The owner of the shop I go to put me onto New Balance late last year. They were low on supplies and New Balance was one of the few brands they had in my size. He told me he had been getting a lot of positive feedback about numerics, especially in terms of durability. As I am often broke, tough shoes sounded good. I forget what I had first, like the 345s or something. I really liked those. Comfy and durable, and fit like a glove. I got the 440s like a month or two ago and I LOVE them. Best soles ever, really sturdy and I can feel my board really well. Super comfortable shoe. Durable AF. I don't remember the last time I was this stoked on a shoe. I bought a backup pair because I have a feeling I'll be too broke when I actually need to replace these.
In summation, the 440s are ill shit.