At £75 the 1050 is going pretty much head to head with the market’s leading stability shoe, the Asics GT-2100, so a lot is riding on it for New Balance. To give the 1050 the best chance of taking a bite out of Asics’s dominance, New Balance has loaded the shoe with features. The midsole is durable Acteva foam and contains Abzorb SBS cushioning plugs in the heel and under the metatarsal heads; there’s a two-density medial post that makes for a smoother heel-to-toe transition and more gradual motion control; and support also comes from the N-lock lace system which wraps the midfoot.

The good news for New Balance is that it all comes together pretty well and the 1050 is a very good shoe. The cushioning is soft without being too soft; the ride is smooth, responsive and supremely stable and the upper is cosseting and supportive. On the downside, it is heavy and some testers said that they could feel the Abzorb under the toes a little too much for their liking.

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