Product Description
Ideal for exploring adventurous environments, the New Balance Women's WW978 Country Walking Shoes are made for protective comfort. This rugged country walker features ROLLBAR technology for maximum stability as well as GORE-TEX protection for muddy and wet conditions. With the protection of puncture-resistant ROCK STOP to shield you from debris on the trail, the New Balance WW978 Country Walking Shoes for women are just as tough as the terrain you tackle.
| List Price: | $154.95 |
| Price: |
$79.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details |
| as of Sat, 16 Mar 2013 02:54:49 GMT ***Remember, deals price on this item for sale just for limited time*** | |
Product Details
- Size: 5.5 B(M) US
- Color: Brown
- Brand: New Balance
- Model: WW978-W
- Fabric type: leather
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .75 pounds
Features
- Women's Outdoor/Hiking Shoes
- Country Walking/Stability/Gore-Tex
- New and Improved
From the Manufacturer
New Balance, is dedicated to helping athletes achieve their goals. It's been their mission for more than a century. It's why they don't spend money on celebrity endorsements. They spend it on research and development. It's why they don't design products to fit an image. They design them to fit. New Balance is driven to make the finest shoes for the same reason athletes lace them up: to achieve the very best.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
By bh184808
Having read the reviews on Amazon (and those on New Balance's website) of the WW978, I was somewhat skeptical about ordering this shoe. However, I desperately needed a hiking shoe that would fit my EE-width foot, and New Balances have never done me wrong. I am happy to report that, as long as you account for the fact that leather shoes tend to be a bit more snug (and as long as your order appropriately), I think you'll have no issues with the shoe whatsoever.
I was previously measured as a 6.5 EE, and own a beloved pair of New Balance WR1012 Nbx Motion Control Running Shoes in that size. As the WW978 is leather, I ordered up a half-size, and went with the 7, as others have noted in their reviews. I still got EE width, as this is the largest offered. I am definitely glad I went with the 7 versus the 6.5, and am loving the fit of this shoe.
The 978s are waterproof, Gore Tex reinforced, and have quick lace notches. These are a MUST-HAVE for any outdoor enthusiast in need of a wide shoe. Obviously, I cannot promise you absolute success from my personal experience, but I think these are absolutely worth a try. They are also about $50 cheaper here than on New Balance's site, and Amazon is usually pretty great with handling returns in a manner that satisfies the customer.
I wish you all the best, and hope I could be of some help.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
By Primrose Hill
I have never worn New Balance shoes before, but I have developed plantar fasciitis and am looking for a moderately-priced pair of walking/hiking shoes that are supposed to be good for people with heel pain.
Obviously, in this situation it would be best to get fitted by a trained salesperson in a store that offers a range of brands and styles. However, the nearest such place is over 60 miles away, so I thought I'd see what I could get via Amazon.
The first two pairs of New Balance hiking shoes I tried ended up not fitting at all. I had chosen them on the basis of customer reviews and the shoes' appearance, and I did not understand at the time (because the Amazon descriptions do not explain this) that New Balance uses several different kinds of shoe lasts (forms/bases/models) to accomodate differently-shaped feet. The shoes I had ordered were designed to fit a foot that has a different shape to mine.
I went to the New Balance website to learn more about the sizing options. I had to dig around quite a bit on their site before I understood the intricacies of their lasts and their shoe styles.
In a comment attached to my review, I will post some informative internet links that clearly explain the New Balance shoe range. I hope this is helpful to someone.
---
Note that the last that this women's 978 walking shoe is built on is the OL-1, with a narrow heel, higher instep, deeper toebox, and wider forefoot.
Additionally, on a specialist New Balance retailer's website, they advise that this particular model of shoe (978) is apparently 1/2 size smaller than the normal New Balance shoe is (and the normal New Balance shoe is apparently 1/2 size smaller than most other shoe brands' shoes), so in this style they recommend that people order a full size bigger than their "street shoe" size. I called them on the phone to confirm that I was understanding the website instructions for this style correctly and they said I was. (I will post a link to that web page in the comments area below my review.) So I ordered a full size larger than I ordinarily would.
These shoes arrived today, but they don't work for me.
Positives:
-Looked nicer than I expected them to, based on the photos I could find of them online.
-Aren't as clunky/chunky as I thought they might be.
-Aren't as heavy as I thought they might be.
-The upper is softer and more pliable than I had expected it to be (since it is entirely made of smooth leather).
-The heel fit snugly, which is what I need.
-This style is waterproof and sturdy.
-The top-of-ankle area felt pretty cushioned, which I was concerned about, since sometimes high-top hiking boots can be inflexible in that area.
Negatives (for my foot):
-The front of the shoe feels all wrong for my foot. I don't know if it's the bigger toebox, bigger forefoot, or what, but there is too much space up there. Even though my toes felt like they were floating (not in a good way), when I tried to push my foot forward about 1/6th of an inch to approximate how going a smaller size down might feel (according to New Balance, that is the difference in length between their women's shoe sizes), my toes were too close to the edge of the shoe. So the last is probably wrong for me.
-The footbed felt wrong for my foot - in terms of the stability bars, cushioned areas, and so on. When walking in them, the feel was okay to my heel and midfoot, and then suddenly at the tail end of my step where my toes would start to push off from the ground, in the forefoot area the shoe noticably dipped down, which was a little destabilizing to me. I don't know if this is a design feature that is deliberate, or it only feels this way because the last is not a good fit for my foot, but it doesn't feel good to me. (I know it's not a necessary feature of orthopedic-"lite" types of shoes because I have purchased some Fitflop shoes in the last 2 weeks and their tremendously-supportive footbeds do not do that.)
I am losing hope that I will find a New Balance walking/hiking shoe that does work for me.
However, I appreciate Amazon's easy shoe return policy!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
By ArtQuilter
I was very disappointed that my favorite shoe, the New Balance 977, was discontinued. After having worn out 2 pairs, I was hoping for a third. I read the reviews on the New Balance 978 and it seemed that people were saying that it ran a size too small. So, I ordered a size larger and wider than my normal size and when I got them, they were HUGELY too big (I know, not good English!!). So, I sent them back ordering my normal size, but still a width wider than I usually get, again, taking note of what people were saying in the reviews. Well, there are still too big/wide. When I set them against the same size of my 977 pair, they were both size 11, the 978 was slightly longer than the 977...which actually is fine since I tend to wear thicker socks, but again, too wide. So I re-ordered yet a third time, this time ordering the same size as my 977 pair which is what I should have done to begin with. What a fiasco! However, I can tell when wearing around the size 11D, they are going to be wearable right out of the box! Very comfortable and I'm relieved because I really was hoping for a decent replacement for my old 977 pair which fit so perfectly and were the most comfortable pair of shoes that I've ever owned. I'm sure every size is a little different and feet are definitely different, so I guess you just have to wing it when ordering. However, my experience is to start by ordering your regular size, especially if you normally wear New Balance shoes, because it doesn't really make much sense that they would mess with their sizing so radically between styles--although, one never knows, does one?!? Best of luck.
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