New Balance Men's Rollbar 856 V1 Cross Trainer

Not made or marketed for tennis, this shoe seems very suitable still. When you're a semi-serious recreational player with EEE feet (and, in my case, 250 lbs. atop them) a durable, wide, supportive shoe is a must. I went for the 4E since New Balance does not do a 3E, and truth told the 4E is a pretty cavernous toe box. But rigorous tennis and my weight means that my feet swell some in the heat of vigorous contest, so I expect the tad extra room will be needed (I'll report back if wrong about that, since I have only worn them around the house so far).What else? They're a little heavy, and mildly stiffer than many athletic shoes, but VERY comfortable. And the arch is a bit higher than expected---which is ideal for my freakish feet.For tennis players who care: I spent a lot of time reading reviews on New Balance tennis shoes, since they're the only game in town for 3EEE fellas like myself (or gals)---and too many of those reviews were mixed for my comfort. That may be because players with monster wide feet like mine are often longtime New Balance buyers, and more than a few report that some of the newer New Balance tennis shoes aren't made quite as well as they used to be. Seems maybe NB has been skimping on costs/QA in that segment, since their buyers are kinda locked in (no other maker does wide--EEE or wider--tennis shoes, AFAIK).I figured that while heavier (like me) the NB cross training shoes were likely more durable and part of a much more competitive market segment---thus a greater incentive for quality design and manufacture than perhaps applies to the relatively tiny "tennis shoe" market. So far, that seems true.Hope that's helpful.

You MUST READ THIS REVIEW it will SAVE you LOTS of TIME! I ordered these sneakers after a great deal of research, so I've already done the work for you. I ordered these sneakers for my husband who is 6' 3", 270 bs., has bad knees and tends to roll his feet out (most people tend to do that too!). He walks our dog every night and needed a good walking shoe, the only thing I knew was NO MORE MESS sneakers (they're the worst no support). So I started reading TONS of reviews, and you have to learn that not all reviews are written by, lets say the most educated people, so you have to take them with a gain of salt & read between the lines! After ALL of that I narrowed my choices down to about 4 -5 sneakers and started price shopping. My husband did not want me to buy the sneakers online, so we went to a New Balance store, which I agreed to because we got his feet measured. But what I told him would happen is exactly what happen, they showed him ALL the new styles (which we didn't need or care about) sneakers which are outrageously priced! They did have the MX856 but in VERY limited stock, they said they could order them for us with free shipping at the CLEARENCE PRICE of $119.95! We left and I came home and I went onto Amazon an ordered the MX856 at the LOWEST PRICE I could find of $79.00 (don't hold me to the exact prices but I know I save around $40!) and 3 - 5 days they were here! My husband LOVES the sneakers, they're actually helping his knees and feet feel better! One of the BEST BUYS I ever made!

I try to buy American products whenever I can. I understand that it will cost more but I figure the quality makes up for it. I bought a pair of New balance 856 cross trainers and was initially pleased with the fit and how they felt. I noticed that they are only assembled in the USA from imported materials which was a little disappointing. The real issue came after less than 2 months when one of the seams split. I've never had that happen even with much cheaper sneakers. I contacted NB. They were polite and apologetic and said they would send me a shipping tag to return the old shoes and that they would issue me a $119.99 credit. I returned the old ones and ordered new ones. Here's where the bigger issue of integrity comes into play. Now that they have my money for the new shoes and I've returned the old ones they are refusing to issue a credit to my card. They will only give me credit on a future purchase. They gave me some non sense about how their procedure don't allow the credit on the pair I just purchased. After all, I did need something to wear since I returned the old ones. I've bought thousands of products over the years and fortunately I've had relatively few problems and when I did virtually every company has done the right thing. This time they didn't. I'm disappointed in the quality of these shoes but I'm even more disappointed in the way New Balance has handled the situation. Do yourself a favor....DON'T spend the extra money on New Balance. Buy the $40-$50 sneakers and when they wear out after a year or two you won't feel too bad.Mark Halkin

I have had 6E wide feet since I was a teenager. I first picked these shoes up nearly ten years ago at a New Balance Store and have worn this specific model of shoe ever since.When I saw these shoes on Amazon for forty dollars less than I normally pay for them I was ecstatic. But I believe that lower cost is possible due to a lowering of quality.I have never had to "break in" this pair of shoes but the first several days of wearing these made my feet ache. The overall quality of the shoe feels much cheaper than I am used to and having had them for several months now, I notice they wear a lot faster than they used to as well.Overall, they are still a great pair of shoes and I will continue to purchase them as I always have, but the lesser quality is definitely noticeable.