The New Balance Ellipse is an everyday training shoe that blends easy-running comfort with a bold and vibrant visual appeal.

For years, running shoes have mostly been built for comfort and performance, and, as runners, that’s exactly what we want. But because all footwear is also about fashion and has an aesthetic component to it, running shoes are partly about how they feel and ride, but also about how they look.

But here’s the odd thing: most running shoes have not been designed with a lifestyle aesthetic leading the way. Even though most running shoe brands have separate casual shoe lines with a more distinct lifestyle or retro aesthetic and there are numerous athleisure brands filling up that category, running shoes have mostly been made to look like, well, what you’d expect running shoes to look like.

Enter the just-released New Balance Ellipse, an everyday training shoe that offers a mix between easy-running comfort and a bold, vibrant visual appeal.

It’s part of a growing trend in running shoes that’s tied to the massive post-pandemic growth of running and a youthful infusion of style.

One of the elements leading the modern growth boom is how running is anchored around a distinct social component. In that context, running is more about community and connection than it is about pace,  performance, or PRs. It’s about showing up, interacting with other runners, and being seen, which is why how your running shoes look can be as important as how they perform.

If you’re a regular participant in a modern running club or happy hour pub run or you meet friends for a run with the intent to hang out at a coffee shop or cafe afterwards, you might want your shoes to look as good as they feel. Fortunately, after running about 40 miles in the New Balance Ellipse, I’ve found it to be a pretty good running shoe, too.

What’s New: New Balance’s latest model blends the lifestyle aesthetic from its casual shoe lines with some performance elements of its running division, ultimately meant to appeal to runners who want a shoe that is ideal for daily miles and still looks good afterward. It features a Fresh Foam X midsole—the same cushioning compound used in longtime models like the 880—as part of an overall comfort-focused approach, enhanced by a pillowy tongue and padded collar and traditional laces that create an easy, forgiving fit.

New Balance Ellipse Specs

Price: $145
Approximate Weights: 8.0 oz (women’s 8); 9.6 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 8mm; 38mm (heel), 30mm (forefoot)

Fit/Feel/Ride: The New Balance Ellipse fits true to size with a medium-volume interior and a roomy toe box. (It’s available in two widths, standard and wide, and has plenty of room for an after-market footbed if you remove the thin, standard sockliner.) The step-in feel is comfortable and well-appointed, very similar to the plush interior of more expensive, premium-level shoes. The padded gusseted tongue and standard lacing system do a good job of wrapping a runner’s foot into a snug, secure, and very cozy fit.

Although it falls below the typical bar of maximal cushioning, it does have a generously thick midsole. The ride is very soft and accommodating, but it’s not a mushy or marshmallow sensation. The combination of the moderately responsive Fresh Foam X midsole, the 8mm heel-toe offset and the rockered geometry create a smooth rolling sensation that’s ideal for slow to moderate easy-day running efforts. 

Why It’s Great: It’s great because it feels very good running whatever your average running pace is. New Balance has built this shoe with a Fresh Foam X midsole—the foam that was formerly the top-tier midsole material in its premium 1080 shoes—and it delivers pure comfort in every stride. While the New Balance Ellipse lacks energetic pop and isn’t fast or light enough for high-performance workouts like track intervals, tempo runs or fartlek-style sessions, it’s a good enough choice for long runs. 

I ran a 12-miler in it this week, and it was plenty comfortable. It seemed like a relaxed 9-minute mile pace was about as fast as it would go, and it doesn’t seem to energize my stride later in longer runs when I start to fatigue. That said, the cushioning is good and the engineered mesh upper, lacing system, and outsole are all reliable and effective.

Why You’ll Love It: This is going to sound strange for a running shoe review, but you might actually love it for its aesthetic appeal. It was intentionally designed with a lifestyle vibe that looks good with casual clothes, and the old adage about a shoe that “looks good with jeans” seems to apply here. How a shoe looks doesn’t at all apply to how it performs, but, as I have said before, it’s pretty clear that if you look good, you feel good.

Why You Might Not Like It: It’s a shoe with a limited range of performance. It’s not exceptionally responsive, not exceptionally light, not exceptionally cushy, but pretty generally pretty good. Compared to other shoes, it feels as soft but not as maximally cushioned or responsive as the New Balance 1080v15, and it is softer but not as firm as the New Balance 860.

Pros: It’s durable, looks great, rides great, and is available in a wide range of colors. If you are not concerned with a shoe that offers high performance qualities or if you’re a novice or casual runner, the Ellipse can be your only running shoe for a season.

Cons: The New Balance Ellipse is a comfy cruiser that’s not particularly performance-oriented. It’s great for two things: easy-paced running and looking good.

About the Author
Contributing editor Brian Metzler is the Content Director for UltraSignup.com. He has wear-tested more than 2,000 running shoes and is the author of “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (2019) and “Trail Running Illustrated” (2021). He has raced just about every distance from 100 meters to 100 miles, but he’s most eager to share stories about his experiences pack burro racing in Colorado and riding trains to run trails in Chamonix, France.

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