While you are planning to buy a shoe, it needs to be comfortable enough so that you can get a good grip on your step. When it comes to buying shoes the name of the brands that can very likely pop up in your mind is New Balance and Nike. However, wearers need to be very conscious about picking the right one that fits the feet properly. Ill-fitting can cause foot fatigue, toe swelling, or other problems, leading you to have a bad experience.
Well, any New balance shoes serve a true-to-fit size. But Nike demands a bit more research to find the right fit. So, are you wondering how to find the right fittings while comparing these two brands? Here, let’s have a look.
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Shoes fitting
How Do New Balance Shoes fit?
The New Balance shoes are finely crafted to meet the fitting needs of the wearer. The New Balance shoes come with comprehensive size charts for all. The brand provides conversions for the UK, US, and EU sizes, along with corresponding centimeter measurements available for every shoe pair. For women, the New Balance shoes offer the size up to 14, and for men, the size ranges up to 13.
For adults, it also comes with the extra-narrow to xx-wide sizes. For kids, New Balance offers standard extra-wide. However, not all width exists for all kinds of shoes. For women, the average width is B, and D is for men, while M is for kids. In case the shoes seem to be much wide, then men can select 2A or B, and women can opt for4A or 2A. In case the fitting is narrower, then Men can consider 6E, 4E, or 2E. As per the opinion of the majority, New Balance shoes run for true size.
How Do Nike Shoes Fit?
Nike is highly anticipated for its stable features. But when it comes to fitting, Nike shoes tend to be slightly smaller than its other competitors. Most of the time, Nike shoes run a bit smaller in both length and width. Those who have flatter feet can experience discomfort with the arch size offered by Nike shoes. However, those, who have a high or natural arch, find Nike shoes best for fittings.
Moreover, the size of Nike shoes specifically depends on the shoe series you are buying. For better fitting of the width, Nike shoes are available in wide and extra-wide variants. While most of the Nike shoes do not accommodate wider feet, it comes with a special series like Nike Air ZoomStructure and Nike Zoom Vomero, exclusively designed for wide feet. The smaller sizes of Nike shoes are to offer a proper fit for those who usually find it uncomfortable to wear shoes that are too big for them.
Shoe Size
Sizing Guide For New Balance
While most of the New Balance shoes are made to become True to Size, finding the right size is not at all an issue in this brand. Here is the sizing guide to find the right one.
The men’s footwear size ranges from 4-20. Each of the sizes comes with UK and EU variants. The conversion range for a standard 4 US men size ranges to 5.5 of US Women. At the same time, the UK size ranges up to 3.5 and 36 for the EU. The length comes in cm is 22.
The conversion guide for women comes with a variety of ranges. A regular 4 US women size comes similar to 2.5 for US Men. The UK size is 2, and the EU ranges to 34, while the dimension refers to 21 cm.
Here’s a width guide of shoes:
Men’s Shoe Widths
- 2A – X-Narrow
- B- Narrow
- D-Standard
- 2E- wide
- 4E- X-Wide
- 6E- XX-Wide
Women’s shoe widths:
- 4A- X-Narrow
- 2A- Narrow
- B- Standard
- D- Wide
- 2E- X-Wide
- 4E- XX-Wide
Kids shoe width:
- M – Standard
- W- Wide
- XW- Extra Wide
Sizing Guide For Nike
The sizing for the Nike shoes goes a bit different from the New balance shoes. For example, the 7 US Men of a standard Nike shoe is 9.6 inches and translates to 9.8 inches for the New Balance.
The men’s shoe size in Nike ranges from 6 to 18. The US size 6 comes with 5.5 of UK size and 38.5 of the Euro sizes, while the dimension is 23.7 inches.
The women’s shoes, on the other hand, range between the US 5-12. The US size 5 comes with 2.5 UK size, 35.5 Euro size, and 22 inches of dimension.
The kids’ collection for the shoes ranges between 0C- 13.5C.
How Do I Differentiate Between the Width of New Balance and Nike shoes?
This comparison chart between the two brands can give you better insight.Here is the comparison between the width for Nike and New Balance shoes for men.
| Width | New Balance men’s shoe width | Nike men’s shoe width |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow | B | B |
| Medium | D | D |
| Wide | 2E | 2E |
| Extra-wide | 4E | 4E |
| XX-Wide | 6E | o |
Look at the comparison chart of width for both Nike and New balance women’s shoes
| Width | New Balance women’s shoe width | Nike women’s shoe width |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow | 2A | – |
| Standard | B | B |
| Wide | D | D |
| Extra-wide | 2E | 2E |
Though the width for women’s shoes is quite similar for both brands, men’s shoes are slightly different. New Balance offers variants for XX-Wide feet type, while Nike limits its width variation up to only the extra-wide width range.
How Do I Choose the Right Shoe size?
While purchasing the right shoe, you need to ensure a pair that offers you proper fitting and maximum comfort. Here is how you choose the right shoe for your feet.
- Trace mark your foot: It’s better to start with tracing your foot on the paper. Then place the shoe on the top of the tracing. If the shoe appears to be much narrower or shorter, then it is better not to try.
- Wear the same socks: While buying the right shoe for you, try on the same types of socks to the store that you are thinking of wearing with your shoes.
- Measure both of your feet: It is the natural tendency of one foot to differ in size from the other one. So, while buying the right shoe, measure both your feet and buy the size that fits your larger feet.
- Stand and walk wearing the shoe: While trying a new shoe, try to stand and walk in it to understand if it is comfortable or not. It is better to consider a shoe that fits properly from the start rather than picking one that needs to break-in.
- Consider your own comfort level: Though the shoes usually come with various size descriptions, it is better to use one that fits rightly to your comfort level.
- Check the shoe material: Not only the size needs to be perfect, but the material also needs to be a suitable one. Check if the material is not irritating your feet.
- Consider the width: If the ball of your foot feels pressed in a shoe, then it is better to opt for a wider size.
- Look for the soles: Before buying a shoe, properly examine its sole. Ensure that the shoe you are buying is sturdy enough to protect your feet from various sharp objects and offers proper cushioning to the feet area.
The bottom line
When buying a pair of shoes, always pay attention to its size and the level of comfort it is providing. Both New Balance and Nike serve the best of quality in performance. But your comfort matters more than the brand name.
New Balance fitting is quite seamless and gives you a great performance for a long time. While Nike shoes are a bit smaller and need to be measured first before buying, it serves great performance for the narrow size feet.
Brandon R. Katz is a registered professional nurse who has been instrumental in providing us with an informed opinion on the medical aspects of footwear. He graduated from NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and currently provides his services at a non-federal long-term care hospital in Brooklyn, NY.
Brandon proves to be the champion in the group of expert writers with his in-depth knowledge in foot health, how to take care of it adequately, and what shoes, socks, or insoles will be supreme for you. He has previously worked with hospitals where he has foreseen both inpatient and outpatient departments and has been a practicing nurse since 2009.
Brandon hails from Jersey City, NY, and has a loving family of four with a small popper called Rozo. His decision to become a nurse arises from the desire to be in the position of helping and rehabilitating people.
