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New Balance MT876OR Review

This version of the 87x has the PL-1 last ( 875's had the sl-1) , that means I can't wear them, not enough room in the toe box. That's a shame I did like the 87X series, and it looks like they figured out to keep the sole in continuous piece like innov-8 shoes for durability. I get the feeling that most people have a bigger heal and smaller forefoot, because I always have heal slip and trouble finding a shoe with enough toe box.

Hi Peter

Then you should look at the NB Web Express site:
http://www.nbwebexpress.com/
They have a full listing of their available shoe lasts at
http://www.nbwebexpress.com/information/product_information.asp?pageType=lasts
and there are some with bigger toe boxes.

Mind you, These 876 shoes can come with a 4E width fitting. That's awful wide. Have you tried the 4E width, or just the 2E width?

Cheers

Edited by rcaffin on 06/16/2010 02:43:30 MDT.

I encountered the issue of NB switching from the SL1 to the PL1 last on other models where there was an update. I switched from size 11-2E in the SL1 version to 11-4E in the PL1 version and while the fit was not as good as before, I would say it was 95% as good and I am happily running in the PL1 shoes now.

You might consider coating exposed threads and seams with Seam Sealer or Aquaseal prior to use.They are urethanes. Aquaseal has a higher urethane concentration. Threads and seams will then be amply protected.

Roger, I normally wear 2E, 4E's just too sloppy.
Peter

Roger
As you know on the 875's lining, the eyelets pull the inner lining tight as one pulls on the laces thus forming a "girdle" if you will for your mid foot. It was one of the determining factors in my buying the shoe. I love the way my foot feels supported by the lining. As a result I have stopped using my after market inserts and rely exclusively on the shoe's construction to support my foot. It feels great. Do the new 876s allow for a similar tightening of the inner lining by the laces? From your review it would seem not to.

Hi Mitchell

Sorry for delay - we were away walking (with the 876s) for a week.

I don't think the idea of an adjustable inner lining applies here. Yes, there is an inner lining but it is firmly attached to the outer, and yes, that is different from the 875s.

What I found was that the 876s could be worn with the laces undone. Well, up to a point, anyhow. The tongue is not loose like on older-design shoes. It is connected up the sides almost to the top. So when the laces are loose the tongue holds the shape.

In fact, most of the time I do the laces up quite loose, and the shoe just 'fits' properly. If I do the laces up tight I get a tight band across the upper part of my arch, due to the top lace holes, and that is not good for me.

I have used after-market inserts (NB Pressure Relief) in these shoes, and while they were quite comfortable, I think they take up about half a shoe size by themselves. So instead of wearing size 10 I would need size 10.5 for the same fit. Or I could go with much thinner socks than my preferred Darn Tough Vermont Full Boot Socks, but that is less likely.

I would suggest that they are worth trying out if you liked the 875s. They really are a step above the 875s in everything, imho.

Cheers

As per your review, I bought a pair from Road Runner as the local NB store did not have them. My feet have high arches and are becoming more troublesome as they age. In the first 6 miles of Sacramento River levee walking, my feet have only smiled,
Thanks,
gerry

Any guess as to how many miles you have on the shoes? I have an earlier pair of these (circa 2007, can't recall model), and once I got about 500 miles on them hiking & running, the shock absorption was totally spent, causing a heel bruise. Love the shoes, just wondering about mileage limits.

Roger, I finally had a chance to handle the 876 in a store, and will go back to try on and compare with the La Sportiva Wildcat, Montrail Rockridge and any Innov-8 shoes that have a similar wide forefoot or come in wider sizes. I don't have a particularly wide foot, but certainly no less than size D (average), but need a wide forefoot to avoid squeezing the forefoot/metatarsals.

Any sizing recommendations you have for the 876 if I have, measured on a brannock device in the afternoon while standing:
-size 11 foot
-size "12" arch on the left foot, size 11.5 arch on the right foot (meaning that the arch length is like a size 12 foot on the L, and size 11.5 foot on the right)

How many sizes up from true foot size do you recommend, 1/2 or 1 full size?

What width do you recommend - 2E or 4E?

Thanks again for the excellent review. Certainly matches what I found handling it up close in the store.

Hi Mark

Sorry about delay.
Miles - bit hard to say. In general I would say that I haven't really worn out the outer soles on any of the the New Balance joggers I have reviewed.

Sometimes I have worn out the shell fabric on them: the 875s suffered that a bit after a few months in Europe. Mind you, that did not cause any real problems: they just looked a little 'worn' on the outside.

More often it is the removable foam footbed and the internal EVA foam layers which suffer most. I tend to create a bit of a depression under the ball of my foot there (behind the big toe), and when this gets too bad I have to stop wearing those shoes. I think this is the same as the loss of 'shock absorption' you mentioned. I would say that this is the main weakness in the manufacture. It can takes several months of continuous hard walking before this happens for me though: enough for a full 2 months or more on one of our European walks for instance.

I think you could pop in an after-market footbed to some advantage, IF (IF) you can find one which does not have mindless 'arch supports' and other ridiculous marketing features.

Cheers

Hi EJ

Different sizes for your left and right feet? Oh yeah, happens to many of us!

I see you measured the 'size' of your feet but not the width on the A B C D E 2E 4E scale. That is a huge waste of the Brannock device: use it to also measure the width on the letter scale. Immensely important imho, especially for those of us with wide feet.

> How many sizes up from true foot size do you recommend, 1/2 or 1 full size?
Ah well ... At LEAST half a size. Your feet WILL swell after a few hours of walking. Whether you should go up a full size - that depends on how much your feet swell, and that I do not know. So ...

It would not be silly to go out and buy a couple of different pairs of sock in different thicknesses: say some Darn Tough Vermont Boot Socks (thick) and some Ultimax socks (thinner), and to run your own experiment. Buy one pair of joggers which are a full size too big in the shop when worn over thin nylon socks (but wide enough), and then go for a full days walk swapping the thick and thin socks over every few hours. You will soon find out what feels comfortable. I do not think there is any shortcut for this: you have to field test with your feet.

> What width do you recommend - 2E or 4E?
Since I don't know what your feet measure for width, I simpler have no idea what you need. All I can suggest is that you should NEVER err on the narrow side. If the shoes are a shade too wide for you, use thicker socks. That won't hurt! Of course, if you are a D fitting and the shoes are 4E, you may have problems.

Cheers

Hi Roger, my feet were measured on a Brannock device in the late afternoon. However their width scale was broken. Nonetheless, I don't think my width has changed in the last few months, and I'm a D. Sorry for that omission.

For NB shoes depending on the cut, for running I've worn a D or 2E in the past. For longer hikes with some narrower NB shoes, I'd probably be better off with a 4E. I'm 6 ft tall 180 lbs, and that's enough of a load to swell feet.

I typically wear Vermont Darn Tough light hiking socks, not super thin and not very thick. I find them more durable than Smartwool socks.

The Brannock has an arch measurement piece which goes against the side of the ball of your foot. My Left arch is a drop longer than the Right arch. In overall size, there is probably a difference of 1/8 of a size between Left and Right foot.

So based on a size 11D foot, with the same socks you wear, with the 876 for backpacking, would you suggest at least a 2E or as much as a 4E?

I was not able to find a store nearby that had all the sizes I wanted to try at once, but working on that. Anything that can cut down on the number of pairs I order to try would be helpful.

Hi EJ

More data - good.
I would think that the 2E width might be enough - I think. But if you have doubts, try the 4E fitting. Feet do swell ...
I do find that the NB shoe lasts (SL-1, PL-1 etc) are relevant, and fairly consistent.

> For longer hikes with some narrower NB shoes, I'd probably be better off with a 4E.
Um ... I am not sure I follow you here. My experience has been that when NB label something 2E it is 2E. Granted, they do make narrow shoes, but those are given a narrow width designation.

If you like the 876s, it might be worth your while to also look at the MT740TR (trail running) shoes. Caution: two versions available. They have a slightly firmer sole, which I like.

Cheers

Thanks Roger, that's what I was looking for - whether the 2E is really a 2E on the 876.

I prefer a firmer sole as well. Other than the firmer sole, are the 740's like the 876's in other respects - cushioning, breathability, durability, etc.?

Do you now prefer the 740 to the 876?

Which two versions does the MT740TR come in, and which of those do you recommend?

I'm narrowing my list to the NB 876 and 740, and some wider forefoot shoes from La Sportiva, Montrail and possibly Scarpa (Innov-8 as well if they have a shoe that's stiff enough and cushioned enough for me).

Edited by mountainwalker on 12/11/2010 20:15:51 MST.

These shoes really work for me.
Great fit. All terrain wet/dry traction. Long lasting (compared to Inov8 and Solomon).

But, the lacing system has a serious flaw. The laces go through loops that purportedly adds tension to the heel cup.



These loops are exposed, anchored near the heel, protrude beyond the heel, and are vulnerable to abrasion. I wore through one, and nearly through the other.



I was able to re-lace through the "leather" eyelet for the loop, but not surprisingly, this significantly changed the conformation and fit of the shoe. (I was still 20 miles from the trailhead.) I ended up with a huge blister, even though I caught and taped it in its initial stages.

I have many tough miles on these shoes and I'm sure I have exceeded their expected lifetime. But in my opinion this failure could occur at any time.

I like these shoes well enough that I'll get another pair, but will "armor" the heel loops and the insertion point in some fashion with copious amounts of SeamGrip. And I may try to lace directly through the "leather" eyelet from the beginning, making these loops superfluous.

I have just been notified that new shoes are on the way!

I stated in my correspondence to New Balance "I have many tough miles on these shoes and I'm sure I have exceeded their expected lifetime."

I did not expect a replacement. I only wanted to raise the issue.

Hat's Off to New Balance.

Edited by greg23 on 05/16/2011 19:00:44 MDT.

Good to hear Greg, I'm taking my new 876's out this weekend for the second time and really like them so far... thanks for the original review Roger