I tested the New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro V9 for trail running comfort and confidence

How my run shoes look isn’t usually something that bothers me (let’s face it, they’re there to do a job and the amount of mud I encounter they’re only ever going to end up one colour). I have to admit though, my first thought when opening the box to the ninth iteration of New Balance’s flagship trail shoe was “oooh… pretty”.

Combining trail performance with styling that has a nod to streetwear, they’re both run-ready and slightly retro in feel. All that’s a bit academic though, as that beige and green colourway didn’t look pristine for long…

Design and first impressions

Thankfully, the performance of the Hierro is as good as its looks. The shoe is designed for trail prowess with 6mm lugs on Vibram Megagrip soles, which felt more than capable on the mix of loose and hard-packed trails I usually run on, as well as the muddier sections created by a soggier than usual spring. Thanks to a bouncy midsole with New Balance’s Fresh Foam they didn’t feel out of place on pavements or the odd road section either.

The drop on this shoe is 4mm, which felt a nice compromise between my usual low-drop trail shoes and some of the more maximal versions available at the moment. There was plenty of bounce if I needed it, yet the shoe still felt like it was propelling me forward.

Although these look chunky, that wasn’t the feel of them. They are quite wide, though so maybe wouldn’t suit mountain goats looking for performance over twisty trails – for my kind of steady distance running, they were ideal and I felt sure-footed in the Hierro V9s, which is important to me.

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Performance and fit

Overall the fit of these was – I would say with plenty of experience of other brands – perfect for me. I chose a UK7 as I’m usually a UK6.5 but from previous experience New Balance come up a little small for me. These felt great with just enough room for my toes to move with a decent pair of socks on too.

They were easy to slip on helped by that heel loop (why don’t all brands add one of these? It baffles me!). I found the lacing with the wide loops and soft, breathable gusseted tongue quickly locked my feet in place without pressure. I would have liked to see a retaining band or pocket for laces though, as this is a trail shoe.

That soft upper is extremely comfortable, though I’m curious to see how it lasts after more miles of training. So far, so good though. There’s a toe-protector on the end which did a good job protecting my feet against toe stubs, plus there were no annoying or chafing seams throughout.

These come in seven colourways and two width fittings for women (same for men) and if you need them to fare better in wet conditions, a GTX version at £160. Read here for guidance on choosing the right trail running shoe for you.

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New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro V9 specs