New Balance Fresh Foam X More v6 — Spec Analysis (Not Yet Tested)

Spec analysis — not yet tested

The More is New Balance’s tallest everyday shoe — 42 mm under the heel and 38 mm under the forefoot — and the one we think of for a patient whose pain is under the ball of the foot rather than the heel. Version 6 slimmed the platform. Here is what New Balance publishes, what it does not, and what a foot and ankle surgeon reads into a 4 mm drop.

What New Balance says the Fresh Foam X More v6 is

New Balance describes the Fresh Foam X More v6 as delivering “our most cushioned Fresh Foam experience” — a maximum-cushion neutral shoe on a Fresh Foam X midsole with an engineered mesh upper. New Balance publishes the stack (42 mm heel, 38 mm forefoot) and a drop of “4 mm (approximate, per manufacturing variance)”, and states that the shoe “Received the Seal of Acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association”. Running Warehouse describes the v6 as a slimmer platform than the v5 with weight trimmed and cushioning kept. Men’s widths D, 2E and 4E; women’s B, D and 2E; list price $159.99.

Manufacturer specifications

Source column tells you where each figure comes from. “New Balance” means the brand’s own US product page. A retailer name means the brand does not publish that figure and a retailer does. “Not published” means nobody reliable does — those are the figures our bench measures first.

Specification	Figure	Source
Category	Maximum cushion, neutral	New Balance
Weight, men's	Not published by New Balance. 11.0 oz / 312 g at size 9	Running Warehouse (retailer)
Weight, women's	Not published	—
Heel stack	42 mm	New Balance
Forefoot stack	38 mm	New Balance
Drop	4 mm (“approximate, per manufacturing variance”)	New Balance
Midsole	Fresh Foam X	New Balance
Outsole	Rubber with “balanced coverage”	Running Warehouse (retailer)
Upper	Engineered mesh with a padded tongue and collar	New Balance / Running Warehouse
Widths, men's	D, 2E, 4E	New Balance
Widths, women's	B, D, 2E	New Balance
Removable insole	Not published	—
APMA Seal of Acceptance	Yes — stated on the product page	New Balance
List price	$159.99	New Balance

Figures checked September 7, 2026. Manufacturer pages: men’s · women’s.

What the spec sheet suggests — and what only a test can answer

38 mm under the forefoot is the number to notice. Most shoes on this site have 28–33 mm under the ball of the foot; the More has 38. For metatarsalgia, a Morton’s neuroma, sesamoiditis or a healing metatarsal stress fracture, forefoot thickness is the figure that matters, and New Balance publishes it — one of the few brands that does. It is why we would put this shoe on a forefoot-pain shortlist before most others.

4 mm drop is the trade. A tall forefoot buys a low drop. Heel-pain and Achilles patients tend to prefer 8–12 mm; New Balance even hedges its own figure as “approximate, per manufacturing variance”, which is an honest admission that a 4 mm difference across 40 mm of foam is hard to hold in production. Our calipers will report the drop this pair actually has.

42 mm is a high platform, and it is neutral. There is no stability system. A patient with balance concerns, neuropathy or an unstable ankle should treat a 42 mm neutral heel with respect until the stability readings exist. New Balance’s 2E and 4E widths help here, because a wider base is the main stabiliser in a neutral shoe.

What only the test can answer: the drop under load, lateral stability at that height, toe-box dimensions in the 4E, insole removability and orthotic volume, and how 42 mm of Fresh Foam X behaves after 50 miles.

Who this shoe is probably for

Read from the published specification, not from wear. Treat these as hypotheses the test will confirm or overturn.

What changed from the previous version

New Balance publishes no changelog. Running Warehouse describes the v6 (July 2025) as a slimmer platform than the v5 — “shaves down the platform into a sleeker shape, trimming weight while keeping the generous cushioning fully intact” — with a redesigned upper carrying more foam in the tongue and collar; the Fresh Foam X compound carries over.

Where to buy

Disclosure: the links below are paid links. If you buy through them Amazon pays us a commission at no cost to you. Commissions never influence a score, a ranking or the seal, and this page carries no score because the shoe has not been tested — see our independence policy.

Amazon listings are colourway-specific; the button opens one common colourway and you can switch colour and width there. Manufacturer list price $159.99 on September 7, 2026; prices move, check the listing. Also sold directly by New Balance.

Questions people ask about the Fresh Foam X More v6

Is the New Balance More v6 good for walking?

On paper it is one of the better walking candidates on this site: 42 mm under the heel, 38 mm under the forefoot, three widths for men and three for women, and the APMA Seal of Acceptance stated on New Balance’s page. The two cautions are the 4 mm drop, which some heel-pain and Achilles patients tolerate poorly, and a tall neutral platform for anyone unsteady. We will confirm or overturn that once a pair is measured and worn.

Is the New Balance More v6 good for running?

New Balance sells it as a maximum-cushion neutral running shoe — its most cushioned Fresh Foam experience — so easy and long runs are what it is built for. At about 11 oz (Running Warehouse’s figure; New Balance does not publish weight) it is not a fast-day shoe. Runners who want more drop under the heel should look at the 880v15.

What are the differences between the New Balance More v5 and More v6?

New Balance publishes no changelog. Running Warehouse describes the v6 as a slimmer platform than the v5 that trims weight while keeping the cushioning, plus a redesigned upper with more foam in the tongue and collar; the Fresh Foam X midsole compound carries over. Those are retailer descriptions until we have both versions on the bench.

Is the New Balance More v6 a stability shoe?

No — it is neutral. There is no post, rail or guide system; its wide base and the 2E/4E widths are the only stability features. A pronating foot that wants this much cushion should look at a supported max-cushion shoe such as the HOKA Gaviota 6.

What is the drop of the New Balance More v6?

New Balance publishes 4 mm, described as approximate per manufacturing variance; the stack is 42 mm at the heel and 38 mm at the forefoot.

Is the Fresh Foam X More v6 good for metatarsalgia?

On paper it has the thickest forefoot on this site, which is the figure forefoot-pain patients need. We will not call it until it has been measured and worn.

Does the More v6 have the APMA seal?

Yes — New Balance states on the product page that it received the APMA Seal of Acceptance.

What happens next

This model is in the queue for bench testing under Standard v1.0: weight on our scale at men’s US 10, heel and forefoot stack with calipers, internal toe-box width and depth, torsional rigidity, heel-counter stiffness and an Orthotic Volume Rating with a real orthotic inside it. If it goes on to wear testing, the nine-criterion scorecard and the seal decision follow. Every number will carry its own provenance label so you can see which figures we measured and which we are still quoting. If you own a pair and something on this page contradicts what is on your feet, tell us — corrections are logged.

Page type: spec analysis. Acquisition: not yet purchased. Last verified: September 7, 2026. Author: Tom Biernacki, DPM, FACFAS — board-certified foot and ankle surgeon, about.

Other shoes we have looked at

Drop is the figure that decides how load splits between your heel and your forefoot, so it is the fastest way to tell these apart. Where a figure was independently measured rather than taken from the brand, it says so — and on several of these the two disagree.