New Balance Men's 481v2 Trail Running Shoe

I initially gave these a three as they fit snugly around the balls of the toes but I spent some time adjusting the laces during a run and found a comfortable fit. New Balance used to be an easy fit all the time - put them on and they feel great but a few years ago, they changed somethings so that you have to watch for somewhat narrower fits. Sometimes you can fix the problems with laces and sometimes not. I did notice that these run a little bigger in the heel as there's a little more flopping around back there but I can live with it.These look great and the color is good enough for office-wear (all-black works okay). The laces are great - they didn't loosen up on a run - New Balance has had problems with slippery laces over the last couple of years. I have put these back in the box and will probably take them out again next spring for trail running. I'm running on indoor tracks and treadmills with the colder weather and I haven't gotten my cold running clothes act together yet.

The NB 481 series is the best shoe I've found for hiking / walking.... ....since Nike ruined their Air model 15 or so years ago. I'm 6 ft 4 inches tall and weight 300 -plus lbs, I buy a size 14 M. They seem narrow in toe at first, but with some slight adjustments they end up perfect. I need a fairly aggressive arch support, and these shoes give me that, as well as an excellent anti-supination action. If you like a lot of arch support, these are for you and if your feet tend to roll outward, these will correct that if you let them align your feet per the design. Don't fight it! 6 stars!

For years, New Balance shoes have been my 'go to' and practically only shoes for working out. This was largely due to comfort, durability, and the fact they were made in the USA. Having high arches, comfort during a workout is important. Putting on a pair of New Balance shoes almost gave my feet new life. With that being said, I purchased this model and have worn them several times to my gym.These shoes have arch support which is adequate; however, the arch is not as high as other New Balance shoes I've purchased. It could use more cushion. Currently, the cushion is sufficient but feel as the lifespan will be a few months, requiring a replacement of the cushions or shoes. The construction of the shoe seems durable and should easily last through normal wear and tear. On a personal note, I do like the color and the laces are nice. but I'm a little different that way.Unlike previous New Balance purchases, this pair is not made in the USA but in Vietnam, a first for me. From some research, it appears the more expensive models are still made in the US with the less pricey models produced elsewhere. This does disappoint me and may make me reconsider my next purchase of athletic shoes if I can find a comparable, reasonably priced pair made in the US. Somehow, I doubr I will find one but there is time for research.Overall, a good pair of shoes that wears well and, with current availability of shoes which meet my needs as well as the price, I'd still buy them.

Good fit, very light, durable, comfortable and springy. New Balance are US made (imported materials) and even make official military issue PT shoes, which is how I found them.It's like wearing slippers for weight, but you can walk or run for miles without fatigue or pain.Once you find your size, they're very consistent and easy to order.They're less than twice the price of "discount" shoes and will last 3-4 times as long.

I've been wearing New Balance shoes the past 15 years and they always fit as expected. These Trail Running Shoes are light and have a substantial amount of cushion in the sole and are very comfortable to wear. They run true to size, & the "E" is a wide size. The insoles are removable & can be replaced with custom insoles. The Black/silver is very nice- mainly black color with silver trim. Very nice!Are they Comfortable? Yes, very comfortableWould I Recommend? Yes

Be sure to order half size bigger than your actual foot size which is what I did and it fits very well. Light weight and comfy. One problem: I went out of my way to select this shoe because it is one of the few athletic or work shoes that still has a loop in the back over the heel so you can pull on your shoe (for some reason, a lot of manufacturers have decided not to include pull on tab loops in the back anymore). Disappointed that the tab loop was (A) too small to get my finger into the loop--(I have average sized hands and i play violin suggesting I have at least a modicum of dexterity), (B) too short to adequately grab the tab outside the loop, and (C) was so shoddy, that when I pulled on the loop the loop tore and is now half-way off. I will probably just cut off the loops. So I put on these shoes as a child might: by having it half way on and then stomping my foot the rest of the way in which I am sure will prematurely break the back of the shoe. I'm just real glad that when I bought this months ago, I didn't pay nearly the price they are asking for this shoe today. If the pull-on loops had been okay, I would have given this 5 stars (at the price I paid). For the price they now want I would definitely be buying higher end Merrills.

I bought my 1st pair of NB shoes, Model 83, at a Famous Footwear store for $35 in 2009. To date they are the best athletic shoes I have ever owned; the only thing I know for sure about them is they were size 10. Some years later I bought another pair of NB, model MT411GB size 10 D and they were too narrow; I rarely wear them. Next pair were MT610GO2 size 10 2E... better, but there's something wrong with the arch support and possibly too narrow still, began to cause pain recently on top of injured foot. So now I've got these MT481V2 size 10 4E and they are the closest thing to the dearly beloved and not yet departed good old 83's. I have read some reviewers state NB makes their shoes narrower and I can believe it or I just got dumb lucky with the 83's. I like this current pair so far; they are comfortable all day, but it's only been a little over a week.