Customer Reviews New Balance MO1201

Finally a 4E Hiking shoe! I have searched everywhere for a decent Hiking Shoe in 4E and this is truly what I have been searching for. Be sure to break them in before you hike though or you will get a blister. No more crushed feet, though! I highly recommend these!

Just tried on the 2 pairs I ordered: New Balance 1201, Merrell Moab Mid Gore-Tex XCR. I usually take 10EEEE in New Balance athletic shoes. I ordered the New Balance in 10 1/2 EEEE, and the Merrells in 10 1/2 wide. I ordered the Merrells because I read someone's comment somewhere that he had very wide feet and liked the Merrells. I had little hope that the Merrells would fit, since they don't even make an "extra-wide", just regular and "wide." You should know I have a high instep, a bunion on my right foot, and wear [relatively thick] custom orthotics. I tried the New Balance first, after getting hiking socks, and replacing the insoles with my orthotics. I walked around a bit, tried lacing them a little differently because of some tightness around the ball of the right foot. They are high, covering about 1.5 inches above my ankle. Bottom line: they were acceptable. They would not make me happy, but they might do. I tried the Merrells and, to my great surprise, they went on. I really expected that I would not be able to even get them on my feet. They are lighter, more flexible, feel more like athletic shoes than the very definite "boot feel" of the New Balance product. They are mids, i.e. they come up to about ankle height. I walked around and discovered they tended to feel slightly loose around the heel, perhaps because of my ordering the half size larger. On the other hand, it's not like there's a huge amount of room in front of my toes, so I don't think the 10's would have fit well. There's a bit of a trade off between keeping my heel snug, and providing enough room for the bunion, but bottom line they are much closer to what I'm looking for, and I'm keeping them. Hope that helps.

From the ankles down, I am a mutant: 4E width, hammer toes, ingrown toenails, bent toes, flat arches. New Balance has always been the only footwear that fits well. This was my first heavy duty hiking boot from NB. Out of the box, it is more comfortable than any hiking boot or hiking shoe I have ever owned, including NBs. Truly a remarkable boot.

I bought these boots for cool, wet weather hiking in the Arizona desert. They felt good, although somewhat stiff, on my feet when I first put them on. After wearing them around the house for a couple of hours, I walked a mile or so in the desert to see how they felt. They were fairly comfortable and didn\'t give me any blisters during my first excursion. \r\n\r\nSince then I have worn them four or five times and they are getting more comfortable as I wear them. They seem to be sized appropriately as I ordered the same size I always wear. I hope they will loosen up a bit as they get broken in. They aren\'t uncomfortable, but I would hope they get more flexible as time goes on.\r\n\r\nOverall, I was very pleased with Zappos ordering experience and with the boots that I bought.\r\n\r\n

I have used Zappos several times over the years and always satisfied with the products, delivery, and customer service after the sale. The shoe string hooks on my new boots; broke after two uses. I contacted Zappos to find out what could be done. The quick reply wasn't about the boots, but to let me know that a new pair was on the way. I received them the next day. I am a customer for life with Zappos. It is rare to find such customer service in this day and time. I don't even shop price any more. Zappos is competitively priced, plus free shipping and quick delivery.

Put about 40 miles on these boots and they have worked well so far. Comfortable out of box with minimal break in required. Good ankle support. I wear orthotics to correct over pronation, so it is very easy to twist my ankles but with these boots on, it’s not a worry.

I bought these hikers for my husband. He really likes them. He has really wide feet and we have trouble finding a good fit in a regular store. He wears a 12 4E. He has said they are a bit hot sometimes. He loves the way they look and they will be great especially in the winter.