tldr; Bulletproof comfort, better looking than Hokas. Made in USA quality. Often on sale around $100. Superfeet insoles bonus.
Check pricesScores based on sentiment analysis of topic-related comments
Best praise vs top criticism for New Balance 990
“I’ve noticed a lot of stores inflate prices before BF, so I’m always a bit skeptical. Lately I’ve been using Checkmate in the background while I shop, since it quietly pops up with working discounts instead of those sketchy codes you find online that never apply. It saved me a bit on the 990s, which honestly surprised me because NB almost never has good promos.”
“I know exactly how you feel. I get anxious putting on shoes wondering if it will hurt and I’ve had to think about how I walk to not aggravate the toe For me it started off with shoes that were a little too tight. And that set off the beginning of all of this. The specialist I spoke to suggested occasional anti inflammatories, stretching exercises and maximalist shoes ( like Hokas) For a long while subsequently I survived mostly on regular sneakers like NB990 shoes and I was fine. But occasions when I needed to wear dress shoes it would hurt eventually. I’ve tried barefoot shoes as initially I thought it was a width issue but the feet would eventually hurt Recently though even my regular sneakers have started to give me issues when walking briskly and I’ve kind of taken the approach to reduce the motion of the large toe as much as possible via stiff carbon insoles or stiff shoes. And I’m also trying to avoid walking. Just to calm the area down. I’m sorry I can’t find a clear solution forward but my general approach is to bring down the accumulated inflammation. By walking only when needed and using the shoes I’ve described.”
117 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 2/24/2026