Customer Reviews New Balance MW978

Husband says much narrower in the toe box than his favorite New Balance 626. Toe box definitely narrows down.

Good solid boot for everyday or hiking. I always wear a 10B and want to let you know that this size runs slightly tight in length when I wear a heavy sock.

New Balance is a rare company that makes wide hiking shoe, so kudos for that. The shoe is reasonably comfortable, but starts to feel cramped after a few hours. It would be nice to have a properly comfortable wide hiking shoe, but this is the best you get for now.

Excellent construction but fit a bit tight; also the right shoe placed too much pressure on my ankle bone, causing intolerable soreness.

Runs narrow. I am a female and I wear a womens 7.5 4E. I ordered a mens 7 4E which should be big on me. However, these are not wide enough, not a true 4E. I agree with another reviewer that you should order a larger size (and wider also). My shoes say Made in Vietnam, maybe this is why they run so small.

I am a long time NB wearer because of the wide widths they offer. I was buying NB when it was still an American made shoe. I wear a pair of walkers almost every day, but this particular model has two faults that detract from the value. The laces wear very fast and on this shoe the heels wore down at the outside even faster than on most recent NB walkers. I bought these and a low cut pair at the same time. The soles wore much better on the lower cost walkers. The round loose weave lace style is crappy, but like the sole and heel wear, the laces on the lesser shoes lasted much longer.

This is my most disappointing Zappos purchase since I have been a member. It took a good 20+ miles to break these hikers in and I've used them twice. This past weekend I hiked Rattlesnake Ledge. My feet still hurt and my toes are sore. I am so sorry I bought these. I am a supporter of New Balance and will continue to buy their shoes. But this model is terrible! I highly recommend anyone considering these shoes to buy a different NB model.

I normally wear 10.5, but these run small. At first it wasn't noticeable, but after a couple of days, it proved too much to overcome and I gave them to my father-in-law. He loves them. I love my 11's. Light weight, comfortable, and though they haven't gotten a stern test, waterproof. Only question left unanswered is durability.

These are good shoes. I have always been happy with new balance. True to size and I believe they will hold up well. I only wish they came up over my ankles.

Having had NB955 for two years and like them very much, I thought these would be a good mid-rise boot for colder weather. I've only worn them a couple times this early fall but they feel very comfy and paired with good merino wool socks should be warm and dry in cool, wet conditions. They look well made but only time will tell on durability. But with NB they should be fine. Zappos service was GREAT as always.

I usually wear between 12 and 13 medium width and the 12 mediums were short and narrow. The 13s are just right. Comfortable and dry, with a well crafted sole. A good shoe for parking lot slush. The arch support is good, enough that it was uncomfortable for me with the Superfeet Greens in place of the factory insoles. Zappos.com was awesome with the exchange! Thank you!

Having wide feet, I have had difficulty finding shoes wide enough. Too often stores have a very limited selection of wide shoes and frequently I have to settle for something less than optimal. Zappos had exactly what I was looking for in the width I wanted. Ordering was easy and the shoes arrived in a timely manner. I will order from this company again.

This is the first time that I have ordered men's shoes. I wear a 7½W in women's shoes. I liked the men's version better because of the color of the suede. The men's size 7D fit well and has more support than the women's version of that shoe.

These shoes are a fairly well built shoes with a slight loose feel to them. They wore out for me in about 7 months. The inner soles are removable and should be replace every 6 months.

These lightweight and comfortable hikers are worth the premium price -- if they fit. I have worn the low-cut version comfortably for a year or two in size 11; I ordered the high-cut version and found the 11 too short; sent them back (thanks, Zappos) and got 11 1/2 which fit fine. A slightly idiosyncratic problem: the high collar rubbed a bit on my ankle-bone (left shoe only). I solved the problem by adding a Spenco pad under the insole that came with the boot. The extra elevation moved my foot up just enough to lift the ankle-bone off the collar a bit. It still touches, but not uncomfortably. I had also ordered some Danners, and had the same problem, but the Spenco trick didn't do the job.) Meanwhile, they seem fairly waterproof, with the limited time I've had them, they are good-looking enough to wear on stage (I'm a performer-speaker for artsy and community groups -- don't want clown shoes while speaking to beard-strokers).

Great shoes, very comfortable, waterproof. This is my second pair, and I expect to buy many more as they wear out -- well, not many more, because they last a long time. As others have noted, they run about a half-size small.

Excellent boot for the winter. Goes with casual clothes. Nice support, but could use more arch support. I really like the 2E width option. All my New Balance are 10.5 but these I had to return and get an 11. They ran a little short.

This is a great shoe, very comfortable, sturdy, durable, and well built. However, I am in agreement that the shoe is 1/2 size smaller than what's on the label. I have size 15, and unfortunately, there isn't a bigger size in this shoe. I will have to return and keep looking. The VIP shipping was totally impressive. I ordered it on a Wednesday night, and on my door step by 3:00 the next day. Almost like a magic trick! Will continue to use Zappos for all my shoe purchases!

I love my boots. They are firm but with some flex. When feet go in dry and warm, they stay that way. They are easy to lace and clean. They fit perfectly. The size was right on. I would buy them again. As usual I added my own arch support.

Great shoe! It does run a bit narrow, however, for a New Balance shoe that is supposed to have a MOL 1 last, which is larger and deeper in the toe box. I usually wear a 12 medium, but I had to get the 12 wide. Other than that, it's working out to be pretty comfortable. The color combo is a bit drab also.

I love these shoes. They are weatherproof and warm (I live in Alaska so this is a crucial feature). Lighter than many boot-type shoes, they fit like a dream. I think they might run a bit long but since I wear them in cold country with a heavy sock, it works for me!

Definitely too short, size I ordered is usually just right or a little long, so it was a surprise that it ran short! Nice stiff sole.

I bought these as a gift, and the recipient said they run a full size small. He has worn this same model for a number of years...always in a size 12. This time around he had to settle for size 13 since there was no half size. The size 13 fits like the size 12 that he currently wears. They offer good stability and are suitable for most casual wear. Good on various terrain.

Bought these 3 weeks ago for an upcoming hiking trip through Switzerland. They were comfortable right out of the box and accommodated my orthotics. I've put about 50 miles on them so far and they feel great! The width is important for me and there is good room in the toe box.