Shoe Reviews: New Balance 760, 758 and 740

A few months back three lucky readers won New Balance Running Shoes which NB management specifically chose for their respective foot types. In return, NB requested for honest, unbiased reviews of the shoes. Pretty good deal if I may say so!

Here’s the summary of their reviews.  At the end of this blog, you may click on the links to download each of their full reviews:

MIKE JANEO
SHOE: NEW BALANCE 760
FOOT/SHOE TYPE: low arch, neutral shoe

– New Balance 760 –

PLUS

1. DESIGN & COLOR: The design is subtle and is made to be functional. The nice comments I got from friends who saw me sporting the shoes with my weekend casual wear are confirmation that it really looks great!
2. SURE LACE: I’m very satisfied with how it works. I don’t have to worry about pulling my laces too tight or what will I do if it gets loose because it stays in place once you’ve pulled them together
3. REFLECTORS: This shoe has more than enough reflectors for your safety if you are usually off running on the roads before sunrise or at night.
4. LIGHT AND COMFORTABLE: The thin mesh material keeps the shoe flexible and comfortable.
5. Great fit especially in the heel and towards the arch. The LockDown Liner™ wraps the mid-foot for a snug and comfortable fit.
6. SHOCK ABSORPTION AND CUSHIONING: N-ergy® and ABZORB® are trademark features of New Balance and they are known to provide ample amount of shock absorption and cushioning which is very much needed by heavy runners like me.
7. STABILITY: TS2® or its Transition Support System is very evident on the shoe’s performance which benefits me a lot having a low arch and being a mild-overpronator.

MINUS

1. BLISTERS: I cannot confidently point out the specific factor in the shoe that may have caused me to get blisters but I just had to point it out here as a delta point since I haven’t experienced having blisters for the longest time that I was using my Nike Run Avant.
2. WIDE TOE BOX: Not a big deal for me, there could be positive and negative effects of having this (I’m thinking blisters could be a negative effect ) but having a roomy feeling on the forefoot is something that I needed to get used to at first.

Over-all, I’ll give it a 4 out of 5 rating. For me, the New Balance 760 is a great stability training shoe built for faster pace but short distances. Low arched runners who have an over-pronation problem will benefit much from this shoe.

– Mike in his NB 760 at Chase the Sun, Neutrogena Run –

I will continue to use the 760s for my training runs as I was able to maximize the features and benefits of this shoe during my interval and tempo runs. I will reserve my Nike Run Avant for my long runs on a weekend and for my future races.

MARTIN CRUZ
SHOE: NEW BALANCE 758
FOOT/SHOE TYPE: high arch

– New Balance 758 –

PLUS:

1. WIDTH: I liked the wide opening of the 758. It gave a lot of room for my wide feet to play inside since I am trying to run landing on my mid foot.
2. CUSHIONING: It’s not really soft but the cushioning is fine with me. With my weight of 186 lbs, it gave good support on my landings.
3. DESIGN: I liked the looks as well compared with my old NB 845 shoes. I guess NB is also catching up on making the shoes look beautiful in addition to the great functionality it provides.

MINUS

1. SOLE: The only challenge I had doing the mid foot run was on the heel part of the sole. Since it is quite thick on that part, I have a little difficulty running on my mid foot. But I am beginning to find the sweet spot landing mid foot with that shoe.

I have run in this shoe for almost a month now. I have ran with it on my long run prior to the Dream Marathon of the Bull Runner, I ran with it on the Dream Marathon day, I used it during my short runs on weekdays and I can say that I am satisfied, I liked the comfortabilty and I can recommend using New balance 758 running shoes to anyone with the same need as myself.

– Martin in his NB 758 at TBR Dream Marathon –

ETHEL SAMSON
SHOE: NEW BALANCE 740
FOOT/SHOE TYPE: neutral

– New Balance 740 –

PLUS:

1. Wide toe box. It lets me stretch out and move my toes in all directions a bit inside. It had prevented me from having more crooked and dead toe nails.
2. Breathable mesh on the upper part of the shoes keeps my toes well ventilated and yet it has a considerable outside protection, that doesn’t let moisture in easily, even when you’re already pouring water all over.
3. Steep curve on the flex grooves are perfect for me as I’m a forefoot striker. I love it that even a slight forward bend would already give me a forward thrust. Even though it doesn’t have that bulk cushion as compared to the heel part, I’m amazed that with just the perfect pair of socks, I’m not having blisters on the ball anymore, no need for a footbed.
4. Slim arch side on the midsole towards the shank, the tongue, shoe laces. The slim fit of the midsole part thru the arch part of the feet and the placement of the shoe laces behind the tongue keeps my feet in place comfortably. The sides don’t rub, and my longest toe hardly makes contact with the toe cap part, despite of the wide toe box and the fact that I’m a forefoot striker.
5. The stiff heel tabs towards the heel counter and the sturdy medial post and outer sole keeps my heel from rolling in or out and provides the best cushion when I’m too tired, is unconsciously heel striking, and not running correctly anymore.

– Ethel in her NB 740 at the 1st Eagle Run in Cebu –

To read the full reviews of each runner, click below:
Mike Janeo – New Balance 760
Martin Cruz – New Balance 758
Ethel Samson – New Balance 740