichiba

New Balance 1080v15New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v14 (previous generation)New Balance SuperComp Elite v6New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5

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