They were actually a learning experience.

It just so happened that I was having a bit of knee pain from another brand of New Balance shoes that are coming close to having seen their best days. I put these shoes on (earlier than I expected to buy them) and it ended up that I had no discomfort after the run. It is questionable how long these shoes will last (likely a long time since they have features that the other pair did not).

What's more: These shoes gave me a good REAL-LIFE comparison between shoes that had only a very few of the features available that NB has to offer (the MR725s-[...].  In the future when I decide to buy a new pair of shoes, I will be able to see more clearly what features are available (and therefore worth buying) or what features are not available (and therefore worth avoiding).

It seems that the ratio of price/performance is roughly constant for all the shoes (i.e., a cheaper pair of shoes will give you problems sooner than the more expensive pair) and I've learned (the hard way) that it is worth spending a few extra dollars for a better pair.