ShoeGeometry

New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 vs Nike Pegasus 42

Two popular shoes in the same category, compared on measured geometry. Each cell carries a provenance badge; open a shoe for sources.

heel boneNew Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15: heel 41 mm, forefoot 35 mm (drop 6 mm); toe rocker 37 % of length, radius 51 % of length; heel bevel 11 % of length, 21 mm high at the back, ending about under the heel bone.New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15: toe rocker 37 % of lengthNike Pegasus 42: heel 37 mm, forefoot 27 mm (drop 10 mm); toe rocker 34 % of length, radius 47 % of length; heel bevel 10 % of length, 20 mm high at the back, ending behind the heel bone (only the back edge is rounded).Nike Pegasus 42: toe rocker 34 % of length
  • New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v1541/35 mm · toe rocker 37 % · heel bevel 11 %
  • Nike Pegasus 4237/27 mm · toe rocker 34 % · heel bevel 10 %
Illustrative profiles, not photographs: drawn from published stack heights and photo estimates of the unloaded shoes on a common length (300 mm), heels aligned, toe to the left; dots mark where each toe rocker starts; the dotted vertical line is under the heel bone (12 % of length), so a heel curve reaching past it is a bevel in front of the heel bone. Dotted lines use typical values where a shoe has no measurement. Exact values are in the table below.

Which suits you

If you wantPickBecause
A smoother roll at toe-offNew Balance Fresh Foam X 880v1536.8 vs 33.9 % toe rocker; 39.4 vs 33 mm toe tip
More cushioning under the heelNew Balance Fresh Foam X 880v1540.5 vs 37 mm heel stack
More under the forefootNew Balance Fresh Foam X 880v1534.5 vs 27 mm forefoot stack
A lower dropNew Balance Fresh Foam X 880v156 vs 10 mm drop

From the values below, with differences inside measurement noise shown as about the same. This describes the shoes, not what is right for your feet; comfort in the first few runs decides.

MetricNew Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15
Daily trainer · Road
Nike Pegasus 42
Daily trainer · Road
Heel-to-toe drop6 mmStated10 mmStated
Heel stack40.5 mmStated37 mmStated
Forefoot stack34.5 mmStated27 mmStated
Weight—300 gStated
Toe rocker37 %est.34 %est.
Rocker radius51 %est.47 %est.
Rocker rise angle28 degest.24 degest.
Rocker angle at toe61 degest.53 degest.
Toe tip over ground39 mm*est.33 mm*est.
Visible rocker lift onset74.9 %est.79 %est.
Toe spring (relative)19.3 %est.15.3 %est.
Heel bevel length11.1 %*est.10 %*est.
Heel bevel height21 mm*est.20 mm*est.
Midsole width (forefoot)—112.3 mmMeasured
Midsole width (heel)—88.1 mmMeasured
Toe box shape76 %*est.73 %*est.
Interior forefoot width—96.5 mmMeasured
Toebox width—72.3 mmMeasured
Longitudinal stiffness—35Derived
Midsole firmness—66Derived
PlateNo plateNo plate
Primary foamFresh Foam XReactX + ZoomX, full-length Air Zoom unit
List price$140$145

Key differences

  • New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15's heel-to-toe drop is 6 mm, 4 mm lower than Nike Pegasus 42's 10 mm.
  • New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15's heel stack is 40.5 mm, 3.5 mm thicker than Nike Pegasus 42's 37 mm.
  • New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15's forefoot stack is 34.5 mm, 7.5 mm thicker than Nike Pegasus 42's 27 mm.
  • Toe rocker is about the same: 37 % of length for New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15, 34 % of length for Nike Pegasus 42.

Read more about both shoes

We measure the shape. For how they feel over many miles, and for lab tests of cushioning, grip and fit:

New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15

Nike Pegasus 42

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New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v15 details · Nike Pegasus 42 details · Add more shoes