New Balance 860

About

The New Balance 860 debuted in 2011 as a performance stability running shoe, engineered with a dual-density medial post, ABZORB cushioning in the forefoot, and N-ergy cushioning in the heel to support runners with mild-to-moderate overpronation. It earned a Runner's World Editor's Choice award and built a reputation among podiatrists and distance runners as a reliable, moderate-support trainer, with the line continuing through numbered updates in New Balance's performance range. After roughly a decade out of cultural view, New Balance revived the original 2011 silhouette in 2019-2023 as the lifestyle-oriented 860v2, pairing its mesh-heavy upper and slim, sporty shape with a dad shoe identity, famously captured in New Balance's own 2019 ad line about being worn by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio. Collaborations with Aime Leon Dore, Comme des Garcons HOMME, Dime, and Up There cemented its status as a normcore-adjacent sneakerhead favorite.