Customer Reviews New Balance Classics ML574v2

Fit/size fine. I wear a 12-13 in athletic shoes (and 10.5-12for leather dress shoes). Looks good, obviously, as this is ... 10th? pair of these shoes that I've had in my 15 years of shoe-buying experience. But these "new" 574's are not what I wanted, and no longer what I'm buying. Hello Adidas/Nike. The 574's are cheaper in many many ways. Although cast as a "redesign" to "modernize" the shoe, it's clearly a cost-cutting metric. Let me count the ways: The insole is now a cheap piece of thin, die cut open cell foam of which the top liner peels off and the whole thing slides up into the toe. The tongue is thinner and less comfortable. The sides/uppers are thinner material, weaker material, and because of that the seems rip and material shreds faster than before. The shoes also fit loose because of these 3 changes. The rear "New Balance" is now a pad print vs a stitch (minor, but an example of saving $) The mesh has been changed out from the finer fabric mesh to a more open plastic mesh, which does save weight, but changes look. I'm neutral on it from customer point of view, but it looks cheaper. Rubber sole thinner - wears faster (already wore pretty fast...) I felt the differences *immediately* when I put these on. If you are a long time buyer of NB574; you may be dissapointed.

This was a classic shoe gone wrong over the years. How can you mess up a perfectly fine line of shoes? New Balance did it with these as they are now but slippers like Nike, a brand I can't/won't wear again.

Wow, I've had these in the past and its a whole different shoe. There is no room in the toebox and I ordered WIDE. I will have to go up a size. I have worn these a month outside....wish I didn't as these could go back. I have been having this problem with several NB models of shoes I have worn in the past. I think they change manufacturing plants and scrap the old design and use a different last when making the shoes. Why redesign a shoe you have been making/selling for years? And, if doing so, why not tout it so customers are aware of changes?

Compared to NB574 purchased two years ago, this shoe was far inferior. Shorter length, even when ordering half a size larger based on previous reviews. Much narrower and shallower toe box, even when ordering EE. based on previous reviews. The insole was harder, more like thin styrofoam instead of cushy material. Even with added heel and arch support inserts, the support was minimal - the side material was so flexible that the inserted arch support just flexed out instead of holding up. Since there is no longer any tongue padding, it was not an option to tie the laces more tightly to keep the side from flexing outward ruining the arch support. Lack of tongue padding also chaffed the long nerve running down the top center of the foot; a problem for those of us with high insteps. Too bad the materials and the last for fitting the shoe have changed so much. Clearly not the SL-2 last anymore, after decades of success with this last. Have purchased many of this style over two decades, but no more.

Toe box felt tight.

Not the quality I come to expect from New Balance.

They kind of suck. This used to be a great shoe. WTH did they do to it? Believe the other reviews about them updating a classic design. Whoever at NB decided they should change the design should be fired. They ruined a good thing. I would not recommend this shoe.

I ordered a 9.0 and a 9.5 because have had trouble in the past with this model running small. I wear a 9.0 in all of my other shoes for years. Even the 9.5 was too small. The 9.5 left shoe felt shorter than the 9.0. Quality control problem?

Sole too "cushiony". Abrasive mesh lining. End eyelet fixture intrudes on toes bending. Abrasive seam on inside sides where exterior materials join. Shoe strings are stretchy and annoying - also do not slide easily though eyelets. Inside of heel is too large - especially at top. Arch support is too far back - it is not under the "crest" of the arch. Also, arch support extends under the heel causing supination. Tongue - has too little padding - wrikles easily - both of which lead to abrasion. Whoever "designed/approved" these shoes should be replaced.

Far too narrow even in 2E

What was strange about this order is that I bought the same model but in a different color. This shoe has changed for the worse. Within a month they was caving in and lacked support so badly that I stopped wearing them. The parts that used to be leather don't seem to be anymore. I wore my old 574s for over 3 years. These made it one month.

Great shoe, but I think they changed something New Balance never hurt my feet before, but this pair was so uncomfortable

New Balance needs to stop marking these "classic" sneakers as a 4E. I have very large feet, wore them on a trip in hope of breaking them in but they stayed narrow and were painful to walk in after a bit. 6 months later they're still too tight so I refuse to buy this style again.