New Balance Men's MC996 Lightweight Tennis Shoe

some of my favorite shoes. My feet are picky and they like these shoes! They are comfortable, look nice, fit great, and make my size 14 feet actually look smaller. Worth the price, and they seem to be holding up quite well.

I’ve been running in a pair of Walmart sneakers for months now. Nothing wrong with starting where you can, especially if it involves budget BUT I knew as I continued to add mileage that I was going to need to invest. Not ready to pull the trigger on $100+ and after much research I decided on these and with the sale of $80 something it was too good not to try. I wear a size 5 shoe, sometimes 5.5. Super tiny feet! But I went up to a 6 since it would be my main set of running shoes and the fit is perfect! They are definitely quality and the action of the shoe itself is described fair and was reviewed accurately by everything I’ve seen or read. I knocked out a 6.75mi run on the treadmill and I literally can’t go back to my Walmart sneakers. Just a drastic difference. Major improvement! Highly recommend and were comfortable for the entire run.

THE FUELCELL REBEL V4: A PERFECT FIT FOR ME. THE ARCH SUPPORT, FIT TO SIZE, COMPLETE COMFORT AND SUPPORT.

I love New Balance shoes because I have wide feet and NB graciously makes almost all of their shoes in a wide version. But they also make excellent shoes, and that goes pretty much for every NB shoe I've worn. When I find a NB version I like, I usually buy several pairs and use them for a couple of years. I think I've gone through six pairs of 442 TF shoes for soccer. As for running shoes, I'm not much of a real runner, but I do it to keep in shape. I got the NB FuelCell Propel v4 to replace a pair of 890s. The 890's were fantastic--so light that it felt like I wasn't wearing anything. I also really liked how the uppers fit like a sock. The FuelCell Propel V4, even though it's a version behind now, is a more modern running shoe with more modern cushioning. Yeah, we've gone from the sort of minimalist phase to running on marshmallows. But I'll tell you what, the Propel's feel pretty damn amazing when you put them on. The cushioning is amazing, like you're walking on clouds. But not just regular clouds; very springy clouds. That's where the FuelCell technology comes in with the TPU inserts in this shoe. I have to tell you, the energy return is pretty fantastic. The first time I put these guys on, I felt like I had to learn how to walk again--boing, boing, boing! I've probably put 30 miles on them now--treadmill, pavement, trail--and they run great on all surfaces. Super stable, super comfortable, and I love them. So why only four stars? Two reasons. First, there is no gusseted tongue. Okay, this isn't a major thing and I haven't had any issues with the tongue coming out of place on either shoe. But I really loved the feeling of the 890s with their gusseted tongue. The uppers just made it felt like the shoe was a part of my foot. NB really missed the mark by leaving this feature out. Second, these shoes are just a little bit on the heavier side. I'm not a marathon runner so it doesn't really bother me, and it's not like I'm thinking about it while I'm running. I'm just pointing it out. Really, I'd give these shoes 4.5 stars. If they had the gusseted tongue, they'd be a 5 stars all the way.

I have never had a pair of New Balance shoes and thought I would give these FuelCell Propel v4 a chance. They have the same FuelCell foam as New Balance’s Supercomp race lineup, but have a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) plate in them rather than the Energy Arc carbon fiber one like the race shoes. They also don’t have the steep price like a race shoe which was attractive! I ordered them in my normal size of 10.5 2E US and they feel nice and roomy in the toe box. The upper looks nice and airy based on my basic light testing. The midsole foam had an average of 25 HA from my Shore A Durometer over 6 datapoints and the outsole averaged 55 HA over 6 datapoints. The toe box measured 100.2 mm at the widest point and 78.8 mm at the big toe area. The heel upper measured 79 mm at the heel cup. The midsole forefoot measured 119 mm at the widest point and the heel at 96.1 mm. My normal daily training shoes are the ultra plush cushioned Hoka Bondi 8 which has an average 34 HA on my Shore A Durometer in the midsole foam. The foam just agrees with my feet and legs unlike some others. The shoes at 10.5 2E US weighed in at 307 and 311 grams each which is about 35 grams less than my Bondi 8’s! The one thing I noticed was an irregularity in the logo on the upper. I jumped on the treadmill for a quick minute to see how the Propel felt and there wasn’t anything I could feel that concerned me, so I headed outside to get a 5k jog in. I’m not a fast runner and really only started jogging last summer. I was surprised to look down at my watch to see that I was at just over 4 minutes at the first half mile. I ended up backing down and recorded a 10:02 first mile. The New Balance FuelCell foam has a great feel! It feels a lot like the foam in my Bondi 8’s. I can’t say that I feel much feedback from the TPU plate like I feel from the carbon fiber plate in my Puma Deviate Nitro first gen shoes. That said, it makes the Supercomp Trainer v2 with more cushioning and the Energy Arc carbon fiber plate even more interesting as a next shoe possibility since they are about 35 grams less than the Propel v4. 6-18-24 update: I am more impressed with these shoes more than a month in and about 75 miles on them. You can see how the outsole is showing very little wear on the Propel v4 against my go to Hoka Bondi 8’s in the latest pictures. The Hoka’s have just about 12 miles more on them than the New Balance. 8-4-24 update: I have two minor knocks against them. One is a knock on all white shoes and that is they are hard to keep clean. The second is that I’m starting to see some wear from my big toe in the right foot toe box as you can see in my latest picture.

FINALLY!!! Perfect in every way. As a longtime, daily, mid-distance runner I have to say I LOVE these shoes! They are like running on a super light, yet supportive cloud. I do want to say something about the sizing though. I am a definitive size 10. I recently ordered running shoes from three different manufacturers on Amazon based on online size charts and the recommended sizes for each. I returned them as they were all a half-size too small. I ended up with the New Balance Fuel Cell in a size 10.5 after having first ordered them in a 10 and they are a perfect fit. For all three of the previous orders I literally measured both feet with a measuring tape and took the larger of the two which according to the online size chart for the three was a size 10. In my case none of the charts were correct. This is the only time in my life I have ever worn a 10.5. Even though it took multiple times to get it right, it was worth it. I truly LOVE these shoes and will probably order another pair while they're still available!!!

I was struggling to find a decent pair of Kource shoes I can use to play pickle ball. My struggle was in that I wanted a comfortable pair that had a wide toolbox and was easy to put on and takeoff and was reasonably durable and wouldn’t wear down after only a couple weeks. I’m a casual player about 1 to 2 sessions per week. I play mostly on hard services outdoors, but also on gymnasium floors in the cold months these shoes have surpassed my expectations. They’re incredibly comfortable very easy to slip off. They provide great balance and stability and there’s plenty of room in the tow box for my big wide feet to spread out in and not feel crammed. I’ve had them for about eight months and the souls have worn down at this point, which is pretty good. I didn’t expect them to last more than six months. I think I can get another four months out of them unless my place give me increases. I’ll be looking to replace them with the same pair this spring.

I would really like to give these shoes 4.5/5 as they are such a fantastic shoe, but they do have some slight limitations. I’ve been wearing the NB FuelCell for nearly 2 years now and liked them so much I bought a second pair just to have a fresh rotation. They’ve been fantastic for running, walking, and cardio (Elliptical). They are comfortable, lightweight, and they absorb impact beautifully. I easily log 5 - 6 miles per walk/run, and these keep my feet feeling great with no blisters or joint fatigue. I recently started using my newer pair in the gym, and while they’re still comfortable for general training, they’re not ideal for weightlifting or stability work. The cushioning that makes them great for running doesn’t offer the flat, grounded feel you’d want for Leg focused or balance-based exercises. You’ll get a bit of “squish” under load, which can compromise form if you’re lifting heavy. That said, for walking, running, treadmill/elliptical work, or even all-day wear they’re hard to beat. Just be aware they’re not a substitute for cross-trainers or lifting shoes.