New Balance FuelCell Propel Sizing Guide w/ Photos [Fit Big or Small?]


This New Balance FuelCell Propel Sizing Guide uses direct comparison photos where I put my FuelCell Propel 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 FuelCell Propel shoes run big or small?

New Balance FuelCell Propel 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. Click here to view side-by-side sizing photos comparing these shoes to other popular brands.

Let’s start this New Balance FuelCell Propel Sizing Guide by looking at the direct side-by-side comparison photos of my New Balance FuelCell Propel 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 FuelCell Propel Sizing Photos

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

New Balance Propel On My Foot

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

New Balance Propel (right) vs Asics Sizing

new-balance-propel-vs-asics-sizing

New Balance Propel vs Adidas Cloudfoam Sizing

new-balance-propel-vs-adidas-cloudfoam-sizing

New Balance Propel vs Nike Zoom Winflo Sizing

new-balance-propel-vs-nike-zoom-winflo-sizing

New Balance Propel vs Reebok Classics Sizing

new-balance-propel-vs-reebok-classics-sizing

New Balance Propel vs Keen Sizing

new-balance-propel-vs-keen-sizing

New Balance Propel vs Adidas 2k Boost Sizing

new-balance-propel-vs-adidas-2k-boost-sizing

New Balance Propel (right) vs 1080 Sizing

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New Balance Propel vs Hey Dude Wally Sox Sizing

new-balance-propel-vs-hey-dude-sizing

New Balance Propel vs Brooks Glycerin Sizing

brooks-vs-new-balance-propel-sizing

New Balance Propel vs Saucony Shadow 6000 Sizing

new-balance-propel-vs-saucony-shadow-6000-sizing

New Balance Propel vs Nike Air Max 90 Sizing

new-balance-propel-vs-nike-air-max-90-sizing

New Balance Propel vs Nike Air Max Excee Sizing

new-balance-propel-vs-nike-air-max-excee-sizing

New Balance Propel vs Crocs Sizing

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New Balance Propel vs Under Armour HOVR Sizing

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New Balance Propel (left) vs Rebel Sizing

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New Balance Propel vs Nike Air Force 1 Sizing

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New Balance Propel (right) vs 1080 Sizing

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New Balance Propel vs Hoka One One Sizing

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New Balance Propel vs Converse Chucks Sizing

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New Balance Propel vs Vans Slip On Sizing

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New Balance Propel (right) vs 860 Sizing

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New Balance Propel vs Skechers Go Walk Sizing

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New Balance Propel vs Vans UltraRange Sizing

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New Balance Propel (right) vs 574 Sizing

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New Balance Propel (left) vs Fresh Foam Roav Sizing

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New Balance Propel (right) vs 2002r Sizing

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New Balance Propel (left) vs Fresh Foam Cruz Sizing

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New Balance Propel (left) vs 840 Sizing

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New Balance Propel (left) vs Fresh Foam More Sizing

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Do New Balance FuelCell Propel Shoes Run Big or Small?

As we have discussed throughout, when I compared the New Balance Propel 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 Page.


Do New Balance FuelCell Propel Shoes Fit Wide or Narrow?

In my experience, New Balance Propel shoes do not fit too wide or too narrow. Overall, the toe box area is average width. For comparison, here is my New Balance Propel compared to my Nike Cortez shoes. The Nike Cortez are well-known for having a narrow, shallow toe box.

new-balance-propel-vs-nike-cortez-sizing

As you can see, the FuelCell Propel shoe does fit wider than the narrow Nike Cortez.

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

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

Below is a photo of me measuring the width of the outsole on my FuelCell Propel men’s size 12 shoes:

new-balance-propel-width-outsole

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


How Much Do New Balance FuelCell Propel Shoes Weigh?

My size 12 men’s New Balance FuelCell Propel shoes weigh 0.65 pounds per shoe.

new-balance-propel-weight

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

Are New Balance FuelCell Propel Shoes Breathable?

One thing I really like about the New Balance FuelCell Propel (and FuelCell Rebel) shoes is they are very breathable.

Here is a close-up of the material on my shoe:

new-balance-propel-material

When I hold my New Balance FuelCell Propel shoes up to the light, you can actually see light passing through them:

new-balance-propel-breathable

The FuelCell Propel shoes are one of the most breathable shoes that New Balance offers.

New Balance FuelCell Propel On Foot

Here I am wearing my New Balance Propel shoes, which I found to have a true-to-size fit:

new-balance-propel-on-foot

How Flexible are New Balance FuelCell Propel Shoes?

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

The New Balance FuelCell Propel 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 FuelCell Propel Shoes Fit Tall?

New Balance FuelCell Propel Sole Height

I found the New Balance FuelCell Propel sole height for my size 12 shoes to be approximately 1.75 inches tall near the heel. This heel height is very similar to many other types of New Balance running shoes that I have tried.

In the photo below, I tried to capture the heel height, and the overall height of the FuelCell Propel shoe:

new-balance-propel-sole-height

New Balance FuelCell Propel Heel Drop

When I measured my New Balance FuelCell Propel shoes using an 8-inch Digital Outside Caliper, I found the heel drop to be 6mm.

Here I am measuring the heel drop of the New Balance FuelCell Propel shoes:

new-balance-propel-heel-drop-measurements
new-balance-propel-heel-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 Propel 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 Propel 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 Propel heel drop and how it compares to other options.

New Balance FuelCell Propel Comfort

The New Balance FuelCell Propel shoes are one of the most comfortable shoes that New Balance makes (I think the FuelCell Rebel are the most comfortable, but these are also very comfortable).

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

New Balance FuelCell Propel Padding

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

new-balance-propel-padded-collar

Does the New Balance Propel Have a Removable Insole?

Yes, the New Balance FuelCell Propel 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 FuelCell Propel shoes:

new-balance-propel-insole

How Thick is the New Balance FuelCell Propel Insole?

I measured my New Balance FuelCell Propel insole to be approximately 1/8th of an inch thick.

new-balance-propel-insole-measurement

New Balance FuelCell Propel Sizing Conclusion

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

The New Balance Propel 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 Propel 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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