Initial Impressions, New Balance, Sneakers

New Balance 991v2: Good, but Expensive

Price: $250 [Available for Less on eBay]

Why Buy?

The New Balance 991v2 is a great balance of comfort and retro style.

Why Avoid?

The New Balance 991v2 has two really questionable style choices, and costs around $80 too much in the U.S.

Specs

Model991v2
HeightLow
MaterialsSuede / PU / TPU / EVA / Rubber
Size13
Weight 462 g / 1 lb 0.2 oz
ConstructionCemented
Country of OriginUnited Kingtom

History

New Balance’s UK factory can be a bit of the odd man out for the brand. Sure, there have been some classics from the factory – like the 991v1. Full Review Here if you want to check it out. However, that sneaker came out 30 years ago. Since then, it’s generally been sneakers that are basically rebadged versions of their other models. Or, more often, models that don’t really land.

To make matters worse, no matter which option you picked from them, the tech would be out of date. Guys like me might like the harder foams, but it isn’t what moves product in a world of Boost and ZoomX.

This has always been a bit of a shame. The 991v1 was one of my favorite sneakers the brand made. The only reason I don’t rank it higher is because it’s so similar to the 990v2, my favorite New Balance sneaker. And the990v2 one costs way less here in the U.S.

Ad

However, while that one might be my favorite to style, the 990v6 is the one that gets the most wear. That was why I was so excited to see the 991v2. Here you get the style of those early 1990’s pairs, with tech from the 990v6. All while still being made in a first world country.

Today, we’re going to take a look at the New Balance 991v2 and see if the sneaker is worth picking up. Let’s dive in.


Looks

Upper

The upper of the New Balance 991v2 is about as classic New Balance as you can get. Overall, you’ll find big swaths of pig suede leather broken up by mesh panels.

If you dive a bit deeper, you will see the differences from the V1. The mesh panels are a bit bigger, giving a more modern look. The suede panels themselves are also more curved – often for no purpose other than style. While it doesn’t bother me since this is the way New Balance has been trending for a few years, I have seen others complain that this takes away from the purposeful shape of the original.

The two most controversial changes to the upper are near the rear. The first is the huge reflective “991” on the exterior of the heel. It is impossible to miss and doesn’t really fit on a sneaker that is designed to be a retro first and foremost. The second is the “V2” on the back. It isn’t reflective this time, but it is at a weird angle.

Ad

While I don’t personally believe that either of these ruin the sneaker, I do think that it would be better without them. Though, who knows, maybe in 30 years these will be the retro-looking designs we all love.

Some things were not changed. You still get a (now very) reflective N. The tongue still features a large patch with “Made in England 991” on it. Flag lovers will be sad to see the Union Jack was removed from the back, but most people probably didn’t even know it was there.

Inside a grey lining covers the back half of the sneaker as well as the insole. A previous pair I saw during launch had both white and grey laces, but this one only came with grey straight from New Balance.

Mid and Outsole

From 10 feet away, the bottom half of the New Balance 991v2 looks extremely similar to the original model. In base form it’s 2 colors of foam – white up front and a greyish cream in the back. However, the pattern is actually quite a bit different. The v2 looks way more like the American designed models than the British ones.

Personally, I prefer the new design, but can see why someone wouldn’t.

Ad

The other major change down here is the exposed gel pods changed from being caged in clear plastic to being exposed. Out of the box this looks awesome. It’s like a gummy candy and translates the squish well.

Unfortunately, this was not well thought out. After just a few wears dirt gets stuck to the gummy pods and they look filthy. You can see in pictures that there were hairs on them straight from the factory. Maybe this will change with time, but for a premium sneaker this is close to unacceptable.

Flipping the sneaker over, the outsole takes the classic two-color design from the 991v1 and ads a cut out for compression. Inside the cut out is exposed fuelcell foam, as a way of displaying the technology in the sneaker.

Summary

Overall, I find that this is an amazingly designed sneaker with two incredibly bad flaws. Overall, the New Balance 991v2 is stellar. It manages to look like those early 1990’s New Balance models while also increasingly comfort. Amazingly, while the midsole is significantly thicker, due to other minor changes throughout you don’t notice it.

However, the addition of the “991” panel and the gummy texture of the pods hurt it a lot. Without them, I’d say this is probably the best compromise of design and comfort New Balance has ever offered. With them, I’m not so sure.

Ad

Still, at the end of the day, very few people will notice either. The New Balance 991v2 will be perfect for the guy who likes to wear more retro runners but doesn’t want to compromise on comfort. I found these work great in just about any casual outfit – faded jeans, joggers, sweats, chinos. This is an incredibly versatile pair of sneakers.


Fit & Comfort

Fit

The New Balance 991v2 has updated their fit for more modern trends. Where the original 991v1 fit a bit short and a bit wide, the 991v2 fits like most modern sneakers. That is to say, a bit long and a bit narrow.

I personally got these in a 13, and believe this is the correct size. I wish they were a bit shorter for their width, but if I had gone down a size, they would have been squeezing my foot. If you have extremely narrow feet you might want to consider going a down a half size, but I think that almost everyone will want to go with their standard sneaker size.

Comfort

How you view the comfort of the 991v2 is going to depend a lot on what you compare it to. If you’re coming from the 991v1 or the 990v2, this is a major step up in comfort. While the upper is slightly more padded, the big change is the outsole. It manages to add some squish, without sacrificing the support that you’ve grown to love.

On the other hand, if you’re coming from the 990v6, these might be a disappointment. The upper is lined in an older type of fabric, which isn’t as smooth on your foot. Further, while there is fuel cell, it’s encased in a harder foam instead of being a big chunk able to squish freely.

Ad

Still, while it might not blow your mind, this sneaker is more than comfortable enough to wear all day. In fact, if you’re actually planning on doing a lot of walking, the encasement might make these better. Your feet will feel far less tired if they are not squishing down so much for mile after mile.


Materials & Construction

Materials

When it comes to the materials used on this sneaker, almost everything is either top tier or picked for a historical reason. Either way, the New Balance 991v2 materials are great.

Starting with the upper, the majority of the panels are made from a fairly thick pig suede leather. This should be durable and comfortable. The grey supports on the toe box and behind the “V2” on the back are still a man-made material, but it’s less offensive than some other options. This time it’s textured instead of smooth, and thinner overall.

The mesh is poly, and the reflective hits are all plastic – as you would expect.

Inside, the lining is that thinner fine-knit mesh from the older New Balance models. I appreciate that this gives the retro look, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a more modern pattern here for the sake of comfort. Still, this wasn’t them cheaping out, just something I would change.

Ad

The insole is not great, Chris from weartesters would be up in arms. It is a piece of hard foam. If you’re looking for more support, I’d suggest checking out a drop in insole. I took a look at a pair of Currex insoles a little while back that I move from sneaker to sneaker once I’m done with the 100-wear test.

Underfoot the sneaker uses PU foam for the darker colored foam, and Fuel Cell (a mix of TPU and EVA) for the white part. The PU encases the softer foam, and is their “ENCAP” technology. The pods are ABZOB SBS, an elastomer pod for extra compression similar to Asics’ GEL tech.

Construction

The New Balance 991v2 is made using cemented construction. This is, by far, the most common way to make a sneaker today. To put together a sneaker using cemented construction, the manufacturer first creates the upper and then glues the upper directly to the midsole.

This style of construction has several key benefits. First, it is extremely flexible – key for running sneakers. Next, it is extremely affordable – there is no cheaper way to make a sneaker. Finally, it is very water resistant as there are no holes or stitching for water to enter. Of course, this sneaker is full of holes on top and suede that will discolor if wet.

As for drawbacks, the biggest is going to be durability. There is nothing holding the sneaker together other than glue. If that starts to fail for whatever reason, the sneaker will simply fall apart. Further, while you might not care for most sneakers, this very expensive sneaker is basically non-repairable.

On construction, one thing that must be noted is where the New Balance 991v2 is made. Unlike any other main stream sneaker brand, New Balance still makes a good portion of their sneakers in first world countries. This particular pair comes from their Flimby, U.K. factory.

This manufacturing is great to support a small U.K. town, but does play a big role in the cost of this sneaker. Not only is labor higher, the U.S. imposes fairly high taxes on sneakers made overseas. On a pair of Nikes that only cost $25 to manufacture, a 20% percent tariff isn’t so bad. On a pair of U.K.-made New Balances that cost $100 to manufacture, 20% takes more of a bite.


How much does the New Balance 991v2 Cost?

Speaking of construction costs and tariffs, how much will a pair of New Balance 991v2 sneakers cost? Well, at time of writing these sneakers come in at a whopping $250 MSRP! That is right up there with the most expensive sneakers available from any main line brand.

Collaborations will add another $10-25 dollars on top.

While New Balance does try to protect the prestige of these sneakers by listing most colorways as excluded from promos, the good news is that you almost certainly don’t need to pay that much. I’ve purchased two pairs of New Balance 991v2s, and have paid less than 60% of retail on both pairs.

Be sure to check places like eBay, where I got mine. A lot of people buy these from EU-based retailers to avoid tariffs and decide they don’t like them when in hand, but are unable to return.


Are the New Balance 991v2 Worth It?

Let’s get one thing out of the way. For some people, and I include myself in this, the New Balance 991v2 is a nearly perfect every day sneaker. It’s more comfortable than the older style while still looking retro. It feels premium without looking obnoxious. There is even the added benefit that sneakerheads will know what you’re wearing and strike up a conversation, but people won’t try to rob you for your kind of generic looking sneakers.

In that case, this sneaker provides a ton of value.

All that being said, it is simply impossible to ignore the $250 price tag. Even when you get a “good deal,” you’re going to be spending close to the full price of other premium New Balance models. For almost everyone, you’re going to be much better off buying a pair of 990v6 and a pair of 990v2 at a discount. The 990v6 will be more comfortable, and the 990v2 doesn’t have the silly 991 patch.

Unless you’re enamored with these, going for the 2 is the play.

Ad