So I’ve had two half-sessions in the 913s. One with my preferred insoles and one with the included Ortholites.
First off, the midsole padding is exactly what I’ve been looking for since I can no longer get Reynolds Lows. Heel and ball of foot feel cushioned- which ought to be a no-brainer but it’s 2020 and somehow everyone has decided that you don’t need any foot padding for jumping off shit and landing on concrete. (FWIW, the MOST cushioned shoes today have as about as much heel padding as the Rowley XLT had in the toe). I like that you can swap out insoles.
The rest of the shoe is decent although a few bits rub me the wrong way (literally). The tongue is not well padded and the top digs into my instep. The heel collar seems high and hits my achilles painfully. Both of these feel like they will break in but ought to be more padded/angled away/trimmed.
The outsole grip is not bad although the herringbone tread is not that deep and I expect will wear out before the upper (reminds me of something from the early Nike SB line).
The plastic cage is dumb and adds nothing but cost and a firm surface to shred laces against. It doesn’t pinch in my case but you’d get a better fit without it. Reminds me of the first adidas Boost shoes and everyone hated it on those and it was eventually replaced with a thinner, more flexible, rubber like cage.
There is a lot of volume in the toe box. With my aftermarket insoles in its not bad but in my second session after it had broken in a bit and I had the original insoles back in, it felt cavernous. I think it has a lot to do with the square-ish toe shape, which isn’t so apparent in most pictures. Would have preferred more rounded or pointy. The whole shoe feels a bit understuffed for its width and profile. Maybe I could have gone down a half size although my toes would probably be right up to the edge in that case.
In summary, I really like sole padding and I can deal with the rest but the upper isn’t a slam dunk for me.
Topic: New Balance # containment thread (Read 786010 times)