Please Heed My Enthusiastic Review of the Iconic New Balance 990

The search for the right shoes can take years, but when you do find your perfect pair, it can change your life in monumental ways. Whether you’re seeking your ideal marathon shoe, the most pleasant slipper (which is empirically and without contest the Haflinger clog), or just the right pair of cool, casual kicks for grilling, dating, and going to the movies, we’re all ultimately looking for the same thing: a pretty comfortable shoe that yields the best performance for your body. And that looks different for everyone. Some of us have real thin little footsies with high arches, while others, like myself, have big ol’ wide load feet with barely any arch; when some people hit the shoe store, they’re recovering from foot surgery, while others are training for their fifth Ultraman competition. Humans and their feet have evolved over millions of years, and we ought to respect that by thinking of our footwear as something greater than simply what we wear to the corner bar or the neighborhood pizzeria. We’ve made it this far, and we deserve to be cozy as hell 24/7!

For over a decade, I’ve been on a personal mission to find the most comfortable exercise shoes out there. I won’t get into my boring medical history, but I’ve had a lot of painful issues with flat feet and inflammation, which means that even the slightest problem with the fit of my shoe can lead to weeks or months of frustration and suffering. Over the years, I’ve spent thousands of dollars on running and training shoes recommended by “experts,” and they’ve almost exclusively led to misery. But thankfully, all of that changed when I discovered the perfect everyday shoe for me, personally: the New Balance 990.

A couple years ago, someone recommended the New Balance 990. I almost brushed it off, having been burned by another model from New Balance a while back, but I decided to give it a shot, since I knew that the 990 had been beloved among runners, shoe collectors, and even run-of-the-mill neighborhood dads since the 1980s. I’m glad I did—as soon as I slipped a New Balance 990v5 onto my foot (“v5” effectively means “fifth version”; the 990 series is currently on its sixth, “v6” iteration), I entered an alternate dimension Cinderella tale where the protagonist was an emotionally broken ex-cyclist waiting in existential despair for the perfect fit. Since that beautiful day, I have cycled around town with almost no pain, gone on long (and actually enjoyable) walks, and even started some new elliptical training at the gym. Inevitably, I ended up switching to the newer 990v6, which is somehow even more comfortable.

Let’s pause for a moment. Before I get into how the 990 actually feels, we should talk about how it became the universally loved masterpiece it is today. The first New Balance 990 came out in 1982—the same year as Nike’s Air Force 1—with the goal of being the greatest running shoe for serious runners. Retailing for $100 right out of the gate, the shoe was a big gamble from New Balance, as sneakers didn’t usually cost that much back then; I think what made people immediately willing to pay this much was the fact that it was the perfect synthesis of attractive style, high quality performance, and domestic production. Over the years, New Balance continued to tweak the model, making it sturdier; the late 90s saw the 990v2, which featured an updated sole and honestly one of the dopest overall designs I’ve ever seen. I got in on the 990v5, which came out in 2019.

There’s a lot going on with the 990. First, visually, it’s just an extremely cool shoe—it combines pigskin suede and synthetic overlays, and its colorways usually lean into normcore-adjacent shades of grey and black, often with some kind of white trim. There’s also an edition of the 990v6 called “mindful grey with bone,” which is next-level sexy (at least for a chunky sneaker that’s a hit with grill-obsessed dads). Performance-wise, the heel cradle really keeps side-to-side movement on lockdown, so you never feel unstable when stepping. I’m prone to rolling my foot, since my arches are truly bullshit, and I’ve never felt as secure as I do in the 990. In terms of feel, the v5 update saw the addition of the ENCAP midsole, while the v6 introduced the FuelCell cushioning—two important developments for the shoe’s overall comfortability. I know a lot of shoes these days take the “less is more” approach, and that there’s been a larger movement to reduce the bulkiness of running shoes and streamline their aerodynamics. I’ve tried on a couple pairs from popular running brands that feel like I’ve just basically put a second sock on. For some, those are the perfect running/walking/pizza-eating shoe, but for me, more is always going to be more. I love how thick the heel generally feels, which makes me feel more confident when moving; but it’s also light, not clunky like other larger shoes can be. 

TL;DR: The New Balance 990 is simply the best running shoe (or, hell, everyday sneaker) I’ve ever tried. It’s comfortable, supportive, and stylish, becoming infused with more cutting-edge technology with each update. There’s a reason it’s been an enduring classic for over four decades, and its next four decades will definitely be supported by my buying every single new version. Long live the New Balance 990.

Try the New Balance 990v6 on Amazon or New Balance.

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