New Balance tennis shoes come in an array of sizes and widths. To buy the one right for your feet, you should know more about New Balance’s shoe sizing conventions and also your feet. Keep reading to learn more.
New Balance Tennis Shoes: Do They Run Big or Small?
New Balance tennis shoes fit true to size. In other words, they are not designed to run big or small and stretch or shrink over a period of usage. Unlike most other shoe brands, a New Balance pair doesn’t come with any breaking-in phase.
If your NB pair feels on the smaller or bigger side in the showroom or right out of the box, it would feel so throughout its life. Therefore, buy a size that fits snug or preferably is slightly larger so that there is room for your favourite pair of socks.
New Balance Size Conversion Chart
Compared to other shoe brands, New Balance adopts a slightly different size conversion method. It uses half-size conversions between US and UK sizes. Other popular shoe brands usually feature a conversion variation of one. For instance, US size 9 is UK size 8 in other brands.
With New Balance, however, US size 10 is UK size 9.5. These numbers can be quite confusing, particularly when you’re switching brands. It’s, therefore, recommended you refer to CM size numbers instead since they represent a shoe’s true stick length when compared to the US, UK, FR, EU, or other sizing conventions.
New Balance Men’s Size Chart
New Balance Women’s Size Chart
Shoe Width: What Size Are You?
In New Balance shoe sizes, D is the standard width for men. For women, it’s B. And it’s M for kids. If size D is leaving a bit too much space to spare, you may size down to a B. Or, if size D is a bit too small for your feet, bump up to size 2E for some additional room. The New Balance shoe size for men starts at UK size 3.5 and tops out at 19.5. For women, it starts at 1 and goes up to 13. The UK shoe size range for kids is 0.5 to 6 – with 0.5 being for new-borns and 6 for grade school kids.
The right New Balance shoe size for kids is usually determined by the age of the wearer. However, since kids grow at an accelerated and varying pace, it’s possible that your four-year-old kid may have outgrown New Balance-recommended shoe size for kids of the same age, or your kid’s feet could be smaller than the standard size. Measuring your kid’s feet before buying a pair, therefore, is recommended.
New Balance Sizing Tips
Here are some of the tips you’d better use when choosing new balance shoes:
Comfort
Your brand-new New Balance shoes should fit comfortably. There shouldn’t be any slipping at/near the heel. The shoe’s midfoot beneath your arch and above your foot must be snug – not too airy or too tight. As mentioned before, New Balance shoes are designed to fit you properly right off the bat. There is no break-in period with them.
Wiggle Room at The Toes
Since you would be moving a lot on the court, there should be some wiggle room at the toes. If your feet feel cramped or you feel excessively tired after a match or practice session, your shoes’ inappropriate size could be the reason. Most likely, the shoes were a size smaller. Wearing too-small shoes could even cause calluses or blisters on or between your toes.
Try Both Shoes
Your left and right foot need not be identical in size. There are possibilities one could be bigger than the other. Therefore, when trying the shoes, try them on both feet. If the shoes feel tight on one foot and fairly snug on the other, buy the next size. If the next size feels a bit too large, you can always make up for that additional room with insoles, socks, or a change in the lacing pattern.
How To Choose The Right Size
A shoe that feels constricting or a bit too spacious isn’t the right size for your feet. If two subsequent shoe sizes do not feel like the right fit, it’s recommended you opt for the bigger size of the two since your feet tend to marginally increase in size with age. For instance, women’s feet tend to go up in size after pregnancy.
Also, your feet tend to ever so slightly inflate during the day. Therefore, go shopping for shoes or try the pair shipped to you during the day so you get the real picture. If your feet are narrower at the heel and broader at the forefoot, New Balance offers you models, such as the SL-2 Last, which come with a narrower heel and a wider toe box compared to the brand’s other shoes.
If the shoes come with laces, you should be able to place your finger underneath them when you have the shoes on. Also, you must be able to wiggle and move your toes inside the shoes without feeling any squeezing. The space between the toe-box and your toes shouldn’t be more than the width of your thumb.
New Balance Sizing vs Nike
New Balance and Nike shoe sizes could mean different things. Based on the size, the difference could be relatively dramatic. For example, a size 7 Nike shoe for men is 9.6 inches in dimensions. A New Balance shoe with the same size would be 9.8 inches. While these less-than-one-inch differences don’t look significant on paper, they do when you try them on.
If you are coming from a Nike and looking for a true to size fit, you should consider sizing down on your New Balance. For instance, if you wear a size 9 Nike pair, your NB shoes should be 8.5. And the actual numbers may vary based on the specific New Balance models.
Further reading on sizing:
New Balance Sizing vs Adidas
Like with Nike, New Balance shoes and Adidas pairs have different measurements based on size. For instance, a UK 9 size Adidas and a UK 9 size New Balance would not have the exact dimensions. When the same sizes of both brands are compared, the New Balance pair tends to be a few millimetres bigger.
The only time you may have to buy a bigger size Adidas shoe than an NB is when you buy an Adidas Ultra Boost. Things, however, again boil down to the exact Adidas Boost variant since there are quite a few variations of them.
New Balance Sizing vs Asics
At first glance, New Balance and Asics seem similar. However, there are differences between the shoe sizes and designs of the two brands. The disparities are typically in their toe box sizes, the bottom slope of the shoes, and cushioning methods employed. Asics frequently features narrow or tight toe boxes.
Based on your foot’s shape, this could work like a charm or turn out catastrophic. Both New Balance and Asics offer no slope with their shoes. As far as padding goes, Asics uses gel while New Balance incorporates foam. Due to these distinct attributes, size differences between the two brands may arise.
How to Measure Your Size at Home
Measuring your feet is pretty straightforward if you have the right tools. In other words, you would need a chair, a pair of socks, two sheets of paper that are bigger than your feet, a tape, and a pencil or pen.
Before sizing your feet up, wear the kind of socks you intend to wear with the shoes, so you get the exact measurement for a snug fit. For instance, if you’re buying a pair of New Balance tennis shoes, wear tennis-appropriate socks.
Make sure you balance your weight between your feet – whether you’re standing or seated. Mark your foot size using paper and pencil/pen. Get assistance from someone so that the markings are right. You should be comfortably seated when the measurements are taken. Both feet should be marked. If someone else is marking your feet and taking down the measurements, you may stand.
Last Words
New Balance tennis shoes offer a range of sizes to cater to the diverse foot shapes and sizes of athletes around the world. When selecting a pair, it’s essential to consider not just the length, but also the width and overall fit, ensuring optimal comfort and performance on the court.
Always refer to New Balance’s specific sizing chart and, if possible, try them on in-store or buy from retailers with a good return policy. By prioritizing the right fit, you not only safeguard your feet but also enhance your game, allowing you to play longer and more effectively.
Your support means a lot! 
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