Customer Reviews New Balance MW1569 - GORE-TEX®

A former marathon runner, I've always worn New Balance. Now age 65 and a long-distance walker, these are my first walking shoes. Like all new New Balance, they fit like surgical gloves; lace them tight, they're an extension of your own foot. Foot & shoe take time to conform, don't fret an early blister. Work through it; wear tight fitting, slick socks. I love mine. Great support, and getting more comfortable, every day.

The most perfect shoe for winter time, walking all year and just plain comfort. Very well built, in fact, I ordered a second pair right away, assuming that the model would change next year, and now have a pair ready when these wear out. I have a wide foot, so NB shoes have always been a choice for me, but this is the shoe I have been looking for. I love them.

Performs as expected. Size and width good - the width is important as I take a B or narrow fit. Top lace hooks are a bit tricky to get the laces under. Would have preferred a lower cuff - but this was the only style in a narrow waterproof shoe.

Seems like as I get older (50's) now, shoes have changed, or my feet have changed. Either way, this is the only shoe that I have found to work.

Bought these for my husband. He loved how they looked, but the fit was a bit too small. I returned them for a half-size larger and they fit perfectly. My husband reports that the shoes keep his feet warm and dry. He loves the styling and color, and says they are comfortable to wear all day.

I purchased the New Balance 1569 ("Mens Walking" MW1569BR) at the first of the year. I was looking for some hiking boots that were more than just sneakers with off-road tread' and less than serious' backpacking boots. I wanted something I could comfortably wear on the hiking I do in the local mountains, but versatile enough that I could wear on some of the higher, longer treks - like Mount Whitney. They had to be durable, waterproof, comfortable, and come with a warranty. The New Balance 1569 is a midweight hiking boot designed to take on rugged terrain. It uses Gore-Tex technology to make the shoe waterproof, combined, apparently, with premium leather reinforced uppers. The shoe has waterpoof round hiker laces that run through metal grommets, cross through the gusseted tongue, which is padded for comfort and sewn in place, and finally through two sets of hooks. The collar is also padded and high enough to provide comfort and protection for the ankle. The shoe has a good, solid toe box that is abrasion resistant. The sole has New Balance's ABZORB premium cushioning, ROCK STOP that protects the forefoot from intrusion from sharp debris and features full ROLLBAR technology that provides excellent motion control and lateral support. The shoe has a non-marking deep pattern rubber outsole that provides good grip. I went to the the local New Balance store to buy these at the recommendation of my REI shoe guy. Apparently, I've got duck-shaped feet (9.5E) that don't lend themselves to the skinny shoes that REI normally stocks. The salesman at the New Balance store was very helpful, although they were fairly busy. He took the time to explain the shoe options, and it pretty much came down to this model, which came in wide widths. The 9.5E was WAY too small. We stepped it up (no pun intended) to a 10E and then a 10.5E. After reading online, it's my understanding that this model isn't a Made in the USA' model. The NBs made off shore tend to run small, and these were no exception. The 10.5Es fit perfectly! If you're planning on buying a pair, you're going to have to jump up a full size so that your toes have someplace so sit comfortably while you're walking around. I, primarily, wear Keen sandles or hiking shoes. These shoes are a bit of a departure from my go-to footwear. I was unaccustomed to the collar, and initially had some discomfort in my ankle area the first couple of days I wore them. I also just quit wearing other shoes cold-turkey to break these in. After the initial getting-to-know-you period (about 10 miles, total), I've walked (mostly city weekdays, local trails weekends) about 35 miles. These shoes are comfortable, and I have no foot fatigue, don't get hot foot, and haven't noticed any unusual issues. It'll take some time to see how they wear, but overall I'm quite satisfied with my purchase. This is a great boot. It works well on-road, off-road on both trails and off-trail terrain. Much of where I've used them so far is average Southern California terrain; it's lots of dirt, some rocks, and isn't what I'd called extremely rugged. More "groomed" trails are the norm. For general hiking duties, this is a good choice. Longer hikes - with the ABZORB cushioning, ankle support and stiffness - aren't a problem. Overall quality: the braided nylon laces stay tied without any double-knotting, the tread is thick and solid, the welt is tight without any weak spots, the stitching is neat without any missed stitches, and the shoe appears to be well constructed.

I purchased these shoes for my son who wears a 4E shoe and uses custom orthotics. New Balance is his "go to" shoe brand and these shoes did not disappoint. The fit was perfect, they easily accommodated his orthotics, and they look great. On an extended hike in the snow his feet remained warm and dry. He wears them often.

These are the best! Warm, versatile and stylish.

These shoes fit my foot perfect, I have an 11 4E Width. The shoes were comfortable right out of the box, no break in period was needed. By the way, Zappos service rocks! Nice work Zappos.

I have very wide feet (8 EEEE) and high arches, thus it is very difficult to find shoes that fit. New Balance has always been my salvation in footwear, and these shoes have lived up to that expectation. They fit, were true to size, and were VERY comfortable right out of the box. I would highly recommend these shoes to anyone.

The shoe is very light and comfortable. Pretty waterproof. I thought it wore out a little too soon for the money spent. I bought another pair anyway.

This is a nice lightweight hiking shoe. I especially like that it comes in 6E width. I would say order your normal shoe size.

These are the best shoes that I have ever owned except for one problem. I have had to glue the sole back to the top of a still perfectly good upper for the second time. It would be great if they could find a better way to attach the sole so it would last as long as the tops or lower the price of the shoe. The sole on my grand-kid's cheap shoes last about as long as my soles.

Ordered the 14EE and it ran short in length. The 15EE felt fine but in length but didn't work with my orthotic. Zappos Service: 5 Star.

I have a very wide foot: 4E. Once I discovered New Balance, they've been the only brand I normally buy. I purchased this boot in my normal size and it is not the same width as their shoes. Had them on for seconds before sending them back.

I walk a lot, and for many years, real hiking boots were on my feet every day. That changed about four years ago, when I could no longer find comfortable, solidly built boots, and since then have been wearing top of the line New Balance walking/running shoes. I had worn out my third pair, and I ordered a fourth, but I also looked at others in the New Balance line, and found this nice looking boot. I stick with New Balance because they make the narrow sizes my feet need. My size, 11 1/2 B, was out of stock, and reviews said they ran small, so I ordered and tried on 12D, but asking for an email when 12B came in stock. Within a week, the 12Bs had been shipped, and I've been wearing them ever since (about two weeks). After some somewhat rough walking over the weekend, I'm very happy with these shoes (it's a stretch to call them boots). I wouldn't do serious trails with them, but they're well suited for my "general walking around," and they'll be on my feet until they wear out. The only downsides: 1) the interior finish is a bit rough, but fine with the heavy socks we would normally wear for hiking. 2) NOT made in USA. So much for "dedicated to the American worker." These shoes were comfortable when I first put them on, and they're just as comfortable two weeks later. They also kept my feet dry when I was washing some stuff outside with the hose. Zappos service remains first class. Shipping was very fast, returning the wrong size pair was painless.

I buy Dunham and New Balance shoes because they come in wider sizes than most shoes. I have bunions on both feet which require wider shoes. I wore the New Balance MW1569 boots two weeks ago while backpacking on the A.T. in Vermont. They were comfortable and I have no complaints. The problem some people have complained about concerning it being hard to get the shoe strings around the upper-most set of lugs seems to dissipate after the shoes are worn awhile and get broken in. It is true that New Balance and Dunham seem to run a size-or-two smaller and narrower then most so I suggest ordering a size-or-two larger and wider then with most other brands.

I have all most 100 miles in these shoes. I walk over 6+ miles a day. Admittedly, I'm rough on shoes. PROS - Love the look. Light. Mid top height. CONS - Fits smaller than other NB shoes I have bought in the past. More narrow as well. Stitching is starting to come loose in the right outside toe box. No really water proof, even with a treatment. Love the look, just wish the fit was better.

I'm still pinching myself that I may have finally found a pair of shoes to replace my New Balance 967 low hikers. Those shoes were so instantly comfortable when I bought them back in 2004 or 2005 in a size 13 4E that I immediately bought a second pair, which I wear on hikes to this day, but unfortunately are falling apart. I've tried in vain to find a replacement, but even size 14's wouldn't work. But these shoes do. In size 15 4E. Not sure what's going on at New balance that size 15 now equals size 13 10 years ago, but whatever. The quality of these shoes doesn't seem to be all that great (creases the tongue, poor insoles, etc.), but I haven't done much hiking in them yet. I'm just glad they fit.

New Balance mens boot MW1569 runs small by 1 to 1.5 sizes. I'm now trying size 12 when I ordinarily wear size 10.5 or 11.

I've had these shoes for over a month now, and very pleased. I have wide feet and initially ordered the 10 1/2 EE for a pair of 11 EE's. These fit fine. Very comfortable walking (I walk 5 miles daily). Really impressed with the return process and how quickly the replacement pair arrived.

I'm a big fan of New Balance so when I was looking for a pair of boots for winter in Chicago I bought these...bottom line they are great, good warmth, traction and style...but it took a while get here. It seems New Balance sizing, at least for me is 3 half sizes too small. Thanks to Zappos policy of paying for shipping I'm a happy customer.

Believe the other reviews that this shoe fits smaller. I have had many different pairs of NB shoes and am almost always an 11 EE...not in this shoe. Am exchanging for a 12 D (fits smaller yet wider than the three current pairs of NB I have in my closet) and hoping that it will fit. Like the shoe otherwise so far.

I was looking for something I could wear at work. I was a Red Wing King Toe shoe buyer for 12 years. Then they decided to save 50 cents and some foam...no more Red Wing. These shoes were just to try out. The leather feels nice but they would not have been good in my work environment with all the oil and grease. I would have kept them for just regular wear, camping/ hiking, but they are much smaller than the size would indicate. I also ordered them because the New Balance MOL-01 is the same type of shoe lasting as their Sl-2 which is the shape of my foot. But like I said. They are almost 2 sizes too small and at least 1 size off on the width. I wear 11.5 2E. I returned them and I haven't ordered another pair yet because I got a call from the Red Wing store that they have something else for me to try, but it will take 4 weeks to get them. We will see. But if I decided to re-order these I would get 13-13.5 and 4E. So 1.5-2 sizes up and 1 size wider than you would normally order in New Balance. Yes, I am a perfectionist...but really, we can't get shoes from the same company to come out in the same size? In this day and age? Seems like they could just send the shoe lasting over and tell the new manufacturers...here, copy this. If you wear an SL-2 lasting...you are unique and awesome! Hooray for us!

I work as chief engineer of a radio station in New England, so I need footwear that can go out in the field in any weather, but still looks presentable enough around the office. I have generally been happy with New Balance sneakers with Gore-Tex on this front. But I've had two different models fail on me in far too short a time so I think I'm going to try The North Face again. Most recently it was a MW1569BR. The shoe's color is a little too light brown for my tastes anyway, I'd prefer a darker brown. And as usual the "hooks at the ankle" for the laces is a sadistic, evil idea (they never stay in place unless you yank 'em so tight it hurts your feet). But both of those I can work around easily enough. More problematic is that after only nine months, both soles have started squeaking loudly when I walk. It's not the insert; if you put a hand inside the shoe, and then press upwards on the sole with your other hand...about where the main pad of your foot goes...you can feel something inside rubbing/compressing and there's a very audible squeak. The last set of NB sneakers I had did this, too. That's unacceptable. For the price I don't expect a shoe to last forever, but at least 12 months doesn't seem like it should be unrealistic.