New Balance is at its best when it's feeling blue. Not in the sense of melancholy, though. But a blue-toned sneaker? Oh, New Balance is going to eat that up every time. 

The proof? New Balance's Fresh Foam X sneaker, a sweet deviation from some of NB's more geriatric offerings. 

No shade to the OGs, but it is nice to see New Balance flex its sleek-shoe muscles every now and then.

Where NB's knack for clunky dad shoes typically steals the show in terms of brand identity, the Fresh Foam X sneaker serves as a reminder that New Balance actually does performance footwear quite well.

Up top, the New Balance Fresh Foam X, available on the New Balance website for $160, wears a mesh upper, paired with synthetic overlays and reflective paneling for enhanced visibility during runs.

Underneath, the NB Fresh Foam X has a well-cushioned outsole engineered for durability and flexibility. All of this is wrapped into one sleek and slightly chunky package that gives the shoe a fresh energy, a nice shake-up for NB's otherwise elderly offerings.

This spryness doesn't negate the NB genes running through the shoe, though. The Fresh Foam X is actually based on New Balance's 1080 sneaker, meaning it still has some established NB heritage running through it, even if it is considerably sleeker than your average dad shoe.

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