Customer Reviews New Balance Classics ML574 - Rugged

I received my 574-rugged. I tried them on once and packed them up for return. These are NOT the 574's of a few years ago; they have changed the last. The toe box width feels uncomfortably tight and much narrower than the previous 574. My old 574 8d's were wider and larger than the new 8d. The right shoe should have been rejected at the factory due to a wrinkle where the upper is bonded to the sole. New Balance took a comfortable classic and trashed the design. It's always sad when a product that you loved gets changed for the worse. New Balance, you have lost a loyal customer; why did you have to go and ruin a once wonderful product?

The fit, size, comfort, and look were all great. But within a month of wearing them a few days a week, the shoes began to fall apart. I have worn many 574s before, and they all lasted me around a year--the quality of the materials on this model are simply not good.