This is the best looking/fitting shoe that I've bought so far for son who has wide feet.  The sneaker has a nicely contoured fit.  Our son has wide feet just at the ball of his foot & other shoes tend to fit big all over.  The laces are bungey-cord type & have just the right flexibility for on/off & not too tight or loose.  No shoes in house, so this is a nice alternative to velcro for easy on/off.  Our kiddo said "I won't fall anymore stretching for the football. Why? They're new balance sneakers, like Mom & Dad's" (lol). Anyway, it's just been a week so not sure how they'll hold up.  But for $30 pricetag, we've already purchased the next size up!