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I recently put my hands on both the New Balance 624 and the New Balance 608 shoes so that I could compare them on comfort, sizing, and design. When comparing New Balance 624 vs 608 there are some significant differences that may affect which one is right for you.
Quickly, this is what jumps out the most to me:
- These shoes are similar in that they are both leather trainer shoes that can also be worn casually, or for simple exercise like walking. These shoes are both comfortable, but they won’t be as “squishy” under the foot as modern athletic shoes. If you prefer that “squishy” comfort, I would recommend the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 (click here to view) or the New Balance FuelCell Rebel (click here to view) which are my two favorite options.
- When I took the insoles out of these shoes, I found one small difference in how these shoes were lasted. The 608 just has the firm board under the insole, but the 624 actually has a layer of foam-like cushioning that sits under the heel between the insole and the board for added cushioning (show me a picture of this).
- In my experience, the 624 is much more flexible than the 608, but the 608 offers more support under the foot. This is where you can view videos comparing the flexibility of the 608 and the 624. This is where you see how these shoes respond on the foot.
- The 624 weighs less than the 608. The 624 weighs 0.86 pounds and the 608 weighs 0.97 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s. For comparison, I recently tried over 30 New Balance shoes and the average weight was 0.89 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s shoe. Click here to read more about weight.
- Both shoes fit within the realm of what I consider “true-to-size” and the overall fit of these shoes is very similar. If you made me choose, I’d say the 608 was a little bit wider. Click here to jump to the sizing section where I use side-by-side photos to compare these shoes to other popular brands so you can choose the right size.
- Both the 608 and the 624 have a 10mm heel-to-toe drop. But I did find the heel height of the 624 to be taller. Click here to learn more about heel height.
- Overall, the comfort of these shoes is very similar. The 624 is more flexible, but the 608 offers more support under the foot.
In this article let’s take a closer look at the New Balance 624 vs 608 by using the videos and pictures I took of the shoes that I own. Both of these shoes are popular and considered to be the most classic types of New Balance Dad Shoes.
New Balance 608 vs 624 Design
The 608 and 624 are both leather trainers that can be used for athletic walking shoes or worn as all-purpose casual shoes.
How They Respond on Foot
To give you an idea how these shoes responds on a foot, here I am wearing mine:
As you can see above, these shoes both have leather uppers and respond similarly on the foot (are New Balance 624 good for running?).
Although these shoes are comfortable, they aren’t as “squishy” under the foot as other types of modern New Balance running shoes. For comparison, here is one of the most comfortable options, the New Balance 1080v12:
Flexibility
In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible these shoes are:
Although both shoes are flexible, I found the 624 to be much more flexible and “twistable”. The 608 offers more support under the foot, which reduces the flexibility a bit.
Padding
Both the 624 and 608 have quality padding around the collar and tongue and in my experience, there was no noticeable difference in this area. Here are mine (608 first):
Lasting Type
One different I did notice was underneath the insole. The 608 just has the firm board under the insole, but the 624 actually has an extra layer of foam-like cushioning near the heel.
Here are mine (608 first):
Because this detail is hidden below the insole, it is easy to miss. This won’t cause a significant difference in comfort, but it does provide some extra cushioning under the heel.
Insole Thickness
Yes, both the 608 and the 624 have removable insoles, so you can clean or swap them as needed. First, here is the insole of the 608:
And below, is the insole for the New Balance 624:
As you can see above, the insole material was slightly different. The 608 used an almost rubbery-like material for the insole, and the 624 insole felt more like foam. Overall, I felt like they provided essentially the same amount of comfort.
By my measurements, the insole thickness was basically the exact same.
New Balance 608 vs 624 Design
Sole Height
Below is the height measurements I took for the New Balance 608 and 624 (608 first):
As you can see, the 608 (top) and 624 have a similar midsole thickness and the overall height of the shoes is also similar. One small design difference if you look closely, the 624 (on bottom) has the mesh material not only on the tongue, but also along the top of the backside of the collar.
For those of you who prefer a soft feeling near the achilles, the 624 may be the better option.
Outsole Width
Below is the width measurements I took for the New Balance 608 and 624 (608 first):
As you can see, the base of these shoes has basically the exact same width. The outsole pattern is different, but it didn’t cause a noticeable difference either way. They both have the New Balance “Abzorb” heel.
Weight
Despite the design being very similar, I found the 608 shoes to weigh more. My size 12 men’s 608 shoes weigh 0.97 pounds per shoe, and my size 12 men’s 624 shoes weigh 0.86 pounds per shoe (photos below).
If you remember, earlier in the article we discussed flexibility. The 624 was much more flexible and responsive, and the 608 had a more supportive base. That extra support and stability that the 608 shoes offers is what I am assuming adds the extra weight.
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. So, as you can see, the 624 weighs slightly below that average, and the 608 weighs above it.
Heel Drop
When I measured my New Balance 608 shoes using an 8-inch Digital Outside Caliper, I found the heel drop to be approximately 10mm. When I measured my New Balance 624 shoes using an 8-inch Digital Outside Caliper, I also found its heel drop to be approximately 10mm.
It is important to understand that although I tried my best to get accurate measurements, the best way to measure heel drop is to cut the shoes in half and use an industrial caliper. Obviously, I didn’t want to destroy my shoes, but this is a convenient alternative way to measure heel drop.
The point is, think of these heel drop numbers as an approximation. For all official measurements, it would be best to reach out to New Balance directly.
Here I am measuring the heel drop of the New Balance 608 shoes:
Here I am measuring the heel drop of the New Balance 624 shoes:
You will notice that I found the actual heel height of the 624 to be taller than the 608. Remember, these numbers are my unofficial measurements and should be thought of as approximations.
New Balance 608 vs 624 Sizing
Overall, I found these two shoes to both fit within the realm of what I would describe as “true-to-size”. The overall fit of these shoes is very similar, although if you made me choose, I would say the 608 fit a bit wider than the 624. But overall, it was similar.
Here they are side-by-side (608 on right):
New Balance does say about the 608 that it is built on “relaxed fit last” which might help explain why I though it was a bit wider than the 624.
To give you a better idea how wide these shoes are, here they both are compared to the Nike Air Monarch 4E, which is a popular extra wide shoe (608 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 the size and fit of New Balance shoes.
New Balance 608 Sizing Photos
To read more, visit my article about the sizing of New Balance 608 Shoes.
New Balance 608 vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 608 vs Brooks Adrenaline Sizing
New Balance 608 vs Reebok Classics Sizing
New Balance 608 vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing
New Balance 608 (right) vs 860 Sizing
New Balance 608 vs Crocs Sizing
New Balance 608 vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 608 (right) vs 990 Sizing
New Balance 624 Sizing Photos
To read more, visit my article about the sizing of New Balance 624 Shoes.
New Balance 624 vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Skechers Afterburn Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Reebok Classics Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Skechers Go Walk Slip On Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Vans UltraRange Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Vans Slip On Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Saucony Shadow 6000 Sizing
New Balance 624 (left) vs 1540 Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing
New Balance 624 (left) vs 840 Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Crocs Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Nike Air Force 1 Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 624 (left) vs 577 Sizing
New Balance 624 (right) vs 574 Sizing
New Balance 624 (right) vs 997 Sizing
New Balance 624 (left) vs 813 Sizing
New Balance 624 vs Keen Sizing
New Balance 608 vs 624 Conclusion
These shoes are very similar in that they are both leather casual trainers that are responsive enough to be used as walking shoes, but generally serve as all-purpose shoes you can wear everyday.
The 624 has the more flexible design, but the 608 offers more support under the foot. Because of that, the 608 weighs a bit more.
The comfort is similar, although I did find the 624 had an extra layer of foam-like cushioning under the heel. I found the fit to be similar, but I thought the 608 was a little bit wider. I considered both styles to be “true-to-size”.
Although both are comfortable, neither offer that “squishy” comfort under the foot that modern athletic shoes offer. If you prefer that squishy comfort, I would recommend the New Balance 1080. Click here to view the New Balance 1080 shoes available at NewBalance.com (paid affiliate link takes you to NewBalance.com).