When I compared the New Balance 574 vs 57/40, this is what stood out the most to me:
- The New Balance 574 and New Balance 57/40 are similar in that both shoes are inspired by retro athletic shoes.
- One of the biggest difference I found was flexibility. The 574 has a very flexible and twistable design. The 57/40 is not very flexible at all, but does offer more support under the foot than the 574. I’ll let you be the judge: this is where you can see the videos of me testing the flexibility of these shoes.
- The New Balance 57/40 is a chunkier, bulkier shoe. This does cause these shoes to respond a bit different on foot. Overall, the comfort level is very similar, but as we discussed above, the 574 is more flexible. This is where you can see how each shoe responds on the foot.
- The New Balance 57/40 and 574 both fit within the realm of “true-to-size” regarding length (although the 574 runs a tiny bit shorter in length), but there is a difference regarding width. The 574 is built using the SL-2 last, which creates a wider forefoot and deeper toe box. The 57/40 is built on a slimmer last, and has a narrower fit. I would suggest you check out these side-by-side comparison photos I took to compare the sizing of these shoes to each other, and to other popular brands.
- Both of these shoes are listed as “lifestyle” casual shoes. That said, the 574 does have a flexible design and, in my opinion, is the better choice if you are looking for an athletic-style casual shoe. However, if you prefer support under the foot, the 57/40 will probably be the better option.
- The 574 weighs less than the 57/40. The 574 weighs 0.78 pounds per shoe and the 57/40 weighs 1.07 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s. Click here to read more about how these weights compare to other New Balance shoes.
In this article let’s take a closer look at the New Balance 57/40 and the New Balance 574 by using the videos and pictures I took of the shoes that I own.
New Balance 574 vs 57/40 Comfort
New Balance markets both of these shoes as “lifestyle” shoes. That said, the 574 is flexible enough to be used for occasional exercise. In my experience, the 57/40 is not as flexible but does offer a more stable base.
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 574 vs 57/40, I thought the midsole cushioning was very similar. Overall, the size of the midsole is very similar (don’t let the foam mudguard of the 57/40 trick you).
As we will discuss in the next section, the 574 is much more flexible than the 57/40, and the much better choice if you prefer an athletic-style casual shoe.
Neither of these shoes have as much cushioning under the foot as modern running shoes. For example, I recently tried over 30 types of New Balance shoes, and the 1080v12 was my favorite regarding comfort under the foot. It provides that “squishy” feeling and even though the 57/40 and 574 are comfortable, they don’t have a thick, “squishy” midsole like the 1080v12.
Here is how the 1080v12 responds on my foot:
New Balance 574 vs 57/40 Flexibility
In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible these shoes are:
As you can see, the 574 is much more flexible than the 57/40. The 57/40 may be the better option if you prefer control and support under your foot for a sturdier fit.
New Balance 574 vs 57/40 Padding
Both the 574 and 57/40 have quality padding around the collar and tongue, but I feel like the 57/40 has more padding, especially in the tongue. Here are mine (57/40 first):
Insole Thickness
Yes, both the 57/40 and the 574 have removable insoles, so you can clean or swap them as needed. First, here is the insole of the 57/40:
And below, is the insole for the New Balance 574:
By my measurements, the insole thickness was basically the exact same. I did find the fit of these shoes to be slightly different. This is where you can view the side-by-side photos I took regarding sizing.
New Balance 574 vs 57/40 Design
Upper Material
Both the 574 and the 57/40 are made with breathable suede/mesh uppers. Here’s the material on mine (57/40 first):
Sole Height
Below is the height measurements I took for the New Balance 574 vs 57/40 (size12; 57/40 first):
As you can see, for my size 12, the laces finish at about 4.5 inches for both shoes, so the overall height is very similar. Also, the midsole thickness is very similar.
Outsole Width
Below is the width measurements I took for the men’s New Balance 574 vs 57/40 (57/40 first):
The 57/40 has a wider base. This is noteworthy because the 57/40 actually has a narrower fit than the 574 despite this wider base.
As you can see below, the reason why the 57/40 has a wider base despite fitting narrow is the 57/40 midsole flares out on the sides of the shoe, creating this wider base (57/40 on left below).
But I assure you, the 57/40 does not have a wide fit design. I would suggest you click here to see my side-by-side comparison photos for sizing and fit.
New Balance 574 vs 57/40 Weight
The 57/40 weighs 1.07 pounds and the 574 weighs 0.78 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s.
As you can see, the 574 weighs less than the 57/40.
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, the 574 will be the better option. To view the full list of weights (in a chart) I took for over 30 New Balance shoes, click here.
New Balance 574 vs 57/40 Sizing
Length: For most people, the New Balance 57/40 and 574 both fit within the realm of “true-to-size” regarding length, however, some people find that the 574 fits just a tiny bit smaller than their normal shoe sizing regarding length. I think the 57/40 fits a little bit longer than the 574.
Width: There is a difference in width for these shoes. The 574 is built using the SL-2 last, which creates a wider forefoot and deeper toe box. The 57/40 is built on a slimmer last, and has a narrower fit.
Overall, I found the 57/40 fits a little bit longer and a little bit narrower than the 574. Here they are side-by-side (57/40 on right):
Again, the 547 (on the left in the picture above) is 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 the 574 in wide sizing if you normally order wide sizing in shoes.
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 (57/40 first). Remember that the 57/40 has the midsole that flares out, making it appear wider than it really is:
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 57/40 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 5740 (right) vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Reebok Classics Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Vans UltraRange Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Vans Slip On Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Vans Old Skool Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Saucony Shadow 6000 Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Adidas Superstar Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Adidas Gazelle Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Skechers Afterburn Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Skechers Go Walk Slip On Sizing
New Balance 5740 (right) vs 2002r Sizing
New Balance 5740 vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 5740 (right) vs 997 Sizing
New Balance 5740 (left) vs 237 Sizing
To read more, visit my article about the sizing of the New Balance 57/40.
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 90 Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Nike Air Force 1 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 (left) vs 515 Sizing
New Balance 574 (left) vs 993 Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Brooks Adrenaline Sizing
New Balance 574 vs Hey Dude Sizing
New Balance 574 (left) vs 860 Sizing
New Balance 574 (left) vs 1540 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 57/40 Conclusion
The New Balance 57/40 is a chunkier, bulkier shoe. And although the midsole is of similar thickness, they do respond differently on the foot. This is where you can see how each shoe responds on the foot.
One of the biggest difference I found was flexibility. The 574 has a very flexible, and twistable design. The 57/40 is not very flexible at all, but does offer more support under the foot than the 574.
In my opinion, the 574 is the much better choice if you prefer a flexible, casual athletic shoe. But if you prefer a chunkier design, or need more support under the foot, the 57/40 is the better option.
The 574 weighs less than the 57/40. The 574 weighs 0.78 pounds per shoe and the 57/40 weighs 1.07 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s.
I found both to fit within the realm of “true-to-size” regarding length (the 574 does run a little bit shorter in length than the 57/40). The width of these shoes is different. The 574 is built using the SL-2 last, which creates a wider forefoot and deeper toe box. The 57/40 is built on a slimmer last, and has a narrower fit. This is where you can read more about the sizing of these shoes.