This New Balance 860 Sizing Guide uses direct comparison photos where I put my New Balance Fresh Foam 860 shoes next to other popular shoes so you can see the difference in sizing. I will also discuss things like weight, width, flexibility, heel drop, and sole height. After trying these shoes, do New Balance 860 shoes run big or small?
New Balance 860 shoes fit true to size. They have a fit that is very comparable to other types of athletic running shoes. I ordered my normal sizing and they fit comfortably. In the article below I have side-by-side photos comparing New Balance 860 sizing to the sizing of other popular shoes.
As I mentioned above, the sizing of New Balance Fresh Foam 860 shoes is very comparable to other popular running shoes. For example, here are my New Balance 860 sizing (on the right) compared to Nike Pegasus sizing:
And here is New Balance 860 (on the left) compared to Merrell Nova 2:
And here is New Balance 860 (on the left) compared to Nike Waffle One:
I ordered my normal sizing for the New Balance 860 and they fit comfortably. Let’s start this New Balance 860 Sizing Guide by looking at other direct side-by-side comparison photos of my New Balance 860 shoes compared to other popular shoes.
New Balance 860 Sizing Photos for Men
All photos below use a size 12 for men’s comparison photos and a size 7 for women’s comparison photos. The photos below start with men’s sizing. Click here to jump directly to the women’s sizing photos. The exact version used for these sizing photos is the New Balance Fresh Foam 860v12.
New Balance 860 On My Foot
To give you an idea how the 860 responds on a foot, here I am wearing mine:
New Balance 860 (right) vs Adidas Cloudfoam Sizing
New Balance 860 vs Asics Sizing
New Balance 860 vs Nike Pegasus 39 Sizing
New Balance 860 vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 860 (left) vs Merrell Nova 2 Sizing
New Balance 860 (left) vs Nike Waffle One Sizing
New Balance 860 (left) vs Merrell MTL Long Sky 2 Sizing
New Balance 860 (left) vs Propel Sizing
New Balance 860 vs Vans UltraRange Sizing
New Balance 860 Sizing vs Skechers Go Walk
New Balance 860 vs Saucony Shadow 6000 Sizing
New Balance 860 vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing
New Balance 860 vs Crocs Sizing
New Balance 860 (right) vs 880 Sizing
New Balance 860 (right) vs 1080 Sizing
New Balance 860 vs Nike Air Force 1 Sizing
New Balance 860 (left) vs Rebel Sizing
New Balance 860 (left) vs 840 Sizing
New Balance 860 Sizing Photos for Women
New Balance Women’s 860 (right) vs Under Armour Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 vs Nike Air Max 90 Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 (left) vs 880 Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 (left) vs 1080 Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 vs Vans Slip On Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 vs Hey Dude Wendy Sox Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 vs Adidas Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 (right) vs Nergize Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 vs Crocs Sizing
Women’s New Balance 860 Sizing vs Nike Air Max 1
New Balance Women’s 860 vs Nike Blazer Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 vs Air Force 1 Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 vs Hoka Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 vs Brooks Adrenaline Sizing
New Balance Women’s 860 vs Asics Gel Kayano Sizing
Do New Balance 860 Shoes Fit Wide or Narrow?
In my experience, New Balance 860 shoes do not fit too wide or too narrow. Overall, the toe box area is average width. For comparison, here is my New Balance Fresh Foam 860 compared to my Nike Pegasus shoes.
If you have wide feet: To get a better idea of how wide these shoes are, below is the width of my New Balance 860 shoes (in standard width) compared to the Nike Air Monarch 4E (which is a popular extra wide shoe):
If you have wide feet, these shoes are available in both wide and extra wide.
Below is a photo of me measuring the width of the outsole on the 860 men’s (size 12) and women’s (size 7) shoe. The men’s version is first and the women’s version is second:
These New Balance 860 sizing width measurements are very standard compared to other types of athletic shoes.
Do New Balance Fresh Foam 860 Shoes Run Big or Small?
As we have discussed throughout, when I compared the New Balance 860 to other popular types of athletic and casual shoes, I found both the length and the width of the shoe to fit true to size.
To read more about sizing, visit my New Balance Sizing Guide.
How Much Do New Balance 860 Shoes Weigh?
My size 12 men’s New Balance Fresh Foam 860 shoes weigh 0.83 pounds per shoe.
A size 7 women’s New Balance Fresh Foam 860 shoe weighs 0.58 pounds per shoe:
Recently I tried over 30 different types of New Balance shoes. Even though these shoes are lightweight, New Balance does make other types of running shoes that weigh even less. Click here to see how the weight of the New Balance 860 Shoes compares to other New Balance shoes.
New Balance 860 On Foot
Here I am wearing my New Balance 860 shoes, which I found to have a true-to-size, comfortable fit:
Are New Balance 860 Shoes Breathable?
Yes, the New Balance 860 shoes are breathable. Here is a close-up look at the breathable material on my 860 shoes:
However, it should be noted that these shoes are not as breathable as other types of New Balance running shoes. For example, here I am holding my New Balance Fresh Foam 860 shoes up to the light:
There isn’t any light passing through the material.
But compare that to the New Balance FuelCell Rebel, which I think is the most breathable New Balance shoe that I tried:
You can actually see light passing through the shoe.
The main takeaway is, yes, expect the New Balance Fresh Foam 860 to be breathable, but I think there are more breathable options made by New Balance (Propel, Rebel).
How Flexible are New Balance 860 Shoes?
Flexibility can play a large role in the fit and comfort of a shoe.
The New Balance 860 shoes have a flexible design that feels responsive on my foot. In the video below I tried to capture how flexible these shoes are:
It’s fair to point out that the New Balance 860 was built to prioritize stability. This shoe has a supportive medial post to help improve stability.
What does that mean for flexibility? After trying 33 New Balance shoes, I did find a couple New Balance shoes that I felt like were more flexible than this 860 shoe. The New Balance FuelCell running shoes I felt were more flexible, especially the Rebel (so were the 880 and 1080). To read more, visit my article about the New Balance Rebel.
Do New Balance 860 Shoes Fit Tall?
New Balance 860 Sole Height
I found the New Balance 860 sole height for my size 12 shoes to be slightly over 1.5 inches tall near the heel. Overall, this is a very standard heel height that is very similar to other types of athletic casual shoes.
In the photo below, I tried to capture the heel height, and the overall height of the 860 shoe:
For a women’s size 7 shoe, the sole height measured very near 1.50 inches near the heel. Here is a look at the height of the women’s 860:
New Balance 860 Heel Drop
When I measured my New Balance 860 shoes using an 8-inch Digital Outside Caliper, I found the heel drop to be approximately 10mm.
Here I am measuring the heel drop of the New Balance 860 shoes:
**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 the New Balance 860 heel drop.
The point is, think of this number as an approximation. For all official measurements, it would be best to reach out to New Balance directly.
The heel drop won’t affect New Balance 860 sizing, but it can affect how comfortable it is for you to use. To read more, visit my article that discusses the New Balance 860 heel drop and how it compares to other options.
Do New Balance Fresh Foam 860 Shoes Fit Comfortable?
In my experience, the New Balance 860 shoes have a comfortable fit that is lightweight and reasonably flexible. However, as I have mentioned throughout, my favorite New Balance running shoes for comfort are the FuelCell Rebel shoes and the Fresh Foam 1080.
To read more in depth about comfort, visit my article Are the New Balance 860 Shoes Comfortable?
New Balance 860 Padding
The New Balance 860 shoes do have padding around the collar and tongue which helps create a comfortable, but dependable fit. Here is a look at my New Balance 860 shoes near the collar:
Does the New Balance 860 Have a Removable Insole?
Yes, the New Balance 860 has a removeable insole in case you need to clean or swap your insole. Here is a look at the removable insole in my New Balance 860 shoes:
How Thick is the New Balance 860 Insole?
I measured my New Balance 860 insole to be slightly under a quarter-inch thick. This insole thickness is comparable to many other types of New Balance shoes.
860 Comparisons
To read more about these shoes, visit my comparison articles linked below:
New Balance Fresh Foam 860 Sizing Conclusion
In my experience, the New Balance 860 sizing is true to size. When I compared the sizing of the 860 to the sizing of other popular athletic and casual shoes, I found the sizing to be very similar.
The New Balance 860 shoes have a regular width that I would describe as not too narrow nor too wide. These shoes are available in wide sizes.
If you want to compare the 860 to other similar types of New Balance Fresh Foam running shoes, visit my article about the New Balance Fresh Foam 880 and my article about the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080. To compared it to another popular running shoe, visit my Brooks Adrenaline 22 Sizing Guide.
To convert women’s sizing, visit our women’s to men’s shoe size calculator.