Cheap New Balance – Men’s

The 1260 has slowly, but steadily, rounded into fine form. A year ago, we lauded the v2 for dropping an ounce of weight, but noted that it was still too firm. One wear-tester called that shoe “so-so,” saying it “felt flat.” On this go-round, the cushioning is just right even though the 1260 is another ounce lighter. Some of that weight savings likely comes from the use of a different material in the post—the dense wedge that supports your foot when it rolls inward. Another significant improvement is in forefoot flexibility. This is due partly to the new rounded patches of rubber used on the outsole, rather than the broad, square pieces of rubber found on the v2. The result worked well for our wear-testers. Though New Balance reports an 8-millimeter heel-to-toe drop for this shoe, they’re providing measurements for the midsole foam only. In the Runner’s World Shoe Lab, we measure stack heights, which includes everything that sits between your foot and the road.