Men's New Balance 876

Comments about Mens New Balance 876 Trail Running Shoe:

On the fit:

I have a narrow foot, a little on the bony side, and a high arch. I usually wear a size 11/1/2, but I tried the 876s on in an 11. I didn't expect them to fit all that well; NBs tend to fit me too wide in the toe box; but these were nice and snug. One of the reasons is the integrated neoprone tongue construction. It wraps around the foot evenly which helps prevent specific pressure points. The heel fit is pretty rigid without being stiff and chafing. So far, my longest run in these shoes has been about 16 miles and a ton of elevation in some rocky, gravely terrain. afterwards, my feet didn't bother me at all--no blisters or sore spots. always a nice surprise. I always recommend against orthotics or custom insoles; run with proper form and let your foot muscles become strong enough on their own. these shoes have a "neutral" arch support, which means they offer less support, so if your arches are high already it would be a shame to hamper that arch with a cushion underneath it.

On the construction:

My only criticism of the shoe is that it's a little heavy. I'm very much a minimalist runner, but I've come to the realization that, when it comes to any kind of distance trail running, durable shoes will save you--whether it be from a sprain, a slip, or a bruised footbed. That said, these shoes are a little on the heavy side, and I noticed that immediately when I tried them on against other shoes. It's not a huge difference, only a couple ounces, and the shoes are very streamlined; but for people accustomed to minimalist footwear these shoes will feel heavy at first. Overall, though, the weight does NOT take away from the shoe's performance. The shoe tracks very well in dirt, gravel, rocks, and even mud, and the tread doesn't collect debris in its crevices. The tongue construction does an excellent job of keeping debris out of the shoe, though. The shoe breathes well when wet too, and the vents along the outside keep my feet from overheating. Another cool concept, though small, are the ribbed shoe laces. the ribs keep the laces from untying and loosening throgh the eye holes. This is a nice thing not to worry about 10 miles into a long run. I've put about 40 miles on these shoes so far, so they're still pretty young, but i've not noticed any visible external wear points.

Overall, as a minimalist runner who understands the place a trail shoe fills in his closet, these shoes have thoroughly satisfied me. I can still maintain my light gait and midfoot strike, and my foot stays squarely in place over the duration of a long run. I would recommend NB fans to try this shoe on first, though, as I imagine it will fit those people with wider feet a little snugly.

Great shoe, good price, and not nearly as heinously ugly as other trails shoes.

Comments about Mens New Balance 876 Trail Running Shoe:

I am 5' 10", 175 lbs, high arches, and wear a 2E width. I have a neutral gait, with a little pronation on follow through.. I run 5-20+ miles a week depending on weather. I have used New Balances for about 40 years.
I run on pavement, dirt, gravel, snow, mud, all of it.
This is a true neutral shoe, and fits widths better than some other NB shoes. It is very comfortable and stable.
I miss the open lug sole of the old 874 though. The 876 has a modified street pattern. It is less stable on gravel, rocks and tree nuts. It provides less cushioning. The traction is adequate side to side, but not so fore and aft. This means that running in snow or other low traction conditions will take twice the effort. It also means that slips and possible injuries are more likely. It does not self clean in sticky conditions.

Comments about Mens New Balance 876 Trail Running Shoe:

Nice trail shoe with a good fit but not too tight. Good enough to run on trails and some roads of shorter distance. Tread pattern is not overly aggressive which is fine with me, and has proven to be great for most trails and mountain runs. I have owned many different types of trail shoes, and as an avid trail runner I like this new one the best. If you over pronate this shoe is not for you.

Comments about Mens New Balance 876 Trail Running Shoe:

Great shoe for the trail. Good traction, foot support and relatively lightweight. I use with my orthodics and its working out fine.

Comments about Mens New Balance 876 Trail Running Shoe:

Good comfort, lightweight, and durable so far. I haven't put a lot of miles on them yet, so I can't guarantee durability. But I've only been satisfied with this shoe as of today. Excellent price too!

Comments about Mens New Balance 876 Trail Running Shoe:

too narrow need a 4E

Comments about Mens New Balance 876 Trail Running Shoe:

These replace an earlier version of the same shoe that serviced me well for years. When they had done their duty for trail running, they became my everyday knockaround shoe, then finally got me through two serious mud runs earlier this year. I'm expecting the same excellent life from this shoe.

Comments about Mens New Balance 876 Trail Running Shoe:

Hey New Balance - make these shoes in the USA - I will pay the $$ difference!

Comments about Mens New Balance 876 Trail Running Shoe:

Excellent shoe, and improvement over the 875 withe exception to the solitary RED color.This shoe has lasted extremely well (300 mls plus) and is still in great shape...runs a bit hard on the road but provides excellent stabilty and protection in technical trail running.Take note of the improved tounge, rubber compound for the sole (especially on the edges at the ball of the foot) and increased protective inserts on the sides of the foot (also at the ball).A great shoe at any price and in my opinion the best at the price point.If you like spongy shoes (Nike or Brooks - Cascadia), this is not your bird.

Comments about Mens New Balance 876 Trail Running Shoe:

Excellent Trail shoe and the design of the tongue is unique and a perfect solution to the past issues with the tongue sliding.

Comments about Mens New Balance 876 Trail Running Shoe:

Got these as a casual shoe, but I have been using them to jog on a couple of trails / tracks in my area.