New Balance Men's MX626 Slip-Resistant Cross-Training Shoe

My boyfriend works in a restaurant kitchen and has a very wide foot. They require black, slip-resistant shoes. Because of this he is horribly difficult to fit with the selections available in our local shoe stores. Finally we decided to try Amazon and lucked out finding these. Right from the box he said they fit comfortably! The next day he wore them to work and was not in miserable pain when he got home. These shoes are sturdily constructed and they do have a few "vent holes" in the toe area. Despite the vents, after rinsing the flour and such from his shoes at the restaurant, his feet stayed dry. He is confident that he will get a lot of wear out of these shoes, especially compared to the less-than-quality specimens we are used to around here in the slip-resistant arena. These shoes look great on him and are very nicely made. They are very slip resistant by the way. Another employee had spilled grease in the floor as my boyfriend was walking by and these shoes stood their ground like a champ. His other shoes would have caused some problems at that moment for sure. He is impressed with the "gunk-resistance" as well. He works in an environment where a lot of flour and grease and batter get onto the floors. These shoes don't pick up as much of this in the treads as other styles he has had. The little tab on the heel is pretty useful as well. His only gripe is that the tongue of the shoe is too well-padded. But the lacing can be loosened to easily remedy this. I also am quite impressed with the crazy-fast shipping. We ordered on Thursday evening with one day shipping (which was only $3.99 extra because I have Prime), Friday morning the shoes were at our door by 10 AM! Great product and experience overall and this was my first order from Amazon.

As for the New Balance MX626 Slip Resistant Cross-Training Shoe, I am pleased with it so far. One bit of caution regarding New Balance (NB) shoes--for a number of years I have purchased NB shoes and ordered 1/2 size up as recommended, However, the past two pairs have been unusually snug--not feeling as long as prior NB shoes. I have always ordered 11 D (my regular shoe size is 10.5) and never had a problem until very recently. Consequently this time I ordered the MX626 in a size 11.5 and now my toes are not rubbing the front of the shoe when I walk. For some reason New Balance seems to have slightly shrunk their shoes in the past year or two--hence I suggest ordering one full size larger than one's normal shoe size. I like New Balance shoes but wonder if the company is getting a bit lax in their oversight/quality control of their various assembly lines--not only those in the USA but many others in far away places such as Indonesia, Vietnam, China, etc. Accurate sizing should be closely and regularly monitored--otherwise customers may begin to look elsewhere for their shoes. S. Harris, Greenbelt, MD

I finally found a non-slip shoe I can wear all day in the kitchen and not hate by closing time. These are perfect for my big/wide feet. They have great support, and the non-slip works as advertised. I have plantar fasciitis and tried every shoe I was suggested. Nothing worked, but these have. Not sure if it's because I finally have enough room in them for my foot to move more comfortably or if it has better support. I also don't care because my arches don't ache nearly the same as the did before. I've had them for a few months now and they are holding up great. A little wear and some of the edges look like they want to separate from the glue. BUT they haven't. I'm just hard on shoes and most end up looking years old once I've worn them 3 months. I can probably get a few more month out of this pair easily.I do wish they were a little more "breathable". My feet get hot and sweat in them considering they are so thick AND black. But the thickness to me adds to their sturdiness and why my feet aren't killing me every night. All in all though they don't have a strong odor considering my feet sweat in them. Plus they wipe clean easy enough.

I am in retail and walk/on my feet 8 hours a day! These shoes are like walking on carpet they are so comfy right of the box. They have no break-in needed. I had used Ecco Brand Atlantics for years but they began hurting my feet. I gave these a shot after the solid rankings for hard surfaces. I have no more pain in my feet when I arrive home yeah! I wish I had got them 1/2 size larger especially if you are going to wear white athletic tube socks. I look corny, but I still wear all my argyles I had for my Business Casual Ecco's so these fit just right, but would be close to snug with athletic socks. I have always worn normal width shoes and been snug on the instep and that was where all my pain was coming from at the end of the day. These 2E's are sweet and I don't have a huge wide foot. The just feel great! Great shoe and at 50% the Price of Ecco's...! Now I just need to find some good shoe conditioner to keep them looking close to new.

These shoes are well made, but they aren't like my old 621s. They are more like work shoes. I don't find them to be that comfortable to walk outside long distances in. The heels are high compared to the toe area of the shoe so I have to pick up my feel uncomfortably high in order to keep the heels from rubbing the pavement (this will improve as the heels wear down). My feet are not level with the ground so it creates a slight imbalance in my step when I'm walking fast. The slip resistant surface causes grass and tiny pebbles to get caught between the tiny grooves on the bottom of the shoe. Lesson learned - I'm going to be purchasing regular sneaker bottom shoes for the next go around.EDIT June 19, 2014:I don't like that these shoes were made to avoid crinkling up around the toe area. It favors shoe appearance at the expense for toe comfort and my toe area feels squashed together uncomfortably as a result. But I've noticed these shoes are a lot more comfortable to wear indoors than outdoors.