New Balance Men's M850v1 Running Shoe

Verdict: overall, for the price, I could not be more pleased.I have had these shoes for only a week or so, and have only worn them for a few days total, but so far I love them. The Cush+ soles and inserts are very comfortable, and felt "broken in" right away. They breathe very well and seem well made, though I've only put a few miles on them, so I cannot speak for durability. I have spent much more on less comfortable, cheaper-feeling shoes.If you plan on purchasing the black/silver color, be aware that the picture is a bit misleading, I think because of the white background. The darkest parts of the shoes are truly black, not dark gray as they appear, and the lighter parts are also darker than they appear. This does not bother me, but just be aware if the picture leads you to expect a charcoal color.One other note is that I cannot find these shoes on New Balance's website. I am not sure if that means they are just too new, or if they are not really New Balance (NB branded but manufactured by someone else or just plain knockoffs?). They do show up on DSW's website, as well as a couple running shoe review websites, so they seem legit.--------------------Update 2014-10-03: Received the following note from New Balance:Thank you for taking the time to write New Balance a message. It is wonderful to read of your interest in our shoes! I apologize you experience any difficulty when attempting to purchase New Balance shoes and am happy to offer clarification.For clarity, that 850v1 available for purchase at Amazon.com® is not a "fake" New Balance style. It is considered an introductory New Balance Neutral Cushioning Running shoe. New Balance USA (www.newbalance.com) does not stock a large selection of introductory shoes as we focus on the premier line of New Balance shoes. This why you cannot find that particular 850v1 at New Balance USA (www.newbalance.com).When comparing introductory shoes to the premier line of New Balance shoes, you receive more advanced cushioning and greater support in the premier line of New Balance shoes. The price points of various premier New Balance shoes reflects this advanced cushioning and these supportive technologies.If you have any questions or additional concerns, feel free to send me an e-mail. Thank you for being a valued New Balance customer! Have a very nice day.

So I have had worn new balances before and expected great arch support. But clearly these did not provide the support I thought they would have. After cross training with jump rope and running for a week, I started to get pain in my arch. I didn't think it was the shoe, but after a while I decided to test my exercise in a different shoe and wow, the pain was gone. I may have flat feet, but maybe just slight. I think it's a great gym shoe in terms of working out and just having good over support but if you intend to really train or gone on long runs, this might not be right for you. Even the sole padding isn't that great - way too cushy and flattens out with weight. Again, it could be me, but since the change of shoe, the pain went away. Other than that, this shoe is light and has great vents for cool feet.

I run on the treadmill at least 4-5 days/week for 5k training each time. This pair of shoes are very well made and comfortable. I also have a pair of Nike bought about the same time. NB is more comfortable than Nike, but less stylish in my opinion.However, there is a major drawback for NB, not for this style in particular but for almost all the NB that I wore in the past. It seems to me that NB shoes are noisier than Nike probably because of the construction of sole. For people who don't mind the noise when running in the gym, NB is the one and this pair in particular is probably one of the best.

These shoes are extremely comfortable. I would not label them as running shoes, because I don't think they'd hold up very long. However, I've been wearing them to work every day for about 3 months. They are holding up very nicely. I expect that they'll last at least 6 more months. They are soft and cushy. They are ventilated very well. Great for walking and wearing around the office. I am a little bit bummed that I can't seem to get them in size 11 anymore. Did they discontinue the production of this model?

The last time I put on New Balance sneakers that fit me perfectly was around 12 years ago. I had a few pairs of Asics that fit pretty well after a break-in period. So I was delighted when I put on these NB size 11 / 4E's : comfortable right out the box, no painful break-in period. I wore them for 6 hours the first day. One reviewer found these to be less durable than expected. I'd be willing to replace these every 3 months if necessary. It's a small price to pay for a great fit.

I really like this shoe! This is my 2nd pair, I also have the Silver/Black color combo. These shoes are very comfortable and are well ventilated to let your feet breath; the upper area over the toes is a mesh fabric. As I have done with both pair of NB 850v1s I ditched the supplied laces and installed elasticized Lock Laces which transform the shoe to a slip ons! I chose the lime green Lock Laces to match the trim of the shoe. Recommended!

The pair I received was Navy/Orange. Its a very slight color variation but when compared to anything else I have that is red it looks orange. Especially the tread pattern. Still I like the way they look and decided to keep them because they are comfortable and fit very well.A great pair of shoes but either the listing needs to change or they need to take a look at their stock.

Originally got these shoes to replace some other new balances that were developing some rather significant holes. For context, I usually use these types of shoes as gym shoes / running on concrete / roads. Thus far these shoes have survived a good 75+ miles of running and I couldn't be happier. The shoe itself is rather supportive and I haven't had a bad experience working out in these shoes yet. Whereas with other shoes, I could usually tell that my feet were beginning to hurt near the end of a longer run, these shoes have always left me feeling pretty good.