New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v14 vs Mizuno Wave Serene:
Which to Choose

On the big stuff these two are nearly twins. Both carry high cushioning on a tall platform — roughly a 38mm heel stack apiece — and both use a soft-but-supportive EVA-based midsole (New Balance's Fresh Foam X, Mizuno's Enerzy) with no plate, so each delivers a medium, cushioned rebound that comforts more than it propels. Stability is comparable too: both run planted and secure without pronation posts. The real differences are in offset, geometry, and intended pace. The 1080v14 runs a lower 6mm drop, which keeps it friendly to midfoot strikers and gives a more neutral, natural underfoot feel, while the Serene's taller 9mm drop sits you further back on the heel — gentler on the calves and Achilles and well suited to heel strikers. Mizuno also builds the Serene around a pronounced rockered geometry that physically rolls you from heel to toe, so its transitions feel guided and easy; the 1080v14 leans instead on a wide, planted platform for smooth, unhurried transitions. Pace is the other separator: the 1080v14 is tuned a touch quicker, happiest around 4:45–5:30 min/km and still composed if you lift the effort toward 4:45–5:10, whereas the Serene is centered on genuinely relaxed cruising at 5:30–6:30 min/km and starts to feel flat if you push it much past 5:00–5:30. Both are substantial, well-built trainers rather than lightweight ones, landing close in weight, so neither is the one you'd pick to feel fast.