Customer Reviews New Balance Classics WL574

Based on the reviews, I bought these wanting comfortable shoes. I found these to be the opposite. My heels started hurting within 30 minutes then the rest of my feet. I am sad as they are cute shoes. Too bad they did not have the cushioning that I was looking for.

After wearing this shoe for 4 months I realize it doesn't have very good cushioning or movement for the foot. This shoe made my ankle hurt very frequently when normally it's not much of an issue (had a break in my ankle 10 years ago when I was in high school & have to wear good shoes otherwise I get occasional pain when walking). I just ordered a new pair of Asics gel shoes & it was night & day in the difference I could feel in cushioning & the way the shoe moves with my foot when walking.

These new balance hurt my feet. Mine a cobalt blue which you don't see anymore. I have even tried wearing Superfeet in them and they still hurt my feet. There is not enough arch support for me. I have high arches with ball of the feet and heal pain. These do not help. I would not repurchase.

The shoe felt "odd" from previous New Balance shoes - awkwardly wider than medium - but tow box very shallow so that shoe pressed down on big toe - even with an exchange for a larger size. I am accustomed to a great fit from New Balance - these seemed much cheaper and made for someone with rectangular feet ( it that is even possible) Sigh! must return.

They looks great. Retro but stylish. Very uncomfortable. Not well padded. Weird crease at the logo that folds in when the shoe flexes and is uncomfortable. I would return them but I threw away the box.

The blue banding on the tongue cut into my shin

This is the second pair of the same shoe, but this shoe feels smaller than my first pair. It is actually uncomfortable and will need to return.

Somehow too small and too big at the same time. Too tight in the tow but my heels were slipping out.

The width and size were fine, but I have some major problems with my feet, my back and I walk with a cane. So while the shoes were great the first few times I wore them, they quickly wore down and provided little or no support after a few weeks. "You get what you pay for" is the case here and a shoe that costs less than about $130 isn't going to be made well enough to hold up for someone with orthopedic issues.

I have flat feet and plantar faciiitis. These shoes were recommended by several sites for people with plantar faciitis. I was looking for really good arch support to take my weight off of my heels. This shoe did not have that. I don't want to have to insert an additional footbed with an arch in it,. I want some walking shoes that have built in arches. So I'm sending them back.

These shoes are cute and I get a lot of compliments on them, but they are uncomfortable! It's the only pair of New Balances I've ever gotten that aren't comfortable. They are really stiff, and tight on the tongue/eye lace area so it digs into the top of my foot. I thought I could break them in, but no luck. Ended up wearing them too much to return.

I really wanted these to work, because they are so cute. Unfortunately the heel is just way to wide. They felt pretty true to size in length, but my heels just wouldn't stay put.

Defective product and not returnable! Purchased as a Christmas gift for my wife. She's a huge fan of the 574 and has at least 10 pairs in various colors. She wore these twice to work (in an office) and noticed the sole tread peeling in the inside heel area. I reached out to Zappos and they offered nothing, only that the return window had closed and maybe I could "try the factory who made them". All I was looking for was to exchange for a new pair. I find the policy on defects totally incomprehensible, especially considering they portray themselves as customer focused. Really, really poor. Buyer Beware.

The exposed foam on the tongue looks cheap and tacky.

The top edge of the tongue is quite uncomfortable and rubbed a sore spot on both legs when wearing low socks.

These shoes didn't last even 6 months. I work from home, so it's not as though I walk to work or for any length of time beyond my morning/evening walks with my dog. Barely 6 months in and the tread wore down to wear you can see lettering from the manufacturer.

Wrong item delivered

I so wanted to love these New Balance Classics WL574. With just the original insoles the sneakers were too big. I removed the insole and replaced it with a more supportive insole and the sneakers were too tight. I ordered them in 8.5 M which is my normal size in sneakers. Whenever I have tried a half size smaller of any brand of sneaker they are always too tight. It's a no-win situation. Guess I'll need to keep on looking. So disappointed! :(

These are the most uncomfortable shoes that I have ever tried. I wore them several days in a row thinking that I just needed to break them in. They rubbed sores on three different places (with socks) and the top pressed down on my toes. They just overall are not comfortable and caused my feet to hurt when I wore them. It is a shame because I love the style of these. Zappos is the best and let me return them after being worn due to the problems that I had.

This shoe would be great if they hadn't used choc brown accents with the grey and pink. Looks horrible in person!

All style, no substance. Alas, I loved the look and color of this sneaker, and I really wanted to kick around town in them. The color and finish are awesome, and at first try at home they felt quite comfortable and cushy, though stiff, so I kept them. But I wore them out once and the fit is horrible: just very odd, narrow at the sides and boxy in the toes, and the material feels too thick and suffocating. The tongue is annoyingly massively thick, too. They are so uncomfortable and clunky! It's like wearing bulky pillows wrapped around your feet with bungee cords. Too bad, because now I'm stuck with them. I'm usually a better judge of how shoes fit/feel out of the box, but these were just strange and didn't reveal themselves until I took them out to tackle my day. Buyer beware, wear them a LOT around the house before venturing out. This brand usually makes good shoes; these are a fail in the fit/execution department.