Does it run true to size? / New Balance
Does New Balance run true to size?
New Balance women's shoes, by its own chart
Chart runs long: maybe half a size down
By its own size chart, New Balance builds each size for a foot about 0.3 cm longer than the median of 14 other brands' charts. On length alone that points you half a size down. A chart does not measure width, so if your feet are wide or you are between sizes, stay with your usual size.
Source: New Balance size guide, checked 2026-09-17.
Convert your size to New BalanceNew Balance products and size chart
If you wear this at another brand, buy this at New Balance
| You wear | Size 7 there | Size 8 there | Size 9 there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nike | New Balance 7 | New Balance 8 | New Balance 9 |
| adidas | New Balance 7 or 6.5 | New Balance 7.5 | New Balance 8.5 |
| HOKA | New Balance 7 | New Balance 8 | New Balance 9 |
| Brooks | New Balance 7 | New Balance 8 | New Balance 9 |
| ASICS | New Balance 7 | New Balance 8 | New Balance 8.5 or 9 |
| On | New Balance 7 | New Balance 8 | New Balance 9 |
| Saucony | New Balance 6.5 | New Balance 7.5 | New Balance 8.5 |
Size by size: New Balance against the other charts
| US women's | New Balance builds it for | Median brand | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 23 cm | 23 cm (14 brands) | same |
| 6.5 | 23.5 cm | 23.5 cm (13 brands) | same |
| 7 | 24 cm | 24 cm (14 brands) | same |
| 7.5 | 24.5 cm | 24 cm (13 brands) | +0.50 cm |
| 8 | 25 cm | 24.5 cm (14 brands) | +0.50 cm |
| 8.5 | 25.5 cm | 25 cm (12 brands) | +0.50 cm |
| 9 | 26 cm | 25.5 cm (14 brands) | +0.50 cm |
| 9.5 | 26.5 cm | 26 cm (12 brands) | +0.50 cm |
| 10 | 27 cm | 26.5 cm (14 brands) | +0.50 cm |
What a size chart cannot tell you
A chart gives one number per size: the foot length. Width, toe box shape, the heel and how much the upper stretches are on no chart, and they decide whether a shoe feels short. That is why people sometimes say a brand runs small when its chart says it runs long: a narrow toe box can crowd a foot the chart says fits.
If you have wide feet or sit between sizes, take the larger size, or check whether the model comes in a wide fit.
Wearer reports appear on the shoe converter once five people who own both brands have told us what fits. They rank above the charts, because charts describe a shoe and wearers describe a fit. Add a pair you own to help.