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{{DISPLAYTITLE:New Balance 980 Review}}
The 980 was an attempt to capture the [[MinimaxMaximalist]] market that is dominated by [[Hoka Shoe Review| Hoka]], and it should have been a great shoe. It's thickly cushioned, has a relatively low drop and it looks great. New Balance described it as "award-winning cushioning" and "incredibly soft", which all sounds wonderful, but this hyperbole bears no resemblance to the shoe itself. Instead of being soft, the 980 is quite firm and provides surprisingly little cushioning. I classify the NB 980 as "balanced", which is part way between a minimalist shoe and a massively cushioned [[MinimaxMaximalist]] shoe. The nearest competitor to the 980 is probably the Brooks PureFlow. I've rated the 980 as "worth considering." {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
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Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.
==New Balance 980 and PureFlow==
The nearest competitor to the 918 is probably the Brooks PureFlow. Like the 980, the PureFlow is what I consider a "balanced" category shoe that is part way between minimalist and the massively cushioned [[MinimaxMaximalist]] style of shoes. I would choose the PureFlow over the NB 980 for its lighter weight and similar cushioning.
* Similarities
** {{H:cushioning}}. Both shoes have similar levels of cushioning which comes from fairly thick but firm foam.