New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Sizing Guide w/ Photos [Fit Big or Small?]


This New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Sizing Guide uses direct comparison photos where I put my Fresh Foam Arishi 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 Fresh Foam Arishi shoes run big or small?

New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes fit true to size for most people. They have a fit that is very comparable to other types of athletic running shoes. I ordered my normal sizing and they fit comfortably.

Let’s start this New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Sizing Guide by looking at the direct side-by-side comparison photos of my New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes compared to other popular shoes. Then let’s discuss how other design specs of this shoe differ from other options.

Table of Contents

New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Sizing Photos

All photos below use a size 12 men’s shoe. The exact version used for these sizing photos is the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v3.

New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi On My Foot

To give you an idea how the Arishi responds on a foot, here I am wearing mine:

New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi (right) vs Nike Zoom Winflo Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi vs Asics Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi vs Adidas Cloudfoam Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi vs Brooks Adrenaline Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi vs Crocs Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi (right) vs Rebel Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi (right) vs 1080 Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi vs Hoka One One Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi (right) vs 860 Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi (right) vs 574 Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi (right) vs Fresh Foam More Sizing

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New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi (right) vs Propel Sizing

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Do New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Shoes Run Big or Small?

As we have discussed throughout, when I compared the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi 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 Size Guide.


Do New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Shoes Fit Wide or Narrow?

In my experience, New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes do not fit too wide or too narrow. Overall, the toe box area is average width.

To get a better idea of how wide these shoes are, below is the width of my New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes in standard width compared to the Nike Air Monarch 4E (which is a popular extra wide shoe):

new-balance-arishi-vs-nike-air-monarch-sizing

Below is a photo of me measuring the width of the outsole on my Fresh Foam Arishi men’s size 12 shoes:

new-balance-fresh-foam-arishi-width-outsole

These New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi width measurements are very standard compared to other types of athletic shoes.


How Much Do New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Shoes Weigh?

My size 12 men’s New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes weigh 0.65 pounds per shoe.

new-balance-fresh-foam-arishi-weight

Recently I tried over 30 different types of New Balance shoes. Click here to see how the weight of the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Shoes compares to other New Balance shoes.

Are New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Shoes Breathable?

Yes, the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes are breathable. Here is a close-up look at the breathable material on my FF Arishi shoes:

new-balance-fresh-foam-arishi-material

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 Arishi shoes up to the light:

new-balance-fresh-foam-arishi-breathable

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:

new-balance-rebel-breathable

You can actually see light passing through the shoe.

The main takeaway is, yes, expect the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi to be breathable, but I think there are more breathable options made by New Balance (Propel, Rebel).

How Flexible are New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Shoes?

Flexibility can play a large role in the fit and comfort of a shoe.

The New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes have a very flexible design that feels responsive on my foot. In the videos below I tried to capture how flexible these shoes are:

Do New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Shoes Fit Tall?

New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Sole Height

I found the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi sole height for my size 12 shoes to be approximately 1.75 inches tall near the heel. This heel height is one of the lowest that New Balance offers for running shoes.

In the photo below, I tried to capture the heel height, and the overall height of the Fresh Foam Arishi shoe:

new-balance-fresh-foam-arishi-sole-height

New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Heel Drop

When I measured my New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes using an 8-inch Digital Outside Caliper, I found the heel drop to be approximately 8mm.

Here I am measuring the heel drop of the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes:

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new-balance-fresh-foam-arishi-heel-toe-drop

**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 Fresh Foam Arishi 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 how the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes fit, but it can affect how comfortable it is for you to use. To read more, visit my article that discusses the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi heel drop and how it compares to other options.

New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Comfort

To read more in depth about comfort, visit my article Are the New Balance FF Arishi Shoes Comfortable?

New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Padding

The New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi does have padding around the collar, and a lightweight, thin tongue that doesn’t crowd the foot:

new-balance-fresh-foam-arishi-collar

Does the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Have a Removable Insole?

Yes, the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi 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 Fresh Foam Arishi shoes:

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How Thick is the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi Insole?

I measured my New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi insole to be slightly thicker than 1/8th of an inch.

new-balance-fresh-foam-arishi-insole-thickness

New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v3 Sizing Conclusion

In my experience, the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi fits true to size. When I compared the sizing of the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi to the sizing of other popular athletic and casual shoes, I found the sizing to be very similar.

The New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi 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 Fresh Foam Arishi to other similar types of New Balance running shoes, I also really like the New Balance FuelCell Rebel and the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080.

Paul Johnson

Paul is a lead content creator for Workwear Command. He has had several blue-collar jobs which have provided him a wide range of experience with tools and gear. He also has a business degree and has spent time in business casual office settings.

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