Customer Reviews

New Balance Men's MW749 Walking Shoe,Brown,9.5 D

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I love these! (I started with a pair of
the 747s, went to 749s when those wore out).

In terms of weight, these almost feel as light
as tennis shoes, but they absorb a lot of
shock, and the sole is excellent for rough
trails, or even fording streams. Once I had
to take a pair--almost right out of the box--
on a 37 mile hike (+ a 50 lb. pack):
No soreness of any kind!
I have wide feet, so the 4E width is a godsend:
I don't need to order my shoes longer to make
up for needed width. In short, it's an affordable
shoe that delivers almost boot performance with
casual shoe comfort.
I'd like to balance all this good with a drawback...
but I honestly have had nothing but great experiences...

p.s. "Country Walker" is a sweet name, but all 3
of my pairs have been used for pretty serious hiking...
it's a very sturdy shoe.

p.p.s. The star rating on this shoe should be higher...
numerous reviews have low scores, when it seems
pretty obvious that the consumers simply don't have
the right size shoe. "4E" sounds SUPER wide, but it
doesn't look freakishly wide to me. It just feels GREAT!
I wish all shoes had these width options!

I walked 3 miles the very first time I wore these shoes with no problems. I have very wide foot and they are very comfortable. A great porduct.

These shoes are very well made, with no loose strings or other signs of poor workmanship. They are also very comfortable, even when worn all day. Support is excellent all around and their is little wear inside or out after months of continuous use.

I just got these today. I wear a ten and a half 2E in my other pair of New Balance shoes so after reading the reviews, I ordered a ten and a half 4E. They shoes were not long enough! My toes were crushed in the front of the shoe. There is no way I could walk in these shoes. I sent them back for an eleven 4E. So now I have to pay shipping back and $5 for a restocking fee. My wife was right. I need to go to a shoe store because the sizing is not consistent with New Balance shoes.

I normally wear a size 8-1/2 shoe, or a 9 at the most. But knowing as I do that New Balance sizes run small, and that I take a 9-1/2 in New Balance running shoes, I confidently ordered a pair of the MW749s in size 9-1/2. When I got them, they were WAY too small. I couldn't take two steps in them without pain and discomfort. These shoes just do not adhere to normal sizing standards. To add insult to injury, when I went to return them, I not only had to pay return shipping, but there was no option for "shoes were sized incorrectly," or even "did not fit." No, I had to pick "I ordered the wrong size," which is nonsense. Having said all this, if you can get a pair that fits you, this is a very nicely made and attractive shoe. But if you want a pair, my advice is to go to a shoe store and try them on in person. Until and unless New Balance gets its sizing act together, ordering online is just too much of a gamble.

I had to buy three pairs of these (and return the first two) in order to get a pair that fit. They definitely run small. I originally ordered a size 11. When those were too small, I went up a half size. No change. The 11 1/2 fit exactly the same as the 11. Then I tried a size 12 which is a full size larger than what I normally wear. Bingo!

After finally getting a pair of these that fit, I will say they are very well-made and comfortable. Almost more like a boot than anything resembling an athletic shoe. Very nice feel.

As some other reviewers have suggested, you might want to order a full size larger than what you normally wear.

I usually wear 12 D walking shoes, but prefer
12 E if I can find them. These 12EE were not
just short but very narrow. I sent them back
for 13 EE. I'm pretty sure my feet haven't grown during the last 3 decades, and I've never tried on a pair of 13 anythings that didn't feel like clown shoes. But these are still too narrow and too short. I had to pay the return fees once, and I guess I'll have to pay them again, because Amazon/New Balance thinks that it's "not our fault." My response is: The heck it ain't. Shoe sizes are a standard and if YOU misrepresent them, then YOU are at fault, and YOU should pay the costs of exchanges. Especially when the sizes are not just a little off, but at least a whole size off.

It's downright criminal to intentionally mis-size shoes so that the seller is guaranteed an extra $5 "restocking fee" on EVERY PAIR. I could have bought the same pair at Academy Sports for less than the Amazon price plus exchange fees.

My advice for buyers is "add one full size and one full width level" or better yet, buy locally and try before you buy. The local shoe seller won't charge you for putting rejected shoes back on the shelf. I'd advice Amazon to disclose these non-standard sizes up front, but then they'd be losing thousands of "restocking fees" so I won't waste my breath.

I ordered this shoe based on other reviews I had read on this sight and others. I ordered a larger size and width, but to no avail. This company obviously does not use size standards that other companies use. The shoe was extremely small in all areas to say the very least! I returned the shoes.

They go best on my feet. Not so much on my hands...

I have the hardest time finding WIDE sized shoes. NB is usually pretty dependable as being one of the few shoes companies that consistently puts out that size and manages to make them comfortable.

I've tried Sketchers wide shoes but they always have one spot that drives into the inside of my foot. Not nice.

Seems like most other brands on shoes sellers like Amazon, Zappos, DSW, and shoes.com never keep a steady stock of wides in any ones other than NB.

They could use a bit of a style overhaul... for the most part they're pretty bland compared to other shoes of this type. But they're good nonetheless.

I'm pretty much through the pair I have and I may or may not get the same pair again.

Nice Shoe, a little snug, but seems to be holding up well.
Could be a wee bit roomier but that might be a matter of preference.
Do not regret the purchase. Have worn it all day at the office, but never on a hike yet.