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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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* {{H:flexibility}}. The 980 has little flexibility. The combination of the hard foam and the outsole the covers the entire surface severely reduces flexibility.
* {{H:outsole}}. The 980 has a continuous layer of hard rubber outsole that covers the entire lower surface of the shoe. This approach has become a little unusual in modern running shoes as it reduces flexibility and increases weight. Modern manufacturing techniques make it quite practical to put the outsole over just of the areas that have the highest abrasion. The texture on the outsole means it has relatively little grip on soft surfaces, or on asphalt that is slightly muddy or has loose gravel.
* {{H:shape}}. The 980 is the classic shoe shape that does not match the human foot, and narrows excessively in the toe box. I'd recommend [[Shoe Modifications| cutting open the toe box open]] to prevent toe problems.{{H:TryCuttingShoes}}
* {{H:upper}}. The upper is inflexible and mostly seamless other than the transition from the unpadded forefoot to the padded rear foot. The ankle opening is nicely padded, and other than the poor shape on the forefoot the 980 is a comfortable shoe.
* {{H:tongue}}. The 980 has a traditional tongue that is has a tab to attach it to the laces. The tongue is well-padded and comfortable.
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.
