860v12vsKayano 30
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Products · full comparison

860v12 vs Kayano 30

How these two compare on everything we measure — where the AIs rank them, what reviewers and buyers say, and how they price. We don’t crown a winner — the differences are the point.

860v12
by New Balance · Running shoes for flat feet
AI rank #30.0$79.95official site
Reviewers
/5
Buyers
4.3/5
vs
AI rank #29.0
Reviewers
/5
Buyers
/5
Short answer?

Take 860v12 if you weight buyer ratings and a lower price; take Kayano 30 if the AI ranking matter more. That's where they diverge — elsewhere they're close.

How this is made

Built from what 1 AI models (Perplexity) recommend for real buyer questions, layered with reviewer test summaries, Google buyer ratings, street prices and press. The short answer and verdict are derived from where those signals diverge — not written by hand for either product.

Independent — not a vendor, not advertising, not a paid review. How we score →

Act I

The numbers

Side by side, how the AI models rank them, and which wins each buyer-question.

IIIIII
01

Side by side

Every signal we hold, on one shared scale. The leading side is lit — but the tally below doesn’t crown a winner.?

#30.0
AI rankcombined avg · lower is better
#29.0
Reviewersout of 5
4.3
BuyersGoogle rating
$79.95
Street pricelower is cheaper
02

How the AIs rank them

Four models rank both products. Here’s each model’s pick (lower rank = higher).?

Perplexity
860v12
#30
Kayano 30
#29
03

Which is better for what

Across the buyer-questions both appear in, who the AI panel ranks higher — and the widest gaps.?

ranks higher
Best Running Shoes for Flat Feet Kayano 30 by 1#30 vs #29
Across 1 shared questions: 860v12 higher in 0 · Kayano 30 in 1
Showing the 1 widest gaps
Act II

What people say

Where the AI panel and reviewers line up, and what reviewers and buyers think.

IIIIII
04

What buyers say

Aggregated Google Shopping ratings — the score, the aspects owners rate, and a real quote.?

4.3
1,342 ratings
Arch support & stability4.8
Comfort & fit4.7
Cushioning & rebound4.6
Motion control for pronators4.5
OK, close to 40 years of speedwalking here, Athena division, pronator. I've used Saucony (because good fit for wide feet) and Asics (good motion control), both helpful for my heavy heelstrike. Currently, though, this is the shoe that gets the job done. Good rebound cushioning, sturdy medial posting, accepts my orthotic, elastic material in uppers and laces means a glove-like fit. (Be warned that w Kate · newbalance.com
Google ratings
no buyer reviews yet
Act III

Price and the verdict

How they price, who each is for, whether you can trust the claims — and our read.

IIIIII
05

How they price

Street price across retailers, the tier each lands in, and how it’s moved.?

$79.95
across 1 retailer
tier Value
current street price
current model
no street price yet
06

Which one is right for you

How each suits the seven buyer types — a good fit, a maybe, or not for you.?

Buyer type
860v12
Kayano 30
Value-Maximizer
·
·
Quality Perfectionist
·
Premium Connoisseur
~
·
Early Adopter
·
·
Reliability-Seeker
·
Simplifier
·
·
Enthusiast
·
·
Good fitCould fitNot for you
07

The verdict: which to buy

Our read of everything above — who leads each point, and who each is for.

860v12
AI panel rank
Kayano 30
860v12
Reviewer score
Kayano 30
860v12
Buyer rating
Kayano 30
860v12
Lower price
Kayano 30

Net: 860v12 leads 2 of 4 · Kayano 30 1.

So which one?

Each leads on different points — pick the one strong where you shop.

Take 860v12 if…

…you weight buyer rating and lower price.

Take Kayano 30 if…

…you weight ai panel rank.

We don’t crown a winner. Both are strong; the differences above decide it for your use. Where a signal is missing, we leave it blank rather than guess.

as of June 29 · 1 shared buyer questions?

08

Common questions

The questions people ask comparing these two — answered from the data above.

QIs 860v12 or Kayano 30 better overall?

The AI panel ranks Kayano 30 higher (avg #29.0 vs #30.0), but it’s close — reviewers and buyers split differently.

QWhich one is cheaper?

860v12$79.95 vs across retailers.