Customer Reviews

New Balance Men's MR1226 Running Shoe

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Greetings all,
I have been running in the New Balance 1220 series for 10 years now. The 1226's are rediculously comfortable and required no break-in at all. I enjoy running in them more than any of the others I have used. Bottom line, buy these and you will not regret it. Remember this, they are meant for heavier (200+ for men) runners and they are for slight overpronators. God bless. U.S. Marine

I just purchased these New Balance 1226 running shoes today, men's size 10.5 D(M). These are apparently the brand new model, and have only been available for just a few weeks. I took them out for a 5 mile run, which quickly became a 5 mile run/walk combo due to the unbearable 100 degree temperature and constant 100% humidity. THANK YOU MARYLAND GLOBAL WARMING HOT HOT SUMMER SUN!!!

The first thing you will notice is that these shoes are incredibly light, with a very breathable mesh-weave upper portion. I could not believe how light they felt in my hands at the store, and then how light they felt on my feet. The technology and materials they use today to make high-end athletic shoes is truly mind-boggling. By the way, New Balance shoes are made in the USA (at least 70% so), and not by child / slave labor in places like China or Malaysia.

Even with the ultra-light materials, the rubber sole on the 1226 is very well-structured. These shoes provide tremendous stability under the heel and arch support, and great impact cushioning when I was running on the hard concrete sidewalk. At the same time, the front portion of the sole is extremely flexible, with the very front toe portion actually constructed to naturally curl upwards slightly. The flexible front sole means that the shoes did not need to be broken in at all (at least for me), as the heel cup did not slip very easily. This has been a huge problem for me with lesser, stiffer soled shoes like Adidas or Nike that I have owned, which all caused me dreaded heel rubbing blisters to varying degrees of misery. Regardless, there is so much padding in the heel of these New Balance shoes that I doubt blisters will ever be an issue.

I have extremely narrow, flat feet, and must wear custom orthotics in all my shoes, especially athletic shoes. My orthotics are not the full-length kind that replace the regular inserts in your shoe, but rather a super-rigid type that stops just past the flat arches of my feet. This usually creates huge problems with most new shoes and sneakers that I try, particularly running shoes. My orthotics fit perfectly in the "normal" D(M) width size of this 1226 shoe, with no slippage side-to-side or front-to-back, or any unbalanced feel as they sat on top of the regular inserts that are inside the shoes.

My only complaints on these 1226 shoes are obviously the high price, and the fact that they are too flashy looking for my typical taste. Given the impeccable reputation of this company and the quality of their shoes, I expect to get my money's worth out of my new favorite pair of sneakers. Thank you New Balance!!

I ordered this shoe after having returned 2 pairs of NB 1906 which is a 200 dollar shoe retail. Go check zappos. This shoe is every bit as good as those shoes with better cushioning and better arch and pronation support for half the price. This is the running shoe deal of the year. The 1227 likely due out by summer of 2011 but who cares and it won't be at this price. I have some Brooks Beast which is highly cushioned and expected a big let down with these. I was very surprised with the quality feel and fit of these shoes. These will not be returned. I also returned the Asics gel Kinetics 3 so I have something to compare shoes with. Also have nike shox with forefoot air zoom and am very happy with these but they are wearing out and I needed to reload. I'm a stickler for forefoot cushioning and shock resilience as well as some energy return. I'm a big guy 240 lbs and the reviews about lack of forefoot cushioning are bunk. I got these in width EE and this was perfect although normal D is what I usually get. I do not like tight fitting running shoes but absolutely will not tolerate heel slip. So far so good. Will give update once I put more mileage on these puppies.

Great running shoes. The cushioning is pretty great. I won't ramble on because other reviews are fairly good. One thing I must mention which really has not been so far is the shoe laces: good length, good qualiy. Superior to other shorter,lower quality shoe laces. Yes small detail, but to me it makes a difference.

I bought a pair of 1226 runners primarily for stability with the bonus of extra cushioning and the availability of a super-wide fitting (4E). My secondary objective was to try something different, as I have been a Brooks runner for many years now. I weigh about 80kgs and I have slightly-flattish-to-normal arches and mild underpronation. I run between 30-40km a week. I've logged about 100km+ in these shoes over the past three months and I use them in rotation with a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10 and a new pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11.

The 1226 delivers on the points of stability and cushioning. To be fair, they're more on the motion-control end of the 'stability' range than I actually need, but that's my fault and no fault of the shoe. Cushioning is excellent, with a well-moderated heel strike. As others have mentioned, breathability is outstanding, one of the strong points of this model. On hot and sometimes humid Melbourne evenings, my feet don't burn up on the bitumen.

There is, however, an interesting quirk with the feel through the forefoot on toe-off. Although the shoe rolls through smoothly on toe-off, the forefoot feels vague and disconnected and lacks feedback from the ball to the toes. A bit too much cushioning/flexibility maybe? I don't know how else to describe it, but I certainly don't have the same lack-of-feel in either of my Adrenalines.

The little niggles? The heel is already showing signs of wear through the black glued-on outsole, and I'm not a heavy heel-striker. The insole is a cheap, hard bit of thin foam and should be of better quality considering this is a top-range NB runner. The shoes are also a bit flashy and will draw some attention - whether or not that's a niggle for you depends on how much bling you like on your runners!

Other than that, I'd recommend the 1226 for big runners with moderate+ underpronation. This shoe will certainly deliver on its promise of stability and cushioning and they are well-ventilated. Personally, I rate my Adrenalines over the 1226, especially the new GTS 11, but that's another review for another time... :)

On a separate note, this was my first order from Amazon and I was extremely impressed with how quickly the shoes were dispatched (less than 2 hours from ordering!) and how quickly they were delivered to Australia (dispatched on a Saturday, arrived the following Tuesday!!!). Thanks Amazon!!

I sometimes wonder whether reviewers are paid by manufacturers to write these reviews. A few points in response to the first reviewer - these are not light, these are actually quite heavy due to the thickness of the heel (compare them to the 1350s or the 1664s). And unfortunately this is where they fall down. The weight and thickness of the heel make them very unsuitable for front and mid-foot runners. Not only that, but these have caused a pain in my right heel and I am not sure what to attribute this to. This shoe is only suitable for long distance runners or heel runners who are not looking for speed, but just endurance. I shall use them for that purpose, but as a long-term fan of New Balance, I am a little disappointed. This takes about 8-10 seconds off the pace of a kilometre.

I bought this item since it said it was designed for people that hit hard on the heel of their foot when running. WOW...what a difference this running shoe makes. So much better than any other running shoe I have purchased. No more pains in my legs since I bought these shoes.

I just purchased the 1226 series because I couldn't pass up the bargain at $71.00. I bought these as a backup for my New Balance 1123 series that I use on a regular basis. I usually exercise by doing very quick walks and some jogging intervals but because of my large frame (approx.275lbs.) I need a shoe with good cushioning and support. The 1226 feels comfortable with decent cushioning but to be honest, after a comparison use, I would still say for the extra money the 1123's are still the better shoes. The 1123 seems to have more cushioning throughout instead of in specific spots as it feels on the 1226 series. For my high arches and back issues the 1226 shoes don't seem to feel quite as supportive but by no means are they a bad shoe and again, I would buy them as a backup if needed.

I have wide feet and orthotics - this is the ideal shoe.
The 1226 is the best version yet (after using older versions)

This NB MR1226 is one of my favorite shoes. I have worn many different brands in my life; such as, Nike, ASCIS, Adidas, Mizuno, and other NB brand. By far, THIS particular model is the best far as weight and comfort. Immediately, I could tell there is lots of cushion in front of the toes and back of the shoes. Most of the shoes, support good heel shocks but this does well in both area. Mesh provides good ventilation, it does have good pronation support and good lateral stability. Overall, this is good shoes to buy. Hey as you know it is Made In America. I would definitely would highly recommend to my friends and family. It is relative subjective review and everyone feet are different shapes and sizes but I could say majority of people would find this shoes relatively comfort. Can't wait to try it out at Disneyland this summer-long waiting and long day standing on its feet.