I've been buying the New Balance "1060" line of shoes for several years now. These are NB's flagship neutral running shoe line. The previous model that these 1064's replace were the 1063's. I had a pair that were nothing short of wonderful and lasted about two years of running (190lbs, 12 miles/wk). The previous model (1062?) were the same, as were the model before that. So when I realized that my 1063's needed to be replaced I was almost ecstatic to see how cheap Amazon was selling the 1064's for. And because I've had several consecutive great experiences with this particular line of shoes, I assumed that the 1064's would be superb as well. Wrong! They have an awkward fit all around. They fit very tight. I've been wearing the same size 106x shoe for years, and haven't had to go larger on my other shoes. Going with a half size larger may have alleviated some of it (but not all), but they're still not what its predecessors have always been. For one, there is some kind of padding behind the heel. It feels like there are two "things" (for lack of a better word) digging into my heel. It's not painful and wouldn't leave a blister, it's just annoying and kind of messes with my step. I can tell it's some kind of double-pronged padding, but it feels like my socks are bunched up (like I didn't pull them up all the way).

All in all, it's kind of hard to describe all aspects of how this shoe is uncomfortable and awkward feeling. By the time I realized they were a bad design and didn't just need to be "broken in", it was too late to return them. So I hopped online and searched high and low for any retailers that still had last year's 1063's in stock. I found one seller on Amazon and bought them right away. They weren't discounted but I didn't care. Buying a shoe that I KNOW will be great for running outweighed any disappointment at not getting a "last year's model" discount.

I know other people are leaving rave reviews. It's all relative though. It depends on what you're used to. If you had a horrible shoe before, then the 1064 might not feel so bad. From now on, I will never buy shoes online again. I'm relieved that I got one of the last remaining 1063's, but after this, I'm just buying my running shoes locally. If it was a casual loafer for work, I might not care that much, but when it comes to running, the shoe is vital.