New Balance

Fresh Foam X 880v14

Women's

This review is directed specifically to ladies with narrow feet. I tried on many, many pairs of walking shoes, and this was one of only two pairs that fit in the heel. (The other one was the Brooks Ghost 15.) These shoes are comfortable and presentable looking. For someone with my foot issues and fitting problems, this is actually high praise.

I was really excited to get this pair in the mail and wear them for walking this summer. When I first tried them on, I was thinking "yessss, this is the pair!". However, it didn't take me long to realize that they actually run a bit shorter than I'm used to for a New Balance sneaker. I ordered a 10.5 (which is what I have been wearing in New Balance sneakers - the 1080 and 860 - for a few years now. In this pair though, the 10.5 is a bit shorter and my toes are at the top of the shoe. Unfortunately, I cannot return them now because I wore them for a walk already. Note to future purchasers of this pair of sneakers ... please try these shoes on and walk around your house for a while in them before deciding to keep them - I wish I had!

I have had several pairs of the 880. I always buy the same size. These were much larger than previous versions. I will be returning for smaller size.

I 1st ordered NB 6.5 xw, but my feet are very wide and once I put on socks, they felt slightly too tight, length was good. I ordered the 7 xw, and although a bit too long the width was better. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis in my feet and podiatrist said I needed to wear tennis shoes all the time if possible. I've never been a tennis shoe wearer except to the gym, but the comfort and the pain alleviation overroad my resistance. Nice cushioning. I wish more of the better tennis shoes came in xw, some come in w but most are in med. I wish NB had more of a selection in navy xw, but the only ones I found were in the children sizes. I do recommend wearing Alegria shoes for a dressier shoe. They come in European sizes; but are nice and wide and the clogs have a nice rounded toe and if some styles are slightly tight, I just put in my shoe stretcher with liquid shoe stretch sprayed on the inside and outside, and leave in a few days, then I'm able to get that slight stretch I need. It's mostly the clog that I do that stretch due to my high arches. The sandals and slip ins fit perfectly. They are also very cute with colored patterns on them.

I need to use orthotics and my orthotics are quite thick. I thought they would fit in this shoe, but once I put them in, there was no room for my foot. I tried the shoe without the orthotic and it was difficult to get on. It was too small and very uncomfortable. I have always worn a 6W in New Balance and Saucony, so I am not sure what the problem was with this shoe, but there is no way I can wear it. also the toe box was quite tapered. This makes a shoe look nice, but when you have Hallux Rigidus a tapered toe box puts too much pressure on those big toe joints. It's extremely difficult to find a shoe that is comfortable. I had 3 pair of Saucony Echelon 8s, and then with the 9 they changed the shoe, tapered the toe and did something else to it that made it impossible for me to wear. I thought I could find a New Balance shoe to replace it, but I guess not. The search goes on and on and on.