New Balance Men's MW968 Country Walking Shoe

I buy these for my husband who is a licensed electrician as well as a diabetic. He needs support, comfort, impermeability and ruggedness. This is his second pair in this line. We had to start buying this model when the predecessor was no longer in stock. This shoe is extremely similar to that one. They last him about 9 months but he is very hard on shoes so it is saying a lot that they last 9 months. Imagine if you were JUST country walking?! He is in red clay, mud and sand. He is in crawl spaces and attics. He is around nails, staples and wires and he is up and down ladders all day. If you are on the fence, buy this shoe. It's hard to say it's worth the money because they are made in an Asian market so I feel that this price point should be for an American made shoe made by our citizens, but this is nearly impossible to find on our budget. Otherwise, they are a good value for the price. We have only ever had one problem with the shoes and that was the last pair that was delivered in February. There was some extra fabric/lining on the interior that didn't get cut completely at the factory and they were rubbing his big toe to where he could barely walk in them. Exchanging with Amazon was a breeze and we had a new pair within a week. The new pair is just a good as the 2 prior have been.

I've been a New Balance fan for almost two decades, but I always considered a pair of Airwalk shoes I once owned to be the most comfortable pair of shoes ever (even though all of my NB shoes were not too far from the top).That was the case until now. Theses new NB MW968 shoes are perfect and now my all-time favorite pair of shoes! Perfect fit for my long and wide feet. Perfect amounts cushioning surround the entirety of both my feet. The "brown" coloring is perfectly neutral and they work with shorts or jeans, t-shirts or polos, slim socks or thick. Good for mild hiking or just everyday walking on any surface. There is nothing wrong with them from my point of view, and like all of the other NB shoes I have owned, I only expect them to get better as I continue to wear them and break them in.I definitely recommend these shoes to anyone looking for a great pair of all-purpose walking shoes!Note: Know your sizes for NB shoes! If possible, go to a local NB retail store and get measured using their custom shoe sizer. You will typically save about $10 buying their shoes via the NB store on Amazon compared to prices and taxes charged in their own retail and online stores. If you typically get running or tennis shoes from NB, add 1/2 to the size (length) for their walking shoes. If you have very wide feet, consider the 4E width, or consider the 2E width for just wider than normal feet.

Had to think about this rating. Really disappointed. Spent more money on an expensive shoe, by my standards, because the description was exactly what I wanted. After getting the shoes, I had to buy insoles in an attempt to make them more comfortable. They look really nice, but they leave my feet aching at the end of the day. I am on my feet a lot and I walk on concrete as well as outside on hot concrete. I've learned to look at walking shoes, hospital style walking shoes and diabetic shoes. These seem to be the target group that makes a comfortable, long day, hard surface shoe. I am a fan of New Balance, but these just do not get the job done. I have gone back to wearing my old shoes as they feel better than these and that is not a compliment.

I hate to send mixed messages, but while I am pleased with this shoe and it fits my feet just fine, keep in mind that people sometimes have trouble getting the right fit when they purchase online. Me, I have giant monster feet the likes of which small hamlets have nightmares about being crushed by, so unless I want to go to 10 different stores finding a shoe I like in the size I need, I have to coop with such annoyances while shopping online. Fortunately I didn't have any issues with these shoes so I have to rate a 5 out of 5.UPDATE: November 7th, 2013I did have an issue with my right shoe while they were still new. For some reason the leather stitching within ended up giving my small toe a blister due to a slight bump. After a few weeks of wearing double socks to avoid the leather bump the issue seems to have resolved itself at that bump has worn away. At this point in time the shoe fits perfect without any issues whatsoever. I am pleased with my purchase but I do recommend anyone who buys these shoes consider that issue as well as consider that they may have to just let the leather set over time for it to go away.

I buy New Balance for two main reasons other than the fact that I really do like the styles available. The first reason is because they offer a great many shoes in a narrow width which I must have. For most of my life I've not been able to buy athletic type shoes because hardly anyone makes narrow athletic shoes and almost no stores stock them. The second reason is that New Balance shoes normally very comfortable. As I've gotten older, age, nerve issues, and now type 2 diabetes have made it extremely difficult to find shoes that are comfortable for walking or standing. I found New Balance years ago, and I have owned at least 10 pairs or more.Unfortunately, I'm afraid it appears New Balance is moving away from the great cushioning and comfort most of their shoes provided in the past. The models that fit best and are most comfortable seem to always be discontinued in favor of a "new version" that is not as comfortable. Now it seems the shoes are being made smaller. I have always bought and worn a 9.5 B, but I just bought two new pairs that are shorter than my previous 9.5 B shoes.I still will buy New Balance exclusively, but if these trends continue I may be forced to look elsewhere. For now, these shoes are nice looking, well made, and are relatively comfortable. I must add that the pair one of my recent purchases replaces has lasted me for two years of wearing over 90% of the time, and they still look good and are not falling apart. You can expect New Balance to last for a long time.