Seam where the toe box attaches to the sole split open on my right shoe after appr 8 months of very easy every-other-day use.  These are primarily walking around shoes and the leather and sole show minimal (if any) wear.  I sent pictures to New Balance with an email complaining about the extremely premature failure of these shoes.  I was first told to contact the vendor where I bought them (Joe's New Balance Outlet, which is owned by New Balance), then told the failure was caused by improper fit and improper lacing and there was nothing New Balance would do.

Not that angry that the shoes failed - I've used NB for years with no problems, and defects are bound to slip through even the tightest quality controls from time to time, but then it comes down to how well the company stands behind their product and backs up their claims of quality and customer service, and NB whiffed big time here.

Not standing behind a shoe that failed after being barely broken in, then trying to deflect blame onto the customer with the flimsiest of excuses about improper sizing/tying, is indicative of a company no longer concerned with customer service or brand reputation.  I'll be looking to other brands from now on.