New Balance Men's MC996 Lightweight Tennis Shoe

I have never had a pair of New Balance shoes and thought I would give these FuelCell Propel v4 a chance. They have the same FuelCell foam as New Balance’s Supercomp race lineup, but have a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) plate in them rather than the Energy Arc carbon fiber one like the race shoes. They also don’t have the steep price like a race shoe which was attractive! I ordered them in my normal size of 10.5 2E US and they feel nice and roomy in the toe box. The upper looks nice and airy based on my basic light testing. The midsole foam had an average of 25 HA from my Shore A Durometer over 6 datapoints and the outsole averaged 55 HA over 6 datapoints. The toe box measured 100.2 mm at the widest point and 78.8 mm at the big toe area. The heel upper measured 79 mm at the heel cup. The midsole forefoot measured 119 mm at the widest point and the heel at 96.1 mm. My normal daily training shoes are the ultra plush cushioned Hoka Bondi 8 which has an average 34 HA on my Shore A Durometer in the midsole foam. The foam just agrees with my feet and legs unlike some others. The shoes at 10.5 2E US weighed in at 307 and 311 grams each which is about 35 grams less than my Bondi 8’s! The one thing I noticed was an irregularity in the logo on the upper. I jumped on the treadmill for a quick minute to see how the Propel felt and there wasn’t anything I could feel that concerned me, so I headed outside to get a 5k jog in. I’m not a fast runner and really only started jogging last summer. I was surprised to look down at my watch to see that I was at just over 4 minutes at the first half mile. I ended up backing down and recorded a 10:02 first mile. The New Balance FuelCell foam has a great feel! It feels a lot like the foam in my Bondi 8’s. I can’t say that I feel much feedback from the TPU plate like I feel from the carbon fiber plate in my Puma Deviate Nitro first gen shoes. That said, it makes the Supercomp Trainer v2 with more cushioning and the Energy Arc carbon fiber plate even more interesting as a next shoe possibility since they are about 35 grams less than the Propel v4. 6-18-24 update: I am more impressed with these shoes more than a month in and about 75 miles on them. You can see how the outsole is showing very little wear on the Propel v4 against my go to Hoka Bondi 8’s in the latest pictures. The Hoka’s have just about 12 miles more on them than the New Balance. 8-4-24 update: I have two minor knocks against them. One is a knock on all white shoes and that is they are hard to keep clean. The second is that I’m starting to see some wear from my big toe in the right foot toe box as you can see in my latest picture.

I am a hoka runner since 2013. I have worn them for all of my races and loved them for their innovative shoes especially for long distance runs. But recently I have decided to give some other shoes a tr since I am tired of paying $150 for a pair of shoes. Before hoka, I ran in NB. So it should be obvious that they are going to be one of the shoes that I give a try. My first impressions of these shoes are: well made, light, cushiony and stylish. They were a little stiff out of the box due to their soles but quickly give way. These are a true neutral running shoes with a lot of cushion for your feet. Another thing I love about nb is that they make shoes in wide and x-wide which hoka shoes are notorious for cramped toe boxes causing runner toes and blisters. These shoes are light on the feet so that you can turn your feet over quickly to achieve a higher cadence and speed. I am impressed with how far NB has come. Oh and one more plus for them is that my initials are on the shoes! Nn! Go NB!

I’m very happy with the New Balance tennis shoes. They fit true to size and feel secure right out of the box, no long break in period needed. The width is comfortable without feeling too tight or too loose, and my foot feels well-supported during lateral movements on the court. The support is excellent, especially around the arch and heel. I feel stable when making quick direction changes, and there’s good cushioning without being overly soft. They’re lightweight but still feel solid and performance-focused.

I love New Balance shoes because I have wide feet and NB graciously makes almost all of their shoes in a wide version. But they also make excellent shoes, and that goes pretty much for every NB shoe I've worn. When I find a NB version I like, I usually buy several pairs and use them for a couple of years. I think I've gone through six pairs of 442 TF shoes for soccer. As for running shoes, I'm not much of a real runner, but I do it to keep in shape. I got the NB FuelCell Propel v4 to replace a pair of 890s. The 890's were fantastic--so light that it felt like I wasn't wearing anything. I also really liked how the uppers fit like a sock. The FuelCell Propel V4, even though it's a version behind now, is a more modern running shoe with more modern cushioning. Yeah, we've gone from the sort of minimalist phase to running on marshmallows. But I'll tell you what, the Propel's feel pretty damn amazing when you put them on. The cushioning is amazing, like you're walking on clouds. But not just regular clouds; very springy clouds. That's where the FuelCell technology comes in with the TPU inserts in this shoe. I have to tell you, the energy return is pretty fantastic. The first time I put these guys on, I felt like I had to learn how to walk again--boing, boing, boing! I've probably put 30 miles on them now--treadmill, pavement, trail--and they run great on all surfaces. Super stable, super comfortable, and I love them. So why only four stars? Two reasons. First, there is no gusseted tongue. Okay, this isn't a major thing and I haven't had any issues with the tongue coming out of place on either shoe. But I really loved the feeling of the 890s with their gusseted tongue. The uppers just made it felt like the shoe was a part of my foot. NB really missed the mark by leaving this feature out. Second, these shoes are just a little bit on the heavier side. I'm not a marathon runner so it doesn't really bother me, and it's not like I'm thinking about it while I'm running. I'm just pointing it out. Really, I'd give these shoes 4.5 stars. If they had the gusseted tongue, they'd be a 5 stars all the way.

These shoes are great! I have plenty of grip on the court, even when it starts to get a little rainy. They are pretty cheap compared to other shoes yet they still perform. I would recommend getting half a size to one size larger than usual. They are pretty tight but once they are broken in, they are very comfortable. They are light yet give a lot of support. My tennis game would not be the same without these. If you want good shoes without breaking the bank, these are probably your best bet.

Shoes are very specific to the shape of each person’s foot, so whether these work for you or not may differ from my experience. However, I really love these shoes. The 2E width was perfect for my medium to wide foot. And I tried on several tennis shoes in the past and most tend to run very narrow and long. The width and length of this shoe was consistent with what I normally wear for everyday use which is NB 574. Very comfortable but also stable with great traction for playing tennis.

I use the shoes for walking, it's my second pair so clearly I like the performance of them. My only drawback comment and why I gave it three stars is for this price I would have expected the shoes to being good shape for longer than four or five months. At the 6-month mark they were showing visible wear in the shoe itself (upper), the tread was normal wear but the shoe just started giving out. The second pair that it's happened to. I typically walk about 12 to 15 miles a week. So perhaps 250 to 300 Mi over that length of time. The average should be 350 to 500 miles.

I would really like to give these shoes 4.5/5 as they are such a fantastic shoe, but they do have some slight limitations. I’ve been wearing the NB FuelCell for nearly 2 years now and liked them so much I bought a second pair just to have a fresh rotation. They’ve been fantastic for running, walking, and cardio (Elliptical). They are comfortable, lightweight, and they absorb impact beautifully. I easily log 5 - 6 miles per walk/run, and these keep my feet feeling great with no blisters or joint fatigue. I recently started using my newer pair in the gym, and while they’re still comfortable for general training, they’re not ideal for weightlifting or stability work. The cushioning that makes them great for running doesn’t offer the flat, grounded feel you’d want for Leg focused or balance-based exercises. You’ll get a bit of “squish” under load, which can compromise form if you’re lifting heavy. That said, for walking, running, treadmill/elliptical work, or even all-day wear they’re hard to beat. Just be aware they’re not a substitute for cross-trainers or lifting shoes.