At one end of things, New Balance continues to roll out collaborations designed to please the lifestyle sector and the hype cycle. Recent endeavors with Aimé Leon Dore, Stone Island and Miu Miu (to name but a few) sit alongside solo offerings that, with new colorways and new materials, rework the brand’s classic silhouettes for an ever-broadening audience. All of which, it would be fair to say, puts New Balance firmly in the “fashion sneaker” category.

Still, there’s more to the American footwear brand than in-vogue aesthetics and marquee-name link-ups – just as, once upon a time, the company had to make it clear there was more to its offering than dad shoes. Because, at the other end of things, New Balance is still very much a performance footwear label – still innovating with technology and materials designed for athletic results.

Which is where the Fresh Foam X More Trail v3 comes in. Yes, it’s a bit of a mouthful, but it’s also full of the kind of features that runners and sustainability advocates demand from a shoe in 2023.

The Fresh Foam X More Trail v3 – let’s call it the FFXMTV3 for “short” – features the thickest and softest midsole in “Fresh Foam” history, Vibram® MEGAGRIP outsole complete with Vibram® Traction Lugs, and an engineered, breathable mesh upper.

All of which covers the performance part pretty well. In terms of planet-friendlier elements, the Vibram® Ecostep Recycle outsole is crafted from a mix of virgin rubber and a minimum of 30% recycled rubber, while the entire FFXMTV3 meets the standards for New Balance’s green leaf seal of approval – a certification that confirms “the upper is made of 50% or more recycled content, and at least one midsole/outsole material contains a minimum of 3% bio-based or 5% recycled content.”

Already given a makeover in “Phantom Black” and rich, caramel “Brown” colorways earlier this year by New Balance’s Tokyo Design Studio, the FFXMTV3 may well even please the brand’s more aesthetically-minded fans – as well as fans of other brands, like Canadian trail aficionados norda, whose monochromatic runners have rightly been winning hearts, minds, eyes and feet across the world.

Releasing now in a crisp “Cloud White” colorway that feels particularly fitting for a shoe with “Fresh Foam” in the name, the latest New Balance Fresh Foam X More Trail v3 is expected to release in August at the same $159.99 price point as previous colorways.