Customer Reviews New Balance M990v3

Nice looking shoe and fairly comfortable. My own quibble is that it lacks arch support. Granted, New Balance makes several shoes with arch support but this particular design that I like, doesn't have it. For me, since I pronate a great deal, it would be nice not to use my orthotics as they're hard and raises my feet higher in the shoe. I had some running shoes with built in arch support that were perfect, comfy, didn't unnecessarily raise my feet beyond the design capacity of the shoe.

I just bought the NB M990 along with the Brooks "Beast" and highly recommend either shoe for those who have rough cases of plantar fasciitis. I've tried many shoes recently from Zappos and these are the two I found that provided the least amount of discomfort which is a big deal for me right now. The 990's in black (came with black laces) are pretty good looking too, the Beast, on the other hand, looks like its name, sort of ugly, but does provide relief to my condition just the same.

totally agree with Anonymous re one foot being shorter. Shorter foot comes up and hits the webbing rather than the leather on the toe. The result is a hole forming in the webbing material. I too have been a 900 series fan for over 20 yrs.

Have been waiting for a size 12 narrow in black/black/black for more than two years. Are you ever going to make these?

I may be one of those Zappos customers that slipped through the cracks. I was not happy with my new shoes since they did not appear to be new. They had a scuff on them and were laced weird. They said no returns if worn, although this pair seems like they were worn. They did not feel good to run in.

I have always bought the less expensive New Balance shoes. Since I started a more rigorous workout I wanted a better quality shoe. I paid over a hundred dollars more for these shoes and was happy they were made in this country. The less expensive models are made somewhere in Asia. Well to my surprise they came with the cheaper cotton laces. Wondering why I get the Premium laces with lesser quality imported shoes. I emailed New Balance customer service and received no answer.

The shoes are comfortable, but the tongue is too short, and one of the soles detached after 3 months. Thank goodness Zappos stands behind what they sell.

I have been wearing these shoes over a month now and they still do not feel broken in. It may be my feet, but these shoes are not comfortable to me. Be sure to try them on before buying. If they don't feel right in the store, don't assume they will feel better after wearing for awhile.

I've been wearing the same model and size of NB 990V3 for several years and am very familiar with them. This pair is too narrow, and is clearly different from the two other pairs I currently own. It can't be that my feet have changed because my other pairs fit fine. I think this is a manufacturing error.

Fellow plantar fasciitis sufferers, these are not the shoes for you. They look terrific and are well-constructed, but unfortunately offer very little cushion or arch support. The soles are surprisingly hard for athletic shoes. After a day of walking in these, my PF flares up. My ugly Reebok walking shoes are more comfortable and do a better job cushioning my heels. For those fortunate people without PF, I recommend these shoes without hesitation.

They stink. Loved the shoes...looked great...and very comfortable, but they had a terrible odor. It wasn't my feet. I go through a lot of shoes for running, hiking, etc and have never had an odor problem before. Loved then enough to try a second pair thinking the odor was a fluke. The new ones were okay for a few weeks then they too...caught the funk. Come on NB....you must have heard this before. Fix the funk and you'll have a great pair of shoes!

Don`t buy these shoes or anything else new balance. I have bought many NB shoes but the 990 are the worst. The sole smells so bad I cant wear them. I talked to a couple of managers at NB … nope … said I`m stuck. $$$ in the trash! Never again. Go buy Nike and donate the $$ you have left over to charity. Lane from SC.

Didn't love these. Main issue was the tongue width and the way it pinched the top of my foot. Too much material? I loosened laces and the shoe was liable to fall off my foot. I tried replacing several ways, all to no avail. Ultimately, I couldn't get comfortable in them. Should've stuck with my tried and true Brooks.

These shoes are great for looks and walking not running. New Balance has been a godsend since I discovered them 14 years ago. My favorite model is the 760 made circa 2005/6. I loved them so much that I bought seven pairs. I run only three miles a week (1½ miles twice a week) so the shoes last me about two years. I am down to two pairs so I have been shopping for a replacement. I usually buy a 11½ 4E or 12 2E, and sometimes 12 4E depending on the model. With the M990 I bought a 12 4E. The width felt great but they felt long. 11½ 4E felt a bit tight but good length. 12 2E felt too tight. The heels wear out way too fast. After running just three times with them (4½ miles total), I noticed the the outer portions of both heels wore down about 50 percent! I would wear these out in three months! I am disappointed given the cost of the shoes, but they are great for walking and looks. The beige is unique and cool.

My husband and I both have the 990. Both pairs smell like cat urine. Nothing gets rid of smell. Have worn this style for over 10 years. Too expensive to tolerate the smell.

Actually, I have two pairs of these. I got the beige ones and a pair of red ones. I had planned to buy navy and black also, but I'm so frustrated with the tongue on these shoes, I'm going to look for something else. Besides sliding off to the side, the tongue is so short that sometimes it slips down into the shoe so far that the top row of laces is actually against my sock rather than the padding of the tongue. I can't believe NB isn't aware of this obvious defect in the design. Especially on one of their most expensive shoes. I'll continue to wear them as I don't really have a choice. I've tried some creative lacing techniques in order to get some use out of them, but this is truly a big disappointment.

These are my least favorites of 990 series shoes so far! I have only had these shoes for around two and a half months, and they are already starting to go flat. I usually get about six comfortable months out of the 990s, around eight months if really push it. The outsoles are wearing out sooner than they ever have in my years with the 990s. The uppers are already getting soggy/soft and losing shape. The fit is longer and more narrow than previous 990s. The longer and more narrow seems to be a trend with New Balance lately, as I had to send back another pair (different series) of New Balances earlier this year and still did not quite get the fit that I usually prefer. I will say for now, that my current 990s will be my last for a while, until I hear about some improvments being made.

Purchased this shoe on 1-30-13. The sole under the heel is coming apart now (6-25-13) even though it's still good at the ball of the foot.The width 4E in this product line does not seem true since its the same width as a separate pair that are a width of 2E. Another deficit I've noticed is that the tongue is too short and often slides down despite the laces through the tongue loop.