New Balance Ellipse Review

New Balance has dropped a brand-new shoe called the Ellipse, and it sits in their comfort-first Fresh Foam family. The line from New Balance is: it's a shoe for forgetting the metrics, losing track of time, and just running. That's a nice idea. It's also a brave one, because New Balance already has a few shoes that try to give you that same "switch off and cruise" feeling.

Still, after spending time in the Ellipse, I do think it earns its place. Not by being the fastest thing in the lineup, but by being the kind of shoe you can wear for a run, then just... keep on.

The quick details

• Price: £129.99
• Foot type: Neutral
• Weight: 273g (men's), 218g (women's)
• Stack height: 37.9mm / 29.9mm
• Drop: 8mm
• Surface: Road
• Best for: Daily training in comfort

Where I think it fits in the New Balance range

Even though the Ellipse is new, it doesn't arrive as a total one-off. New Balance has a pretty clear split right now.

If you want more speed, you head towards their FuelCell shoes. That's not what this is. The Ellipse is much more about comfort and ease.

On the plusher side, you've got the Fresh Foam X More, which is basically a recovery shoe in spirit. Then there's the latest 1080, now upgraded to Infinion, and that one definitely leans into comfort, but it can still move when you ask it to.

What I noticed straight away is the Ellipse's price. At £129.99, it's comfortably cheaper than both the More and the 1080. That makes it feel like a proper daily trainer option, not a premium comfort shoe you have to justify to yourself.

If I had to place it closest in the current range, I'd look at the 880. The 880 has always had that "bulletproof" reputation, and in recent years it's gained more Fresh Foam X underfoot for a softer, more cushioned ride. The Ellipse sits in that world, but with a different personality.

First impressions: it looks really good

This is one of the best-looking running shoes I've had in hand for a while. The launch colourway I've been wearing is Deep End/Glint Blue, and it hits a nice balance.

It looks sleek and modern, but it also nods to that early-2000s New Balance era that's become popular again as everyday trainers. The swirling overlay design gives it that throwback vibe without feeling like it's trying too hard.

The upper: comfort done properly

The upper is immediately comfortable. You've got a padded tongue, plenty of padding around the collar, and a nice bit of stretch around the toes. The fit feels pretty standard to me, so I'd stick with your usual size.

It also breathes well, which matters more than people admit. A comfort shoe that runs hot becomes annoying fast, especially if you're using it for everyday mileage.

The outsole: looks durable, but I'm being honest about the testing

There's a decent amount of rubber coverage on the outsole, and it looks like it'll hold up well over time. I haven't been able to put it through as many hard miles as I'd like, purely because I'm dealing with a toenail surgery that refuses to heal.

So I'm not going to pretend I've battered it for weeks. But looking at the build, I don't see any obvious red flags for longevity.

The midsole: close to max stack, but it doesn't feel like a tank

The Ellipse uses Fresh Foam X in the midsole, and it's not far off max stack on paper. The interesting thing is it doesn't feel like a towering max-cush shoe when you're running.

The cushioning is definitely there. It's just that the shoe feels a bit lower and more secure on foot than you'd expect from the numbers. For me, it comes across as stable, agile and easy to trust, rather than soft and wobbly.

It also feels like the kind of shoe you could wear all day without constantly noticing you've got a running shoe on. That matters if you're the type of runner who does a commute, a run, a coffee, and somehow doesn't get home for six hours.

There's also a generous rocker at the forefoot, which helps the shoe roll you forward through your stride. On an easy run, that smooth forward motion is exactly what you want. Nothing dramatic, just a steady, efficient feel.

Conclusion: I stopped comparing it to other New Balance shoes

I started off trying to work out where the Ellipse fits against the rest of the New Balance lineup, and whether the marketing line about "forgetting the metrics" made sense.

But the more I wore it, the more I realised I was comparing it to the wrong thing.

The Ellipse isn't really trying to be your "fast" daily trainer. It's not chasing the same lane as the FuelCell stuff. Instead, it's a shoe I want to put on to head out with friends, leave on, and still be happy to do my daily run in it without changing shoes.

That's a different kind of usefulness. And it's why it started making more sense in my head alongside shoes like the adidas Adizero Evo SL and Saucony Endorphin Azura. Those are designed for faster running but have become popular as all-day shoes too. The Ellipse flips it. It's all about comfort and switching off, and that "moment" can last all day, not just for the run.

Personally, I can't wait for this toenail to sort itself out so I can properly put the Ellipse through a full training block. Right now, it feels like a genuinely strong new daily trainer option, especially at the price, and one I'd happily keep in rotation for the days when the goal is simply to run, feel good, and move on with life.