When I compared the New Balance 574 vs 515, this is what stood out the most to me:
- These shoes are very similar. They are both retro-athletic shoes that have a versatile design that allows them to be used on multiple types of surfaces. You can pair them easily with jeans and a t-shirt, but also use them for occasional exercise. Although I liked these shoes, the 327 was actually my favorite type of New Balance retro athletic shoe. This is what the New Balance 327 looks like (paid affiliate link takes you to NewBalance.com).
- I found both the 574 and the 515 to be quite flexible, but I’ll let you be the judge: this is where you can see the videos of me testing the flexibility of these shoes.
- Although the design is very similar between the New Balance 574 vs 515, I did find a couple small differences. The 574 shoes have a more retro-style tongue (show me a picture of this), and the 574 shoes have more suede around the upper than the 515 shoes (show me a picture of this). Because of the extra suede detailing, I did find a difference in the weight of these shoes. This is where you can see how much these shoes weigh.
- Both the 515 and 574 fit true to size for most people. However, some people find that they fit just slightly smaller than normal shoe sizing regarding length. My recommendation would be to view these side-by-side comparison photos comparing the length of these shoes to other popular brands so you can judge for yourself.
- Both of these shoes are built using the SL-2 last, which is designed to create a wider forefoot and deeper toe box area. However, the SL-2 last will *most likely* not be wide enough in standard width to overcome the need for wide sizing. In most cases, even on a wider last like the SL-2, you should still order wide sizing if you normally order wide sizing in shoes. This is where you can learn more.
In this article let’s take a closer look at the New Balance 515v3 and the New Balance 574 by using the videos and pictures I took of the shoes that I own.
New Balance 574 vs 515 Comfort
Both the 574 and 515v3 are marketed as casual “lifestyle” shoes. The appeal of these shoes is their versatility. You can pair them easily with jeans and a t-shirt, but also use them for occasional exercise.
They have a hybrid road/trail design, which means they can handle a wider range of surfaces than other types of casual shoes. Although they aren’t as soft and “squishy” under the foot as certain types of modern running shoes, they still provide nice comfort. I also found them to be quite flexible.
In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible these shoes are:
As you can see, these shoes both have a flexible design that doesn’t feel stiff on the foot. The midsole isn’t as soft and “squishy” as modern running shoes, but these shoes are still comfortable to wear.
New Balance 574 vs 515 Padding
Both the 574 and 515 have quality padding around the collar and tongue, but I did find a small difference. If you look closely, the tongue of the 515 has thicker padding. The 574 tongue has more of a retro-nylon design. The 574 tongue does have padding, but I don’t think it is as soft as the 515.
Here are mine (515 first):
Insole Thickness
Yes, both the 515 and the 574 have removable insoles, so you can clean or swap them as needed. First, here is the insole of the 515:
And below, is the insole for the New Balance 574:
By my measurements, the insole thickness was basically the exact same. I did, however, find the weight of these shoes to be slightly different. This is where you can view the weight measurements I took for each shoe.
New Balance 574 vs 515 Design
Upper Material
Both the 574 and the 515 are made with breathable suede/mesh uppers. But, as you can see below, the 515 has more mesh and the 574 has more suede.
Here’s the material on mine (515 first):
Sole Height
Below is the height measurements I took for the New Balance 574 vs 515 (size12; 515 first):
You can also see above (as we discussed earlier) there is more suede detailing on the upper of the New Balance 574 compared to the 515.
Outsole Width
Below is the width measurements I took for the men’s New Balance 574 vs 515 (515 first):
These shoes are built using the SL-2 last, which does affect how these shoes fit. This is where you can learn more about what that means and how it might affect your sizing decisions.
New Balance 574 vs 515 Weight
The 515 weighs 0.74 pounds and the 574 weighs 0.78 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s.
As you can see, the 515 weighs less than the 574.
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. If you prefer a lightweight shoe, both of these shoes are nice options. To view the full list of weights (in a chart) I took for over 30 New Balance shoes, click here.
New Balance 574 vs 515 Sizing
Length: For most people, the New Balance 515 and 574 both fit within the realm of “true-to-size” regarding length, however, some people find that these shoes fit just a tiny bit smaller than their normal shoe sizing regarding length.
Width: Both the 515 and the 574 are built using the SL-2 last, which creates a wider forefoot and deeper toe box.
The sizing of these two shoes is very similar. If you made me choose, I’d say the 574 fits just a tiny bit longer than the 515v3, but it is very close. Here are my New Balance 574 vs 515 shoes side by side (515 on right):
Again, these shoes are built using the SL-2 last, which creates a wider forefoot and deeper toe box. However, the SL-2 last will *most likely* not be wide enough in standard form to overcome the need for wide sizing. In most cases, even on a wider last like the SL-2, you should still order wide sizing if you normally order wide sizing in shoes.
To read more about sizing, visit my article that discusses New Balance sizing and fit. In the sections below, I compare both of these shoes to other popular shoes so you can get a better feel for sizing.
New Balance 515 Sizing Photos
These photos below all use a size 12 men’s shoe. If you would like to skip ahead to 574 sizing, click here.
New Balance 515 vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Reebok Classics Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Vans UltraRange Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Vans Slip On Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Vans Old Skool Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Saucony Shadow 6000 Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Nike Cortez Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Nike Blazer Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Nike Air Force 1 Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Hey Dude Wally Sox Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Crocs Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Converse Pro Leather Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Converse Chucks Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Adidas Superstar Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Adidas Gazelle Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Skechers Afterburn Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Asics Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Adidas Cloudfoam Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Vans Era Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Vans Authentic Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Brooks Glycerin Sizing
New Balance 515 vs 997 Sizing
New Balance 515 vs 880 Sizing
New Balance 515 vs 993 Sizing
New Balance 515 vs 2002r Sizing
New Balance 515 vs Numeric Sizing
To learn more, visit my article that discusses the sizing of the New Balance 515 shoes.
New Balance 574 Sizing Photos
These photos below all use a size 12 men’s shoe. Click here to see women’s 574 sizing photos.
New Balance 574 (right) vs Reebok Classics Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Vans UltraRange Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Vans Slip On Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Vans Old Skool Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Saucony Shadow 6000 Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Nike Cortez Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Nike Blazer Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Nike Air Max 90 Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Nike Air Force 1 Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Hey Dude Wally Sox Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Crocs Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Converse Pro Leather Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Converse Chucks Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Adidas Superstar Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Adidas Gazelle Sizing
New Balance 574 (right) vs 997 Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Asics Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Adidas Cloudfoam Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Vans Authentic Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Brooks Adrenaline Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Nike Zoom Winflo Sizing
New Balance 574 (left) vs 860 Sizing
New Balance 574 (left) vs 880 Sizing
New Balance 574 (left) vs 237 Sizing
To read more, visit my article about the fit of New Balance 574 Shoes.
New Balance 574 vs 515 Conclusion
These shoes are very similar. They are both retro-athletic shoes that have a versatile design that allows them to be used on multiple types of surfaces. You can pair them easily with jeans and a t-shirt, but also use them for occasional exercise.
They’re very comfortable to wear, but they won’t be as soft and “squishy” under the foot as certain types of modern running shoes. These shoes are a nice combination of comfort and support.
Although the design is very similar between the New Balance 574 vs 515, I did find a couple small differences. The 574 shoes have a more retro-style tongue (show me a picture of this), and the 574 have more suede around the upper than the 515 (show me a picture of this).
The weight of these shoes is very similar, but because the 574 has the extra suede detailing, I found the 574 to weigh just a little bit more than the 515. My size 12 men’s 515 shoes weigh 0.74 pounds per shoe and my size 12 men’s 574 shoes weigh 0.78 pounds per shoe.
Both the 515 and 574 fit true to size for most people. However, some people find that they fit just slightly smaller than normal shoe sizing regarding length. My recommendation would be to view these side-by-side comparison photos comparing the length of these shoes to other popular brands so you can judge for yourself.
Both of these shoes are built using the SL-2 last, which is designed to create a wider forefoot and deeper toe box area. However, the SL-2 last will *most likely* not be wide enough in standard form to overcome the need for wide sizing. In most cases, even on a wider last like the SL-2, you should still order wide sizing if you normally order wide sizing in shoes. This is where you can learn more about the sizing of these shoes.