Shoe Name: New Balance 890v4

Model: 890V4

Weight: 8.5 oz.  Accurate with my size 9.0.

Price: 109.99$
You can buy them here:
New Balance 8904 Men’s Running Shoes
Drop: Listed as an 8mm drop but in my opinion the drop feels less than the Fresh Foam which is described as having a 6mm drop.  The Fresh Foam is supposed to compress over time and become less than a 6mm drop but to me it has not felt this way.  I have a difficult time running in the Fresh Foam but the 890 is easier for me to assume my natural midfoot stride.  I feel the heel of the Fresh Foam hinders my ability to mid foot strike and puts my foot in more of and angle and the 890 does not do that.

Website:  http://www.newbalance.com/pd/new-balance-890v4/M890 V4.html#color=Cobalt%20Blue_with_Black_and_Yellow

Forefoot:  Moderately wide forefoot.  Feels wider to me than the Fresh Foam.

Cushion: There is a REVlite midsole foam which I like as it feels stiff and not squishy.  I know I keep comparing this to the Fresh Foam (if you haven’t figured that out by now!!)  but they were introduced at around the same time and personally I like this one much better.   It’s described as having an ABZORB® crash pad which cradles the heel area medially and laterally for additional stability.  Not really sure what this is nor do I feel the heel needs to be extra padded.  Again, the heel doesn’t feel as padded to me as the Fresh Foam.

Flexibility:  Doesn’t really roll up,  but is flexible medially and laterally.  Does bend in the middle of the sole as seen below.

Overall:  If you haven’t figured this out by now, I like this shoe much better than the much advertised Fresh Foam.  I just think it is a wider shoe and allow me to feel the ground better maybe because it has a wider platform and less padding??  I forgot to mention the “pod-like” sole which New Balance describes as a “unique podular structure maintains notion of full ground contact geometries, preserving the purity of the originally coveted 890 ride”.  

I agree you can definitely feel the ground better in this shoe.  As a whole, I like this shoe and remember,  I’m more of a minimalist shoe person.