When I compared the New Balance 877 vs 847, this is what stood out the most to me:
- One of the biggest differences between these two shoes is rearfoot stability. Both shoes provide support, but the 847 is designed with New Balance’s ROLLBAR technology which helps prevent improper rearfoot movement (the 877 is not). If you need extra stability around the heel, the 847 will be the better option. This is where you can see how both shoes respond on a foot.
- Both are walking shoes, and although the 847 may be better for rearfoot stability, I found the 877 to be much more flexible and responsive. I’ll let you be the judge: This is where you can view the videos of me testing the flexibility of these shoes.
- Both shoes provide nice comfort under the foot. The 877 uses New Balance’s “Abzorb” midsole, which helps reduce impact stress under the heel. But I found the 847 to have the better, thicker insole. This is where you can see the difference in the insole of these two shoes.
- Both shoes are made with breathable uppers, which make them a nice contrast to all-leather walking shoes. I did, however, find a significant difference in weight. The 877 weighs less. This is where you can see how much different these two shoes are regarding weight.
- The sizing length and width of these shoes is reasonably 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 these shoes compared to other popular shoes to get a better idea regarding sizing.
In this article let’s take a closer look at the New Balance 877v1 and the New Balance 847v4 by using the videos and pictures I took of the shoes that I own.
New Balance 877 vs 847 Comfort
How They Respond on Foot
To give you an idea how these shoes respond on a foot, here I am wearing mine:
Both shoes provide nice comfort under the foot. The 877 uses New Balance’s “Abzorb” midsole, which helps reduce impact stress under the heel. But I found the 847 to have the better, thicker insole.
The 847 uses a dual layer insole that has a layer of foam and a layer of gel-like material. Here is a look at the insole:
This is where you can compare the 847 insole to the 877 insole.
It’s also 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 877 and 847 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 877 vs 847 Flexibility
Perhaps the thing that surprised me the most when I compared the New Balance 877 vs 847 was how different these shoes are regarding flexibility. I found the 877 to be much more flexible and “twistable” and the 847 to be much more stable.
In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible these shoes are:
I also found a noticeable difference in the weight of these two shoes. This is where you can see the specific weight data for each shoe, and how it compares to other New Balance options.
New Balance 877 vs 847 Padding
Both the 877 and the 847 have quality padding around the collar and tongue. Here are mine (877 first):
Insole Thickness
Yes, both the 877 and the 847 have removable insoles, so you can clean or swap them as needed. First, here is the insole of the 877:
And below, is the insole for the New Balance 847:
As you can see above, the 847 has a thicker, dual-layer insole. It has a layer of foam on top and a layer of gel-like material on the bottom.
Here is a closer look at the insole of the 847:
As I mentioned earlier in the article, I think the under-foot comfort of these two shoes is similar because although the 847 has the better insole, the 877 use New Balance’s “Abzorb” midsole which is created to reduce impact stress under the heel.
If you are worried about comfort, you will also want to consider the sizing of these shoes. This is where you can read more about the sizing difference of these two shoes.
New Balance 877 vs 847 Design
Upper Material
Both the 877 and the 847 are part of New Balance’s walking shoe line. Although the upper material is different, these are two of the most breathable walking shoes that New Balance offers. Many other New Balance walking shoes are made with all-leather uppers, so these two shoes really are nice options if you prefer a more breathable fit.
Here’s the material on mine (877 first):
Sole Height
Below is the height measurements I took for the men’s size 12 New Balance 877 vs 847 (877 first):
As you can see, the 847 finishes a bit higher on the foot than the 877.
Outsole Width
Below is the width measurements I took for the men’s New Balance 877 vs 847 (877 first):
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 877 and the 847 fit.
New Balance 877 vs 847 Weight
The 877 weighs 0.95 pounds and the 847 weighs 1.09 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. To view the full list of weights (in a chart) I took for over 30 New Balance shoes, visit my article here.
New Balance 877 vs 847 Sizing
Length: The sizing length of these shoes is very similar. For most people, these shoes run true to size regarding length. However, some people find that they fit just a little bit shorter than their normal shoe sizing regarding length (show me comparison photos of these shoes versus other popular brands).
Here are mine (877 on right):
Width: The sizing width of these shoes is also very 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 (877 on left):
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 sizing guide.
New Balance 877 Sizing Photos
These photos below all use a size 12 men’s shoe. If you would like to skip ahead to 847 sizing, click here.
New Balance 877 (right) vs Reebok Classics Sizing
New Balance 877 vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 877 vs Brooks Adrenaline Sizing
New Balance 877 vs Keen Sizing
New Balance 877 vs Vans Slip On Sizing
New Balance 877 vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing
New Balance 877 vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing
New Balance 877 (right) vs 840 Sizing
New Balance 877 vs Crocs Sizing
New Balance 877 vs Nike Air Force 1 Sizing
New Balance 877 vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 877 (right) vs 574 Sizing
New Balance 877 (right) vs 813 Sizing
To read more, visit my article that talks about the sizing of New Balance 877.
New Balance 847 Sizing Photos
All photos below use a size 12 men’s shoe.
New Balance 847 (right) vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 847 vs Skechers Afterburn Sizing
New Balance 847 vs Reebok Classics Sizing
New Balance 847 vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing
New Balance 847 vs Saucony Shadow 6000 Sizing
New Balance 847 (right) vs 1540 Sizing
New Balance 847 vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing
New Balance 847 vs Crocs Sizing
New Balance 847 (left) vs 993 Sizing
New Balance 847 vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 847 vs MW840 Sizing
New Balance 847 (left) vs 860 Sizing
New Balance 847 vs Nike Air Force 1 Sizing
New Balance 847 (left) vs 840 Sizing
To read more, visit my article that discusses the sizing of New Balance 847.
New Balance 877 vs 847 Conclusion
One of the biggest differences between these two shoes is rearfoot stability. Both shoes provide support, but the 847 is designed with New Balance’s ROLLBAR technology which helps prevent improper rearfoot movement (the 877 is not). If you need extra stability around the heel, the 847 will be the better option. This is where you can see how both shoes respond on a foot.
I did, however, find the 877 to be much more flexible and responsive. And although both shoes provide nice comfort under the foot, there were differences.
The 877 uses New Balance’s “Abzorb” midsole, which helps reduce impact stress under the heel. But I found the 847 to have the better, thicker insole. This is where you can see the difference of the insole of these two shoes.
Both shoes are made with breathable uppers, which make them a nice contrast to all-leather walking shoes. I did, however, find a significant difference in weight. The 877 weighs less. This is where you can see how much different these two shoes are regarding weight.
The sizing length and width of these shoes is reasonably similar. They are both built using the SL-2 last, which is designed to create a wider forefoot and deeper toe box. This is where you can see photos of these shoes compared to other popular shoes to get a better idea regarding sizing.
These shoes are both part of New Balance’s walking shoe line. To see other options, visit my article that lists the different types of New Balance leather walking shoes.