Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

For the last 20 years New Balance has been my brand. Every single pair of tennis shoes I have ever owned has been New Balance. I mean that quite literally. Growing up they were the only brand which made shoes in a width I could wear which were available near me. They lasted well, they were comfortable, and they fit me. I have had New Balance shoes shipped to me internationally before simply because I know they will fit. Or I thought I did before I bought this pair. The last 2 or 3 pairs I have noticed the quality dropping. Each one it took a little less time for the sole to come off, a little less time to wear holes in something. My last pair (624s) the sole fell off after about 6 months. I keep industrial contact cement lying around for that sort of thing, so it doesn't bother me. But then all the edges started fraying, the sole itself started delaminating and stitching started ripping. I've glued the thing back together a few times now, but I never used to have to do this. But I had some level of loyalty. New Balance was my brand. So I ordered a new pair, MX608V4 this time. I wear a 12.5 4E. My last pair of New Balance shoes was a 12.5 4E. And the pair before that, and so on into time immemorial (or puberty, but who's counting). This pair of MX608V4 in US size 12.5 4E was 3/4 inch shorter and 1/2 inch narrower than my previous pair of New Balance 624s in US size 12.5 4E. I know. I took a ruler and checked. I can't even wear these shoes. If it weren't for Amazon's return policy I'd have ended up with a set of $60 paperweights. I can't really speak to the build quality since I can't even wear the miserable things to check. But the left insole is fractionally too long for the shoe, so it won't actually sit flat inside the shoe. Intrabrand sizing issues aside, that speaks to pretty poor quality control. So in summary, I'm out. I wore your shoes for over 20 years. I went to school in them, learned to ride a bike in them, trekked through half a dozen countries in them... and I kept buying them even as the quality slid further and further. It's slid too far now, and I'm done with it; I'll find a new brand now.