Customer Reviews New Balance BB891

First, Zappos: I ordered these shoes yesterday and they showed up 19 hours later! Zappos, you are so fresh I almost want to name my first child Zappos. Now, the BB891: Admit it, they didn't exactly jump out at you when you first looked at 'em. But NB is like the girl at the dance with the funny dress who looks at you with a gentle smirk and waits for you to realize what she already knows...the other girls have dresses that look better, but none of 'em are as emotionally stable. I've balled for over 20 years, worn Yikes and Fajitas before, and every time I start to think,"they look good -- they won't hurt my feet or deliver poor performance," they do...and I come right back to NB. It's almost like NB tries to make the ugliest ball shoes they can to see how much you respect performance/stability over "what looks good." And if you're reading this, I already know the answer. And they're not really that ugly either -- the 891s are almost channeling that Avia 830 feeling, which I like. These two pair (I got the white/black ones too) will make my 9th and 10th consecutive pairs of NB basketball shoes. I haven't even worn the shoes yet and I already know what I'm getting...and you do, too.

Very comfortable. Even though the soles are no wider than those of my (regular width) Nikes, these really feel much wider. There is substantially more room up front, and I couldn't be happier with these shoes. My Nike shoes pinch up front and hurt my feet terribly after about 15 minutes on the court. I have a very wide, flat foot which makes finding comfortable shoes very difficult (especially for basketball shoes). These are the most comfortable basketball shoes I have ever owned.

Bought these for my husband and he loves them! Light weight, sturdy and attractive. Great purchase!

Zappos is great - I ordered my shoes at 2:00 & received them the next day at 10:00. The sales person helped me look up a previous order to get the correct size. The easiest way to purchase shoes ever.

Really like these shoes. Looked at Adidas & Nike first but after the fit not matching well, I did NB. Good grip, good fit and support. No flashy features but a solid shoe for B-ball. Cost more but a comfortable shoe is worth a little extra. Zappos return policy helped me get the right shoe.

Got these for my 13 year old son. His feet are too wide for all the so-called cool shoes (Nike, Jordan). These look amazing. He loves them, wears them everyday.

These shoes are everything they say they are, true to size and made well. I love them! I have had many compliments.

For the non-pretentious active athlete who just want a workman-like understated but awesome shoe brand, New Balance is the answer. Solid build, supportive, excellent all-around basketball shoe. I'm in my forties, and I had other players asking what type of shoes I had. With black ankle height socks, the look says sleeper, but when you blow by the defense, all the opposition sees are your tire tracks!

My 9 year old has wide feet. We've tried N Dogs, and Nike basketball shoes, but these New Balance shoes fit him perfectly. Easy to get into, great grip, doesn't bother him around the ankle like other basketball shoes did.

I have a lot of trouble with my feet. These sneakers cut the suffering better than anything to date.

This shoe gives great support and really cushions well. I'm 55 and still play. My ankles and knees felt great the next day. Not a flashy shoe compared to others, more "old school" style. I'd buy again.

Purchased these for my son who has wide feet they look great! He says they were still tight in the toe.

I miss the BB888 shoe. If I knew they would quit making them, I would have bought 2 or 3 pairs. The BB891 is narrower and less supporting than the BB888 was. I wore a 13EE in the BB888 and the same size in the BB891 is too narrow and maybe a hair short. I am going to wear it and hope it stretches out.

Didn't hold up on asphalt. I played less than ten games and both soles started to de-laminate. Zappos asked no questions, gave me a refund over the phone. I was very happy with the fit though - I have wide feet, I ordered them wide, and they didn't bother me at all. But I can't recommend them - I'm getting some Nikes.

So far, so good. I have wide feet and ordered the 2E width shoes. They have been a big improvement on just about anything that I've tried on in stores, which all seem to have D width. The shoes are pretty comfortable and provide good support. I swapped out the inner soles to provide more cushion. Will probably buy them again but may go to 4E, because even these seem a bit tight in the toe box.

I started wearing NB shoes about 8 years ago because they fit my feet better other brands, and because they offered a quality product instead of a bunch of gimmicks and bling. I'm 41 years old, and I play once or twice per week on hardwood. What I wanted was something understated that would last a while. I found the BB889 model here and it became my shoe of choice. Several years later, and after finally wearing out 3 sets of 889s, the closest thing left available what I gather is the newer version: BB891. Fit: My forefoot / toebox is average but my ankles and instep are on the smaller side. Unlike other popular brands I've tried, NB products fit me best. Pluses: Absorb EX / Endurance soles are comfy enough to play a few hours in, but durable enough to last a while. This is the best part of the shoe. As well, the support and lacing works well, and the finish is top notch: No blisters from clumsily stitched seams, and no loose threads anywhere. Minuses: Unlike the previous model 889, the heel cup support and fabric felt stiff and abrasive out of the box. I expected to get blisters from this, but no issues. Overall: The shoe performs well without lots of splashy graphics or jewels, thankfully. It felt a bit stiff around the heel cup area, but it works fine. It's not as nice as the BB889s were, but it works adequately.

Shoe sucks. My son wore this shoe only during his games. Side of shoe ripped out at seams. Not real leather. I wish I could send pictures. The soles show no wear and the shoe falls apart.

This is a fabulous sneaker for anyone with pronated ankle. I have severely pronated ankles and I find that I can engage in normal walking and gym work with them when I insert my orthotics. I hope NB can be dissuaded from discontinuing this model. Also, it can be improved by adding color-matching metal eyelet reinforcement (grommets) to the top 3 sets of lace holes. Offering them in all black would allow them to be used in dressier situations.

I love the New Balance brand basketball shoes. They are the most comfortable basketball shoes I can remember finding. I'm in my mid-30s and I play basketball once a week for 2 hours so I put some good mileage on them. I almost want to buy a 2nd pair in case they go out of stock or New Balance stops making this version.

We were so happy these shoes fit my son's wide feet. He couldn't find a comfortable pair of basketball sneakers that fit his foot which is wide. The ones that fit, were ugly, so he wouldn't wear them. Finally we found these New Balance shoes and he's been wearing them. It is especially important because he sprained his ankle playing basketball while wearing regular sneakers, because he couldn't find the right fit. Zappos saved the day with these!

These are great shoes for anyone who needs ankle support and/or has back issues. I wore Nike's for years but found they didn't have enough room for my toes because of nerve damage whereas these shoes do.

My son loves these shoes! He was having trouble with a weak ankle in PE, and has had no trouble since he started wearing these.

Nice shoes. True to size and good support. One of the rare basketball shoes that I could find in a narrow size. Shipping was spot on. Thanks.

I was in the market for a new basketball shoe. Was coming back after rupturing my Achilles tendon, and I was worried about finding a shoe to be more supportive and "functional." I've been playing basketball at various levels, from open gym with college basketball players to city leagues, for the past 10 years, and these shoes are definitely one of my favorites. They've outperformed many of the more famous brand shoes that I've used. Great support, especially for my high arches, and they fit well. Also, because of my injury, my leg as been a bit weaker, so I'm more susceptible to shin splints until the strength returns. Once I started wearing the BB891's, the shin splints have stopped. I would definitely buy another pair!

I chose to look into NB because compared to the other big shoe companies, they at least try to be ethical. While they still have some shortcomings, they blow Nike and others out of the water in regard to worker rights and stewardship. With that said, I play basketball 3-4 times per week and I needed a good shoe. After some slight discomfort after my first wear (normal for b-ball shoes) they have not given me any problems. They feel more snug and secure around my ankles than any other shoe I've had. They aren't super lightweight, but they're solid. I'm 31...that's what I need at this point. I'm more concerned with not getting injured than I am with adding an inch to my vertical. Overall, these shoes are amazing and you should give them a chance.