New Balance Women's 1980 Fresh Foam Zante Running Shoe

The Fresh Foam Zante earned our Shoe of the Year award not only because our wear-testers absolutely loved it, but also because it epitomizes the ways running shoes have evolved in the past several years. New materials, new construction techniques and, perhaps most importantly, new ways of thinking have led to lighter, better fitting and functionally enhanced running shoes. In addition to serving as a lightweight, flexible performance-oriented trainer that offers just enough cushioning for high-mileage training, it's also chock-full of giddy-up for faster workouts like tempo runs and farlek sessions. One run in the Fresh Foam Zante and you'll want to ditch the clunky trainers you've been running in. The Fresh Foam Zante's raison d'tre can be found in a new, lower-to-the-ground iteration of the lightweight Fresh Foam midsole that debuted last year. New Balance used bio-mechanical data from runners to engineer the foam undercarriage with an optimal balance between cushioning and stability€“testers fell in love with the result. The simple but smartly designed upper featured two harmoniously integrated airy meshes, a seam-free interior, subtle heat-welded overlays, a lightly padded tongue and a fit-enhancing inner booty thatserive up a comfortable fit and just enough support and structure without inhibiting the ride.