New Balance Ellipse v1 Review
By Matthew Klein
New Balance Ellipse v1Price: $144.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 9.6 oz, 273 g (men's size 9), 7.7 oz, 218 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 38 mm heel / 30 mm forefoot
Drop: 8 mm
Shoe Purpose:
Pros: Soft underfoot cushioning, solid and mildly flexible ride, wider fit
Cons: Cushioning bottoms out/not responsive
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The New Balance Ellipse v1 is a cushioned daily training shoe for those who want a simple and soft shoe for easy running and walking. The Fresh Foam X midsole provides a highly soft ride for those who want tons of compliant cushioning underfoot. The engineered mesh upper provides a wider but lower volume fit for those who want a secure and comfortable fit. The geometry creates a neutral and rolling ride for those who want to move at a casual pace, the Ellipse v1 is a solid option for daily running and walking needs.
SIMILAR SHOES: Hylo Impact
PAST MODEL: New Model
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The New Balance Ellipse v1 fits me true to size in my normal men's US size 10. Although the length is true to size, the upper sits lower across the toes at the toe box, which can make the shoe feel slightly short. On the run I did not notice this but during walking/standing I did. The engineered mesh upper fits slightly wider throughout the length of the shoe. The forefoot is wider with the same lower volume mentioned. Fortunately, the upper has some stretch but is kept in check by the toe guard. This continues into the midfoot with a moderately thick and gusseted tongue. The midfoot also fits slightly wide but the foot is held well by the gusseted tongue. I did have to tighten the laces to get a secure fit, but these interact easily with the upper to provide a secure fit. The heel fits normal in width thanks to extra padding around the heel collar. There is a moderately flexible heel counter with extra padding at the posterior heel. The heel collar did not bother me but the extra padding sits up higher (like many shoes) and pushes into my Achilles tendon. Those with insertional or mid portion Achilles tendinopathy will not do well while those with Haglund deformities may be fine. The upper is secure while running forward but there is mild slippage with turning. This emphasizes that this is a running/walking shoe and not a multi-sport shoe.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: On Cloudboom Strike, Hoka Gaviota 6, Xero HFS, Topo Cyclone 3, Saucony Azura, Salomon Aero Glide 3
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Brooks Launch 11, Diadora Mythos Vigore 3
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Adidas Agravic Speed Ultra
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Moderately
How Flexible is the Shoe:
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Somewhat
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: Yes
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Moderate
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The New Balance Ellipse is a softer daily running/walking shoe for easier paces. The full-length Fresh Foam X midsole is one of the softest versions of this foam I have felt. It is soft and compliant but does not have much bounce back (low resilience). There is a moderate amount of midsole underfoot that feels soft in the heel and bottoms out slightly in the forefoot. There is an 8mm heel drop listed but this feels much lower with a heel strike due to how soft the midsole is. There is a large heel bevel that combined with the softer midsole compresses and rolls you forward easily and smoothly.
The forefoot has an early rocker with moderate flexibility that makes for an equally smooth transition. The moderate flexibility of the forefoot will require decent toe joint mobility, so those with toe mobility problems (such as hallux rigidus) will not do well in this shoe. The forefoot cushioning is still soft but the midsole compresses so fast that it often feels like the forefoot bottoms out with more forward landings. The softer midsole but lack of responsiveness make the Ellipse best for slower/easier runs/walks. Trying to run fast feels awkward as the midsole does not respond quickly. The weight of the shoe is still light, sitting under 10 oz for a men's size 9 but the softer material makes it feel more like a trainer than its weight would suggest.
Durability-wise, the Ellipse seems to be doing fine. I have 30 miles on my pair and do not see any major wear outside of the exposed midsole. The rubber outsole patches provide decent grip on dry road but I have noticed slightly decreased traction wet pavement. I would not take this shoe on trail as there are far better lugged options out there.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The New Balance Ellipse v1 is a neutral shoe. Although there are some mild guidance elements, these are offset by softer midsole and narrow midfoot. The heel features some sole flare - midsole that extends past the upper to help create a really wide base - with a lateral aspect that collapses more than the medial side. Combined with slightly more medial than lateral flare, this creates some mild lateral bias at the heel with some mild sidewalls that slightly offset the softer ride. The midfoot narrows, which combined with the softer ride makes this area less stable. The forefoot features some slight sole flare which slightly offsets the softer ride. The softer midsole adds most to the neutral ride although some mild heel lateral bias may work for those with mild medial guidance needs in that area.
Thoughts as a DPT: Should You Wear Your Running Shoe All Day?
By Matthew Klein
While some runners will have multiple shoes for different runs, most people often have one shoe for everything. This makes the most sense economically but functionally may not always be the best. A shoe like the Ellipse can certainly handle both walking and running given its moderately flexible and soft cushioned ride. However. the challenge with using one shoe for high impact running, then extended impact all day wear is that the midsole will begin to compress and wear out faster. You are obviously putting more miles on the shoe, but without time to "recover", the midsole will start to compress more, reform less and start to firm up. Especially highly compliant, low resiliency midsoles, this can lead to early shoe breakdown. This is why it is better to have a dedicated shoe for running and others for walking, standing etc. You can certainly use a single shoe, but you have to know it will wear out faster. Additionally, there is evidence that having a rotation of shoes can decrease injury risk (Malisoux et al., 2015). This may be due to the varied exposure of forces your body goes through with different footwear. Additionally, there is testimonial evidence that having a shoe rotation helps shoes last longer both because you have other shoes to wear and because the midsole may get compressed less for it has time to recover. So while a single shoe for everything is possible, we suggest an at least a two shoe minimum for rotation even while walking. If you are going to use a running shoe for both walking and running, it should be used to dedicated walking/running and not just standing around the rest of the day.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: The Ellipse has been a shoe that I questioned initially due to overlap with the 880 and 1080. I initially thought this was a Balos update but the different midsole (EVA, not PEBA) and name pulled me away from that. I see this as a more affordable, soft daily trainer with versatility into walking and running. it is not a speed shoe or meant to run fast but is a great option for the walker/runner or those that switch between and want one shoe. I appreciate the decent pricing compared to many other "standard" shoes hitting the $150-160 range. My major suggestions though are to improve the resiliency of the midsole and fix the heel padding. The midsole compliance is high, providing a softer ride. However, the midsole does not bounce back. This makes for a mush ride that bottoms out. I would encourage firmer up the midsole slightly to improve its ability to reform. This will also improve the inherent stability of the shoe. My second suggestion is to modify the heel collar padding so it doesn't push into the Achilles tendon. Many companies are doing this where there is padding up higher on the posterior aspect of the ankle but not lower. This causes the padding to get pushed into the lower aspect of the Achilles tendon, which can be irritating. Either have the cushioning be top to bottom or not at all.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The New Balance Ellipse V1 is a softer, moderately flexible, rockered daily training shoe for easy efforts. The upper will fit best for those with slightly wider but normal volume feet. The soft Fresh Foam X foam will work best for those who want a ride that compresses a ton underfoot but isn't overly responsive. Those with neutral mechanics will work best in this shoe, although there is some mild lateral guidance for those with medial heel stability/guidance needs. While I am slightly confused about the position of this shoe alongside the 1080 and 880, the lower price point and comfort help justify its existence. While I wish the Balos had gotten an update, this seems like a spiritual successor for those looking for a simple, soft daily training shoe for easy walking/running.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: B+ (Wider but normal volume. Heel padding slightly irritating and toe guard tapers toes)
Performance: B (Highly compressive but not responsive midsole. Best for easier efforts with soft and moderately flexible rocker)
Stability: B- [Neutral] (Lateral heel bias with narrowed midfoot and softer midsole makes for a mostly neutral shoe. )
Value: A- (With decent durability, $144.95 is a solid price for a shoe of this caliber)
Personal: B- (Not stable, midsole too soft, not enough resilience and heel upper design) mean that I enjoy them for walking but they don't fit my running needs)
Overall Design: B
SHOP | SUPPORT DORNew Balance Ellipse v1Price: $144.95 at Running Warehouse
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FURTHER READING
Mizuno's cushioned everyday trainer.
Huge cushion for long miles.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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