When I compared the New Balance 813 vs 928, this is what stood out the most to me:
- Both the 813 and 928 are built for stability and support and have New Balance’s ROLLBAR technology in the heel to help prevent improper rearfoot movement. They also both have New Balance’s Walking Strike Path, which is an outsole feature that helps stabilize and guide the foot through the walking gait cycle. The comfort under the foot is similar, but I’m giving the slight edge to the 928 regarding comfort under the foot. It has a thicker, more comfortable insole. This is where you can see how these two shoes respond on my foot.
- Although I’m giving the slight edge to the 928 regarding underfoot comfort, the 813 is the much more flexible option. I was actually a bit shocked at how much more flexible the 813 is. If you are looking for a combination of stability and flexibility, the 813 is the better option. This is where you can watch my flexibility testing videos for these two shoes.
- I mentioned above that the 928 has a thicker insole. The 928 uses a dual layer insole that is part foam and part gel-like material to provide extra cushioning under the foot. This is where you can see photos of this unique insole.
- The 813 weighs a little bit less than the 928. I found my 813 shoes to weigh 1.04 pounds and my 928 shoes to weigh 1.08 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s shoe. I recently tried over 30 different types of New Balance shoes. To see how these shoes compare to other options, click here.
- The sizing length of these shoes is a bit different. The 928 fits a bit longer than the 813. If you made me choose, I would say the 928 fits true to size regarding length, and the 813 fits slightly smaller than my normal shoes sizing. I would suggest you view these sizing comparison photos I took.
- The sizing width of these shoes is similar. They are both built using the SL-2 last, which is designed to create a wider forefoot and deeper toe box. It’s important to understand that the SL-2 won’t be enough on its own to overcome the need for wide sizing, but it does make the shoe a bit roomier than “normal” shoes. This is where you can see photos of how wide these shoes are (in standard sizing) compared to extra wide shoes.
In this article let’s take a closer look at the New Balance 813v1 and the New Balance 928v3 by using the videos and pictures I took of the shoes that I own.
New Balance 813 vs 928 Comfort
How They Respond on Foot
To give you an idea how these shoes respond on a foot, here I am wearing mine:
As you can see, both shoes have New Balance’s ROLLBAR technology, which is a medial post below the heel which helps prevent improper rearfoot movement and improve stability.
When comparing the under-foot comfort of the New Balance 813 vs 928, I thought the comfort was very similar, but I am giving the slight edge to the 928. It has a thicker insole.
The 928 insole is a dual layer insole that has a layer of foam-like material and a layer of gel-like material. Here is a look at the insole of my 928 shoes:
To read more about the insoles, and see how these 928 insoles compare to the 813 insoles, click here.
It’s important to emphasize that although both of these shoes are comfortable under the foot, they are built to prioritize support and stability. They won’t be as “squishy” under the foot as certain types of modern New Balance running shoes.
For comparison, the 1080v12 is my favorite lightweight New Balance running shoe. It provides that “squishy” feeling under the foot. Although the 813 and 928 don’t have this same “squishy” softness, they offer much more support and stability, which is important for many people.
Here is how the 1080v12 responds on my foot:
New Balance 813 vs 928 Flexibility
In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible these shoes are:
I was a bit shocked to see how much more flexible the 813 was than the 928. Both of these shoes have the ROLLBAR technology for rearfoot stability, but the 813 remains very flexible, and might be a great option if you are looking for a blend of support and flexibility.
I also found a difference in the weight of these shoes. This is where you can learn more about how these shoes compare regarding weight.
New Balance 813 vs 928 Padding
Both the 813 and the 928 have quality padding around the collar and tongue, but if you made me choose, I think the 928 has a little bit more padding. Here are mine (813 first):
Insole Thickness
Yes, both the 813 and the 928 have removable insoles, so you can clean or swap them as needed. First, here is the insole of the 813:
And below, is the insole for the New Balance 928:
As we discussed earlier, the 928 has the thicker insole. The 928 insole is a dual layer insole that has a layer of foam-like material and a layer of gel-like material. Here is a look at the insole of my 928 shoes:
I also found a difference regarding the sizing of these shoes. To learn more, I would suggest viewing my side-by-side comparison sizing photos.
New Balance 813 vs 928 Design
Upper Material
Both the 813 and the 928 are part of New Balance’s leather walking shoe line. You will notice below, the tongue is a little different. The 813 has a breathable tongue and the 928 has a leather tongue. Here’s the material on mine (813 first):
Sole Height
Below is the height measurements I took for the men’s size 12 New Balance 813 vs 928 (813 first):
Outsole Width
Below is the width measurements I took for the men’s New Balance 813 vs 928 (813 first):
As you can see, the height and width of these shoes is very similar. But I did find a difference in sizing.
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 813 and the 928 fit.
New Balance 813 vs 928 Weight
The 813 weighs 1.04 pounds and the 928 weighs 1.08 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s.
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. Because these are both leather walking shoes, they weigh a bit more than average.
To view the full list of weights (in a chart) I took for over 30 New Balance shoes, click here.
New Balance 813 vs 928 Sizing
Length: I found the 928 to fit a little bit longer than the 813. In my opinion, the 928 fits true to size regarding length and the 813 fits just a little bit shorter than my normal shoe sizing. Here are mine side-by-side (813 on left):
Width: The sizing width of these shoes is similar. They are both built using the SL-2 last, which is designed to create a wider forefoot and deeper toe box. It’s important to understand that the SL-2 likely won’t be enough on its own to overcome the need for wide sizing, but it does make the shoe a bit roomier than “normal” shoes.
Here is a look at both of my shoes on my foot (813 on left):
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 (813 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, click here.
New Balance 813 Sizing Photos
These photos below all use a size 12 men’s shoe. If you would like to skip ahead to 928 sizing, click here.
New Balance 813 vs Skechers Afterburn Sizing
New Balance 813 vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 813 vs Reebok Classics Sizing
New Balance 813 vs Skechers Go Walk Slip On Sizing
New Balance 813 vs Vans UltraRange Sizing
New Balance 813 vs Vans Slip On Sizing
New Balance 813 vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing
New Balance 813 vs Saucony Shadow 6000 Sizing
New Balance 813 (right) vs 1540 Sizing
New Balance 813 vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing
New Balance 813 (right) vs 840 Sizing
New Balance 813 vs Crocs Sizing
New Balance 813 (left) vs 993 Sizing
New Balance 813 vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 813 (left) vs 577 Sizing
New Balance 813 vs 574 Sizing
New Balance 813 (left) vs 5740 Sizing
New Balance 813 (left) vs 877 Sizing
To read more, visit my article about the sizing of New Balance 813 Shoes.
New Balance 928 Sizing Photos
These photos below all use a size 12 men’s shoe. To see women’s 928 sizing photos, click here.
New Balance 928 (right) vs Skechers Afterburn Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Reebok Classics Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Skechers Go Walk Slip On Sizing
New Balance 928 (right) vs 990 Sizing
New Balance 928 (right) vs 877 Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Saucony Shadow 6000 Sizing
New Balance 928 (right) vs 1540 Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Nike Air Max 90 Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Crocs Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Hey Dude Wally Sox Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Vans Slip On Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Nike Air Force 1 Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Keen Sizing
New Balance 928 vs Converse Chucks Sizing
New Balance 928 (right) vs 577 Sizing
New Balance 928 (right) vs 574 Sizing
New Balance 928 (right) vs 847 Sizing
New Balance 928 vs 880 Sizing
To read more, visit my article that discusses the sizing of New Balance 928.
New Balance 813 vs 928 Conclusion
Both the 813 and 928 are built for stability and support and have New Balance’s ROLLBAR technology in the heel to help prevent improper rearfoot movement. They also both have New Balance’s Walking Strike Path, which is an outsole feature that helps stabilize and guide the foot through the walking gait cycle.
Although the shoes I own have laces, you can buy the 813 and the 928 in a hook-and-loop strap version (New Balance shoes with no laces).
The comfort under the foot is similar, but I’m giving the slight edge to the 928 regarding comfort under the foot. It has a thicker, more comfortable insole. This is where you can see the difference in the insole of these two shoes.
Although I’m giving the slight edge to the 928 regarding underfoot comfort, the 813 is the much more flexible option. I was actually a bit shocked at how much more flexible the 813 is. If you are looking for a combination of stability and flexibility, the 813 is the better option. This is where you can watch my flexibility testing videos for these two shoes.
The sizing length of these shoes is a bit different. The 928 fits a bit longer than the 813. If you made me choose, I would say the 928 fits true to size regarding length, and the 813 fits slightly smaller than my normal shoes sizing.
They are both built using the SL-2 last, which is designed to create a wider forefoot and deeper toe box. It’s important to understand that the SL-2 won’t be enough on its own to overcome the need for wide sizing, but it does make the shoe a bit more roomier than “normal” shoes. This is where you can read more about the sizing of the New Balance 813 vs 928.