When I compared the New Balance 2002r vs 990, this is what stood out the most to me:
- In my opinion, the 990 provides more cushioning under the toe pad and the 2002r provides more cushioning under the heel. Overall, I’d probably give the slight edge in comfort to the 990. This is where you can see how each shoe responds on a foot.
- Both of these shoes have a flexible design that is not stiff to wear. I’d probably say the 2002r was the more flexible shoe, but it was really close. I’ll let you be the judge: this is where you can see the videos of me testing the flexibility and “twistability” of the New Balance 2002r vs 990.
- There is a big difference in the weight of these shoes. My 990v5 weighs more than my 2002r. This is where you can see how much of a weight difference there is in these shoes.
- Both shoes are very breathable, but I found the 2002r to be the more breathable option. When I hold mine up to the light, you can actually see light passing through. Here’s where you can see the photo of how much light actually passes through the 2002r shoe.
- The New Balance 990 and 2002r both fit within the realm of what I consider “true-to-size”. Both shoes have a regular width. For sizing help, I would suggest you check out these side-by-side comparison photos I took to compare the sizing of these shoes to other popular brands.
In this article let’s take a closer look at the New Balance 990v5 and the New Balance 2002r by using the videos and pictures I took of the shoes that I own.
Table of Contents
New Balance 2002r vs 990 Comfort
How They Respond on Foot
To give you an idea how these shoes respond on a foot, here I am wearing mine:
When comparing the under-foot comfort of the New Balance 2002r vs 990v5, I thought the 990v5 offers more cushioning under the toe pad and the 2002r offers more cushioning under the heel.
Overall, the under-the-foot comfort of the 990 and the 2002r is very close. Both are comfortable, but they won’t be as “squishy” under the foot as other types of New Balance shoes.
If you prefer a more modern, lightweight athletic shoe with soft “squishy” comfort under the foot, there will be better options. These types of soft-soled running shoes are very comfortable to wear, but won’t provide as much stability and support.
The 1080v12 is my favorite lightweight New Balance running shoe. It provides that “squishy” feeling and even though the 990 and 2002r are comfortable, they don’t have a thick, “squishy” midsole like the 1080v12 (990 compared to 1080).
For comparison, here is how the 1080v12 responds on my foot:
New Balance 2002r vs 990 Flexibility
In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible these shoes are:
Overall, I found the flexibility of these shoes to be very similar. Both have a flexible design that does not feel stiff on the foot. I did, however, find a difference in weight. Click here to view the difference in these shoes regarding weight.
New Balance 2002r vs 990 Padding
Both the 990v5 and the 2002r have quality padding around the collar and tongue. Here are mine (990v5 first):
Insole Thickness
Yes, both the 990v5 and the 2002r have removable insoles, so you can clean or swap them as needed. First, here is the insole of the 990v5:
And below, is the insole for the New Balance 2002r:
By my measurements, the insole thickness was basically the exact same. If you are concerned about how these shoes will fit, I would suggest viewing my side-by-side comparison sizing photos.
New Balance 2002r vs 990 Design
Upper Material
Both the 990 and the 2002r are made with breathable leather/suede/mesh uppers. Here’s the material on mine (990 first):
However, it’s worth nothing that the 2002r was the more breathable option in my opinion. To illustrate how breathable these shoes are, when I hold mine up to the light, you can actually see light passing through the shoes:
Sole Height
Below is the height measurements I took for the men’s size 12 New Balance 990 vs 2002r (990 first):
Outsole Width
Below is the width measurements I took for the men’s New Balance 990 vs 2002r (990 first):
As you can see, the width of these shoes at the outsole is similar.
If you are concerned about fit, I would highly suggest you view these side-by-side sizing photos I took of each shoe to get a better idea how both the 990 and the 2002r fit.
New Balance 2002r vs 990 Weight
The 990v5 weighs 1.01 pounds and the 2002r weighs 0.82 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s.
As you can see, the 2002r weighs less than the 990v5.
Recently I tried over 30 different types of New Balance shoes and I found the average to be 0.89 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s. To view the full list of weights (in a chart) I took for over 30 New Balance shoes, click here.
New Balance 2002r vs 990 Sizing
I found the 990v5 and 2002r fit within the realm of what I would describe as “true-to-size”. Here I am wearing mine:
If you look closely below, the 990 (on the left) runs just a tiny bit longer than the 2002r, but I would describe both as true to size.
To give you a better idea how wide these shoes are, here they both are (in standard width) compared to the Nike Air Monarch 4E, which is a popular extra wide shoe (990 first):
In the sections below, I compare both of these shoes to other popular shoes so you can get a better feel for sizing. To read more about sizing, visit my article that discusses New Balance sizing and fit.
New Balance 990v5 Sizing Photos
These photos below all use a size 12 men’s shoe. To see women’s 990 sizing photos, click here. If you would like to skip ahead to 2002r sizing, click here.
New Balance 990 (right) vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Reebok Classics Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Nike Zoom Winflo Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Skechers Go Walk Slip On Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Brooks Adrenaline Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Saucony Shadow 6000 Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Adidas Superstar Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Nike Air Max 90 Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Crocs Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Hey Dude Wally Sox Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Vans Slip On Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Nike Air Force 1 Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Adidas Cloudfoam Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Asics Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Hoka One One Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Converse Chucks Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Vans UltraRange Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Vans Old Skool Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Converse Pro Leather Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Adidas Gazelle Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Skechers Afterburn Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Nike Cortez Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Nike Blazer Sizing
New Balance 990 (left) vs 880 Sizing
To read more, visit my article about the sizing of New Balance 990v5 Shoes.
New Balance 2002r Sizing Photos
These photos below all use a size 12 men’s shoe.
New Balance 2002r vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Reebok Classics Sizing
New Balance 2002r (right) vs 1080 Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Asics Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Keen Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Hey Dude Wally Sox Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Brooks Adrenaline Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Saucony Shadow 6000 Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Nike Air Max 90 Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Crocs Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Vans Old Skool Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Nike Air Force 1 Sizing
New Balance 2002r (right) vs 574 Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Skechers Afterburn Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Hoka One One Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Nike Zoom Winflo Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Adidas Cloudfoam Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Converse Chucks Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Nike Cortez Sizing
New Balance 2002r (right) vs 880 Sizing
New Balance 2002r vs Adidas Superstar Sizing
New Balance 2002r (right) vs 1540 Sizing
New Balance 2002r (right) vs 997 Sizing
New Balance 2002r (left) vs Roav Sizing
New Balance 2002r (right) vs 860 Sizing
New Balance 2002r (left) vs Cruz Sizing
To read more, visit my article that discusses the sizing of New Balance 2002r.
New Balance 2002r vs 990 Conclusion
In my opinion, the 990 provides more cushioning under the toe pad and the 2002r provides more cushioning under the heel. Overall, I’d probably give the slight edge in comfort to the 990. This is where you can learn more about the comfort of each shoe.
Both of these shoes have a flexible design that is not stiff to wear. There is a big difference in the weight of these shoes. My 990v5 weighs 1.01 pounds and my 2002r weighs 0.82 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s shoe.
Both shoes are very breathable, but I found the 2002r to be the more breathable option. When I hold mine up to the light, you can actually see light passing through (see photo).
The New Balance 990 and 2002r both fit within the realm of what I consider “true-to-size”. Both shoes have a regular width. For sizing help, I would suggest you check out these side-by-side comparison photos I took to compare the sizing of these shoes to other popular brands.