When I compared the New Balance 877 vs 990, this is what stood out the most to me:
- The 990 is part of New Balance’s Made in USA series, and the 877 is not. Another shoe that is often compared to these two shoes is the New Balance 993, which is also made in the USA.
- In my opinion, the 990 provides more cushioning under the toe pad and the 877 provides more cushioning under the heel. Overall, I’d probably give the slight edge in comfort to the 990. This is where you can see how each shoe responds on a foot.
- Both of these shoes have a flexible design that is not stiff to wear. I’d probably say the 877 was the more flexible shoe, but it was really close. I’ll let you be the judge: this is where you can see the videos of me testing the flexibility and “twistability” of the New Balance 877 vs 990.
- Although both shoes can be used for exercise, the 877 is geared more for walking while the 990 is more of an all-purpose athletic shoe. The 877 has some specific design features that make it useful for walking. For example, the 877 has New Balance’s Walking Strike Path, which is an outsole feature that helps stabilize and guide the foot through the walking gait cycle.
- There is a difference in the weight of these shoes. My 990v5 weighs more than my 877. This is where you can see how much of a weight difference there is in these shoes.
- There is also a significant difference in how these shoes fit. I found the 990 to fit a little bit longer than the 877, and the 877 fits a little bit wider than the 990. For sizing help, I would suggest you check out these side-by-side comparison photos I took to compare the sizing of these shoes to other popular brands.
In this article let’s take a closer look at the New Balance 990v5 and the New Balance 877v1 by using the videos and pictures I took of the shoes that I own.
New Balance 877 vs 990 Comfort
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 877 vs 990v5, I thought the 990v5 offers more cushioning under the toe pad and the 877 offers more cushioning under the heel.
The 877 is made using New Balance’s ABZORB midsole for extra impact absorption under the heel. Overall, the underfoot comfort of these two shoes is very similar. Both are comfortable, but they won’t be as “squishy” under the foot as other types of New Balance shoes.
If you prefer a more modern, lightweight athletic shoe with soft “squishy” comfort under the foot, there will be better options. These types of soft New Balance shoes are very comfortable to wear, but won’t provide as much stability and support.
The 1080v12 is my favorite lightweight New Balance running shoe. It provides that “squishy” feeling and even though the 990 and 877 are comfortable, they don’t have a thick, “squishy” midsole like the 1080v12 (990 compared to the 1080).
For comparison, here is how the 1080v12 responds on my foot:
New Balance 877 vs 990 Flexibility
In the videos below, I tried to capture how flexible these shoes are:
Overall, I found the flexibility of these shoes to be very similar. Both have a flexible design that does not feel stiff on the foot.
I did, however, find a difference in weight. Click here to view the difference in these shoes regarding weight.
New Balance 877 vs 990 Padding
Both the 990v5 and the 877 have quality padding around the collar and tongue. Here are mine (990v5 first):
Insole Thickness
Yes, both the 990v5 and the 877 have removable insoles, so you can clean or swap them as needed. First, here is the insole of the 990v5:
And below, is the insole for the New Balance 877:
By my measurements, the insole thickness was basically the exact same.
I did, however, find a significant difference in how these two shoes fit. If you are concerned about how these shoes will fit, I would suggest viewing my side-by-side comparison sizing photos.
New Balance 877 vs 990 Design
Upper Material
Both the 990 and the 877 are made with breathable leather/suede/mesh uppers. Here’s the material on mine (990 first):
The 877 stands out a bit from other New Balance walking shoes due to its breathable design. Many other New Balance walking shoes are made with all leather uppers.
Sole Height
Below is the height measurements I took for the men’s size 12 New Balance 990 vs 877 (990 first):
Outsole Width
Below is the width measurements I took for the men’s New Balance 990 vs 877 (990 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 990 and the 877 fit.
New Balance 877 vs 990 Weight
The 990v5 weighs 1.01 pounds and the 877 weighs 0.95 pounds per shoe for a size 12 men’s.
As you can see, the 877 weighs less than the 990v5.
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, click here.
New Balance 877 vs 990 Sizing
Length: The sizing length of these shoes is different. I found the 990 to fit a little bit longer than the 877. In my opinion, it is the 990 that fits true to size regarding length, and the 877 runs just a little bit shorter than my normal shoe sizing. If you are between sizes, it may be best to size the 877 up. This is where you can see sizing comparison photos for each shoe versus other popular brands.
Here are mine (877 on right):
Width: The sizing width of these shoes is also different. The 990v5 is built using the SL-1 last, which is designed to create a regular width. The 877 is built using the SL-2 last, which is designed to create a wider forefoot and deeper toe box. So you can expect the 877 to be wider than the 990v5.
It’s important to understand that even though the SL-2 is a wider last, it 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 article.
New Balance 990v5 Sizing Photos
These photos below all use a size 12 men’s shoe. To see women’s 990 sizing photos, click here. If you would like to skip ahead to 877 sizing, click here.
New Balance 990 (right) vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Nike Zoom Winflo Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Skechers Go Walk Slip On Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Brooks Adrenaline Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Adidas Superstar Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Nike Air Force 1 Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Asics Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Hoka One One Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Skechers Afterburn Sizing
New Balance 990 vs Nike Blazer Sizing
New Balance 990 (left) vs 880 Sizing
To read more, visit my article about the sizing of New Balance 990v5 Shoes.
New Balance 877 Sizing Photos
These photos below all use a size 12 men’s shoe.
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 (right) vs 847 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 shoes.
New Balance 877 vs 990 Conclusion
In my opinion, the 990 provides more cushioning under the toe pad and the 877 provides more cushioning under the heel. Overall, I’d probably give the slight edge in comfort to the 990. This is where you can see how each shoe responds on a foot.
Both of these shoes have a flexible design that is not stiff to wear. I’d probably say the 877 was the more flexible shoe, but it was really close. This was a bit of a surprise to me because the 877 is built specifically for walking, but was still very flexible.
Although both shoes can be used for exercise, the 877 is geared more for walking while the 990 is more of an all-purpose athletic shoe. The 877 has some specific design features that make it useful for walking. For example, the 877 has New Balance’s Walking Strike Path, which is an outsole feature that helps stabilize and guide the foot through the walking gait cycle.
I found the 877 to also weigh a bit less than my 990. They both have breathable designs that allows heat to escape. The 990 is part of New Balance’s Made in USA series, and the 877 is not.
I found the 990 to fit a little bit longer than the 877, and the 877 fits a little bit wider than the 990. For sizing help, I would suggest you check out these side-by-side comparison photos I took to compare the sizing of these shoes to other popular brands.