I ordered these shoes at the same time as the Fresh Foam Zante shoes from New Balance. The Zantes were my second pair of that style but I thought I'd try these as well so I could rotate the two pairs out. I like the Fresh Foam but not as much as the Zante style. These don't seem to have quite as much cushion. On my first run with these shoes they seemed a little stiff and not to give too much. I've worn them on three runs now and they're much better. They don't seem stiff at all. They're lightweight which I like in a running shoe but still provide a decent amount of cushion. I have a neutral stride and don't need much arch support. These shoes work very well for me. I typically wear a 7 1/2 in New Balance and that worked for me in these. I like these to add into the rotation but think I'll stick with the Zante.