The New Balance 1080v15 is a buy for runners who want one pair to cover jogs through long distances, and for wide feet. At 259.6g in men's it is 38.4g lighter than the previous generation, and the foam changed to the new Infinion. A daily cushioned shoe without a plate, released early on Jan 15, 2026.
The Shoe Nerd's top pick
The 1080v15 swapped out everything inside the sole but left the width lineup alone. In a year when the foam changes, widths sometimes get cut while the last is rebuilt. It still comes as men's D, 2E, 4E and women's B, D, 2E, so as a shoe nerd I buy this as the one pair that lets wide-footed runners pick the new foam.
Key points
- Men's 259.6g, 38.4g lighter than the previous generation's 1080 v14. Drop 6mm
- Foam goes from Fresh Foam X to Infinion. The brand's explanation: same softness with rebound added
- Men's 4E is 25.0–29.0cm. 30.0cm and 31.0cm only in limited colors and widths
1080v15 weight and drop? The official numbers
On the 1080v15, "Fresh Foam X" is gone from the shoe's name. The previous generation was "Fresh Foam X 1080 v14"; this time it is "1080v15." The name got shorter because the cushioning material in the sole itself was swapped.
First, I put the official numbers in 1 table. The release date, price, widths and sizes come from New Balance Japan's announcement of Jan 8, 2026, which I re-read on Oct 13, 2026.
| Item | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | Jan 15, 2026 (early release, 2 colors). Other colors in Feb | |
| Official price (Japan, incl. tax) | JPY 22,000 | JPY 22,000 |
| Weight | 259.6g | 205.9g |
| Width | D, 2E, 4E | B, D, 2E |
| Colors | 5 colors | 4 colors |
On the early release day, 2 colors each came out for men's and women's; the other colors came in a February release.
The weight gap between men's and women's is 53.7g (259.6 − 205.9). Even for a shoe of the same name, the table numbers differ by about 20% (53.7 ÷ 259.6 = about 20.7%).
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
New Balance 1080v15
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 13,481 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 22,000 depending on the shop. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping Japanvs the 1080 v14: what changed from the previous generation
The announcement lists 4 changes, from the sole upward.
The 1st is the midsole (the cushioning layer in the sole). It changed from Fresh Foam X to the new Infinion. It keeps the soft shock absorption of before, adds rebound and energy return, and makes those effects last longer.
The 2nd is the part under the insole (the insert). It is a new material that gives spring across the whole sole of the foot, while a cup shape supports the foot, the announcement says. The 3rd is the outsole, whose shape was redone and which has N durance, an abrasion-resistant rubber, on the outer heel. The 4th is the upper, a light, breathable mesh.
| 1080 v14 | 1080v15 | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release | Oct 10, 2024 | Jan 15, 2026 | About 15 months |
| Weight (men's) | 298g | 259.6g | −38.4g |
| Price at announcement | JPY 19,800 | JPY 22,000 | +JPY 2,200 |
| Price per gram | About JPY 66 | About JPY 85 | +about JPY 18 |
| Number of colors (men's / women's) | 6 / 5 | 5 / 4 | −1 / −1 |
| Width (men's) | D, 2E, 4E | D, 2E, 4E | Same |
The weight cut is about 12.9% and the price rise is about 11.1%. The price went up at nearly the same rate as the weight came down.
Counting the pair, the gap is 76.8g (38.4 × 2). An egg weighs about 60g, so slightly more than an egg's worth of weight disappears from both feet.
You feel a shoe is worn out not when the outsole rubber wears down but when the foam inside goes flat and stops pushing back. The official online store description I read for our New Balance article presents Infinion as a foam meant to delay that flattening. So I read the 1080v15's price increase as paying for a design in which the first feel lasts run after run, not just for lightness.
vs the siblings Ellipse and SuperComp Rebel
Among New Balance's 2026 shoes, there are 2 to weigh against the 1080v15: the Ellipse, a daily shoe at a lower price, and the SuperComp Rebel, which adds a plate to the same Infinion.
| Ellipse | 1080v15 | SuperComp Rebel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foam | Fresh Foam X | Infinion | Infinion |
| Weight (men's) | 273g | 259.6g | 222g |
| Men's width | 2E | D, 2E, 4E | D |
| Official price | JPY 17,930 | JPY 22,000 | JPY 23,980 |
Looking at the width column, only the 1080v15 has 3 in a row. The Ellipse has 1 men's width, 2E, and the SuperComp Rebel has 1, D.
Here is how I split them. For a first running shoe where you want to keep the price down, the Ellipse. For someone who wants a shoe for pace days and has a standard width, the SuperComp Rebel. For someone who wants daily jogs and weekend long runs in one pair, and whose width is D, 2E or 4E, it is the 1080v15.
Conversely, who should not choose the 1080v15 is also clear. For someone who wants the push of a plate, the SuperComp Rebel is 37.6g lighter, as the table shows, and has a plate. Details are in the SuperComp Rebel article.
What I like
What I would praise most is the width. Men's D, 2E, 4E; women's B, D, 2E. Of the 3 shoes of 2026 with the new foam (1080v15, SuperComp Elite v6, SuperComp Rebel), this is the only one where you can choose a width.
Counting, there are 6 widths across men's and women's (3 + 3). The 2 SuperComp shoes have 2 each across men's and women's. A runner with a 4E foot who wants Infinion has just 1 candidate from the start.
Next, how much lighter. The 38.4g was the biggest gap among the generation changes this site counted in New Balance's 2026 new shoes. The race-day SuperComp Elite cut 17g from v5 to v6, so this is more than twice that (38.4 ÷ 17 = about 2.3 times).
The 3rd is range. The announcement describes the use as "from jogging to long runs." The outsole has a rocker build with the toe and heel curving up, and the maker explains it helps weight transfer.
Things to watch
Big sizes need care too. Men's 4E stops at 25.0–29.0cm. 30.0cm and 31.0cm come only in limited colors and widths. If your foot is big and wide, check that your size exists before you buy.
Colors dropped by 1 each for men's and women's from the previous generation. Women's has no ALL BLACK.
Who is it for?
I set 3 conditions: ① you can choose a width, ② the gap from the previous generation can be stated in numbers, ③ one pair covers a wide range of uses. The 1080v15 meets all 3.
It suits: wide-footed runners (2E, 4E) looking for a shoe with the new foam. Runners who want to cover jog and long-distance duty with one pair. Runners who were bothered by the previous generation's weight (298g).
For race day or a plated training shoe, there are other ways to choose. If you have no complaints about the v14's weight, the price also went up, so you have time to wear it out first.
Price and where to buy
Here are the official price and the range of Rakuten Ichiba shop prices. In my research for the article, the previous generation v14 still had width 2E in stock at the official online store.
| Model | Official price (Japan, incl. tax) | Rakuten price range |
|---|---|---|
| 1080v15 | JPY 22,000 | JPY 13,481–22,000 |
| Fresh Foam X 1080 v14 (previous generation) | JPY 19,800 (at announcement) | JPY 9,999–43,400 |
| Ellipse | JPY 17,930 | — |
Decide by width when buying. On Rakuten shops, the same 1080v15 is often listed as separate products by width, so the safe order is to read D, 2E or 4E in the product name and then pick a color.
If you are torn with the v14, the axes are only 2: whether to pay the difference for the 38.4g of lightness and the new foam. If your width and size are still in stock, the v14 stands as a choice for "runners who can overlook the weight."
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
New Balance 1080v15
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 13,481 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 22,000 depending on the shop. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping Japan
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v14 (previous generation)
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 9,999 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 43,400 depending on the shop. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanFAQ
How does the 1080v15 fit?
Length is as is, and you fit by moving up the width code. Men's come in D, 2E and 4E; women's in B, D and 2E: 3 each.
In men's, D and 2E run 25.0–29.0cm, with 30.0cm and 31.0cm in limited colors and widths. 4E is 25.0–29.0cm. In women's, B and D run 22.0–25.5cm and 2E runs 22.5–25.5cm.
How does the 1080v15 differ from the v14?
The foam changed to Infinion, and men's got 38.4g lighter. The price is JPY 2,200 higher than at announcement, and the width lineup is the same.
What is the 1080v15's sole made of?
4 things changed: an Infinion midsole, an insert in a new material, an outsole with a rocker build that places N durance, and a mesh upper. If you want a plated shoe, the candidates are the SuperComp Rebel, which pairs the same Infinion with a nylon plate, or the carbon-plated SuperComp Elite v6.
Where can I compare the 1080v15 with other makers' daily shoes?
Cross-maker comparisons are in the 2026 recommended shoes article. The table lining up New Balance's 5 shoes for 2026 is in the New Balance 2026 new shoes article.
