I went through some frogs to arrive at this shoe. I've been hooked on Ryka for many years because of how lightweight they are, but it looks like other brands have been catching up. I used to wear NB running shoes years ago and really liked them for the support & cushioning. Now I needed the same thing in a cross-training shoe. The first pair of Rykas I got, which were billed as being very supportive, were total mush. I sent them back. Then I started looking for & reading reviews about very supportive shoes, & this NB 856 kept coming up.

My street-shoe size is 8-1/2 & my last pair of NB was a 9. I was debating going for a narrow width because my feet are a little narrow but not enough that every pair of shoes I get has to be a narrow width. But some of the Amazon reviewers gave me the impression I could get a narrow width in the 856 and it would be okay.

I just got my new 9 narrows and am wearing them on the stairclimber as I write this. Wow. Absolutely perfect fit. I can tell the width is narrower than my 9Bs, because I'm never going to have to overlap the lacing holes, which is great. Even with orthotics. They are extremely lightweight and feel really supportive, which I need because of my over-pronating feet, which have been sore lately & have caused me to have to wear shoes with orthotics every waking moment & avoid my pool shoes, tip-off I need new shoes.

I got a screaming 1-day deal on these shoes from Amazon, so I got 2 pair and boy am I glad, because they are right back up to over 100 bucks everywhere again. Plus, years ago I read in a running magazine that if you rotate 2 pair of shoes they last as long as 3 pair because they any compression from the workout gets a good chance to restore. So I rotate these daily, which is convenient because I am a chronic rotate-er. Dishes, towels, you name it. This is the only thing where rotating actually makes a difference. ;).

Fantastic shoes!