The modern running shoe market can feel like a spreadsheet with laces. Carbon plates. Energy rods. Dual-density midsoles. Spec sheets that read like architectural diagrams. For newcomers, it’s baffling. For seasoned runners, it can be exhausting. Somewhere along the way, the simple act of heading out the door became a metrics arms race. Which is precisely why the New Balance Ellipse now exists.
Launched by New Balance as part of its expanding performance portfolio, the Ellipse is positioned as a rare thing in 2026 – a running shoe that is not chasing marginal gains, but everyday enjoyment. It is built, as the brand puts it, to help runners “lose track of time”.
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A daily trainer for all
At its core sits a reworked Fresh Foam X midsole, tuned for a softer, bouncier ride underfoot. The numbers are respectable – an 8mm drop, a total stack of 37.8mm in the heel and 29.9mm in the forefoot – but the point is not geometry. It is feel. The rockered profile keeps transitions smooth and reduces strain over longer efforts, making it just as suitable for a beginner’s first 5K as it is for a seasoned runner ticking off their weekend recovery miles.
Up top, a breathable engineered mesh upper, cushioned tongue and stretch laces lean hard into comfort. This is a shoe designed to disappear on foot. At 274g in a men’s UK 9.5 equivalent and 218g in a women’s UK 7, it remains light enough for daily use without drifting into stripped-back minimalism.
Priced at £130 and launching 5 March 2026, the Ellipse is less about chasing splits and more about rediscovering why you started running in the first place. Not every shoe needs to be a super shoe. Sometimes, you just need one that lets you switch off and get on with it.
Next up: 10 daily trainers that look as good as they feel.
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