I have worn New Balance walking shoes with the Velcro straps for years and loved them. Not so with my recent purchase. The are no longer made as they had been for years and have lost the secure comfort they once had. I wear a 8 triple wide and always found the fit just right, the straps were long enough  with plenty of strap to Velcro. The new shoes now have a longer strap that ends up hanging out far beyond the shoe when hooked. Then when I tried to tighten  the shoe I found they have also added elastic to the straps (why I don't know) which makes the straps 2 1/2 " longer than necessary and an 1 1/2 longer if you cut off the indicated you and trim them. I have a wide foot and do wear arch supports and find the shoes are much looser a fit than is comfortable. It appears they have made the shoe to fit a wider range of feet and not just the person who has a wide foot.