515 Sneaker (Men)

I've worn several pairs of New Balance sneakers over the years, but this is my first experience with the 515 model. It took a few hours of walking indoors to get used to them, mainly because I wasn't sure how snugly to tie them for optimal comfort, especially in the heel area. Once I figured it out, they felt great. These are very well constructed too, and that was obvious right away. I'm glad I chose a light gray color, since they go with virtually every pair of shorts I wear. They should hold up well over time, just as my other New Balance shoes have.

I generally wear a 9.5 D for all sneakers and shoes. Have gone down to 9 at times, but they were a bit tight. These feel like they are 9's not 9.5's. Not sure if this was just this batch, or what. But the shoes are too small for me to continue to wear and I need to order new ones. Other than that, love them.

I liked the aesthetic of this shoe and, after reading the reviews, I prompted to order myself the 2E width. I have a pair of the 990V6's in 2E width and they fit perfectly, so I was hoping that same width in the 515's would fit just as nicely. Once I received them, I could tell they were going to be really narrow still, but still decided to give them a try by switching out the insoles with my Aetrex insoles and primarily wore them around the house for a day. I also got outside for a couple short 5 minute walks to get more movement in them. The insole swap did make them more comfy, but they still felt really narrow in the midsole area and, even after wearing them indoors primarily to "break them in", the balls of my feet felt a bit sore by the end of the day. Such a disappointment! Length-wise, they fit fine as I had sufficient room from my big toe to the end of the toe box. I'll be returning these with the intention of exchanging for a 4E width. Hopefully, those give a better result!