I was skeptical about liking these after reading numerous negative or lukewarm reviews on Amazon and other sites.

Going into my purchase I was confident from others' reviews that these ran small, specifically a half a size small. So, instead of my normal size 8 (in Asics and everything else), I did get the 8.5 and I'm glad I did.

My stability expectations were low because the shoe is very lightweight and doesn't have the same type of arch support as my Asics, but after using these for a couple weeks now at the gym (treadmill, elliptical) I am actually really impressed with the stability factor. I overpronate and these provide excellent support for me.

The tongue is weird. It's sewn in to the sides of the shoe. It makes getting them on and off more difficult than other sneakers I'm used to, but it's not a huge deal. As far as reviews mentioning abrasions and blisters, fortunately that hasn't been an issue. I wear low cut athletic socks with the ankle tab. So far so good.

I've only ever worn Asics running shoes before. This is my first time with New Balance and I'm really pleased with the 1500v3.

So my takeaway is if you're an overpronator and need a good stability sneaker, I do recommend trying these. Just make sure you order half a size up from your usual size.