New Balance 14501 Fresh Foam Walking Shoe Men’s Walking Shoe

I'd originally written a rave review for this shoe, which hits a really sweet spot in terms of hiking toughness and walking comfort. It originally seemed perfect for those of us who do a lot of daily walking, along with some occasional off-road hiking/walking. But, unfortunately, after about 3 weeks of wear, this shoe's significant weakness-- lack of ventilation -- began to make itself evident. Warning - this shoe will function as a sweatbox for your feet, with the usual ramifications -- including dry skin and odor control issues -- none of which are a problem with my other New Balance shoes. Too bad -- properly ventilated, these would've been the best shoes I ever owned.

My husband wears 12 4E and needed a waterproof hiking boot for a trip to Alaska (which unfortunately was cancelled.). As you can imagine, there aren’t many qualifying boots in that size. We tried about 6 variations from as many brands before we found this one from New Balance, the brand he wears 80% of the time. He likes the high ankle support and the relatively lightweight of the boot. He’s worn them several times in heavy rain and they performed well at keeping his feet dry. He’s likes them so much he wears them regardless of weather forecast when he wants extra ankle support.

This is a solid option (so far) for a Gore-Tex-like shoe that will keep my socks/feet dry. It says waterproof but I don't plan to submerge my feet while wearing these shoes to test that claim. I just want to prevent my socks and feet from getting soaked by dew or the occasional rainfall. Cushion is definitely soft so these are not going to replace my hiking boots either. They do provide solid traction on grass and asphalt and for the price I believe they should be an economical replacement for the pair of Adidas that were Gore-Tex that barely lasted a full year before disintegrating. Sticking with New Balance from now on!

I have been wearing one version or another of New Balance mid height shoes for 30 years and love them. I have resumed daily brisk walks with the dogs on a trail by the river. My old pair was not providing enough support and foot cushioning and I have been experiencing foot pain after the walks. They are well used. I have been wearing the 14501 for two weeks and love them. No more foot pain, excellent lateral ankle support, and excellent traction. They clear mud better than most as well. I am so pleased that I am ordering a second pair before this model changes.The comments I read about these running "narrow" are true. I normally wear a EE and I ordered a EEEE and they fit perfectly.

This is more than a trail running shoe but less than a real hiking boot. It's somewhere in between. But it provides enough support and protection for most hiking trails, at least those that aren't primarily R&R (roots and rocks) and at a very light weight. Because these weigh in at less than half that of my hiking boots I'll be wearing them on most hikes but when the trail is primitive with lots of obstacles I'll use my regular boots.The big advantage to all New Balance footwear is the availability of widths. I weigh 190lb. and stand 6'0" which doesn't make me a large guy but I have big feet. And with NB I can get a 14EEEE that fits comfortably.