New Balance 574 review

In our opinion, it's hard to go wrong with the New Balance 574 if you are after the following:

• an affordable classic sneaker
• a very comfortable pair that can get you through the day
• a highly versatile kick that's available in numerous color combinations

The NB 574 comes with a thick wedge EVA midsole that feels rigid and inflexible. Thus, this kick might feel unforgiving for those who prefer soft and flexible sneakers. As an alternative, you may want to consider the 997H or the more expensive 2002R.

The 574 may also be a disappointment if you are looking for a summer kick. We recommend going for a more breathable option like the PUMA RS-X.

Donning the New Balance 574 on a hot summer day is a bad-bad idea.

Trying out the 574 in warm temperatures, we couldn't wait to get it off, to be honest. Back in the lab, our experience was confirmed in a breathability test where we pumped smoke through the shoe's upper to see how much of it passed through.

As you can see from the video, ZERO smoke is passing through the shoe's seemingly mesh toebox. Only a little is able to escape through the gaps between the tongue and the shoe quarters.

For that reason, we ended up giving the 574 a lower breathability score of 3 out of 5.

Oh, and never mind the "mesh" panels. These boys are so densely woven that they don't even let the light shine through!

Lookig at the toebox through our microscope...

... there are no see-through perforations in sight.

When we take a closer look at the quality of materials on the NB 574, it actually becomes easier to forgive the lack of breathability. For a $90 shoe, we were impressed!

Equipped with a butane torch and a leather scratch awl, we tested the genuineness of materials in various parts of the upper. Our main point of interest was of course the suede. And it turned out to be real! Unlike the synthetic heel panel and the "N" logo, the suede didn't catch fire and stood up to the awl too.

The 574 did its wearers a huge favor by adding a very wide suede overlay on the toebox. It does a fantastic job of protecting the mesh layer underneath.

We can easily prove it in our durability test that involves a Dremel. Holding the tool against the suede at a consistent speed (10K RPM) and force (3.2N), we only got a small dimple!

Such amazing wear resistance earned the 574 a high score for toebox durability. On a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the most durable, we gave it a 4.

Inside, the 574 is lined with a plush and comfy fabric lining. That one should be easy to tear, right? Right?

Well, apparently, our Dremel struggled with that! After 4 seconds of drilling the fabric, the damage was really minor compared to what we usually see in sneakers.

On a 1-5 scale, we rated the heel padding durability with a high score of 4.

Great news for those of us who often develop holes in this part of a shoe!

A rugged, massive outsole is 574's signature. But is it just as sturdy as it looks? Hell, yeah!

To begin with, we measured the hardness of that rubber at 83.1 HC. This is not much harder than the average of sneakers but it's a good start.

The shoe's outsole revealed its true nature in our demanding Dremel test. And it's a BEAST!

Drilling through the rubber for a good 22 seconds at a high speed of 10K RPM, it just couldn't be bothered!

According to our tread gauge, the depth of the dent is a mere 0.5 mm! For reference, most sneakers end up with 1 to 1.5 mm of damage (like the Adidas Gazelle below).

But New Balance didn't stop there. The brand decided that a few millimeters of rubber was not convincing enough and packed as much as 8.2 mm into the 574!

This is one of the thickest rubber outsoles we've ever seen on a sneaker! It is also pretty aggressively lugged and is ready to outlast many other sneakers on the market. Especially, in its price range!

From the look of it, it is only reasonable to think that the New Balance 574 is a chunky boy. And yet, and yet...

The sneaker surprises us once again, this time on a scale. We measured the shoe in a men's US size 9 and found that it weighs 13.9 oz (393g) which is within the average of low-top sneakers.

It exudes a bulky vibe on foot but never drags it down.

Aside from platform sneakers, the New Balance 574 makes for one of the tallest stacks in our catalog.

Using a caliper, we measured the shoe's heel height at an impressive 38.2 mm. This is taller than other popular kicks like the Reebok Classic Leather (35.7 mm) or the Adidas Superstar (26.8 mm).

In the forefoot, the 574 also proved to be taller than average. We measured the stack height here at 25.2 mm.

The funny thing is that this NB shoe is thicker in the forefoot than some sneakers are in the heel (like the Adidas Samba at 19.3 mm).

Given the stack difference, we get a 13.0 mm drop in the 574. That's neither good nor bad as it is totally up to the wearer's preference. Some people like to feel their heels elevated while others prefer a more grounded, parallel-to-the-ground experience.

The NB 574 is going to feel slightly elevated in the heel but pretty balanced for most people.

The 574 sneaker is a perfect example of a thick sole that does not equate to a cushioned sole.

We've got bad news for the fans of plush sneakers - this New Balance offering feels quite firm underfoot.

Using a durometer, we measured the primary foam of the 574 at 44.0 HA.

This is among the firmest we've seen in our lab so far. For comparison, the PUMA RS-X is a whopping 182% softer!

You probably noticed that the midsole of the 574 consists of two layers of foam. Thus, we also measured the softness of the top layer (the one closer to the foot).

This foam turned out to be slightly softer than the lower layer. At 29.5 HA, it is actually 49% softer! Although still firm, this top foam at least helps to make landings more pleasurable.

Completing the shoe's cushioning ensemble is a fairly padded insole. Being 4.7 mm thick, it is within the normal range for sneakers.

New Balance was founded by an arch support specialist for a good reason. Stability or support is never an issue in sneakers from this brand.

As you can see in the video, our heel remains firmly planted on the ground as we attempt to shift the foot side-to-side. Let's have a look at the factors contributing to this in the sections below.

First and foremost, there is a lot of stiffness in the shoe's platform. Twisting it sideways in our manual test, we could feel a great deal of resistance from the firm sole.

This led us to give this NB shoe a solid 4 out of 5 for torsional rigidity.

Stiffer shoes like this have a much smaller chance of letting your ankle roll over to the side. An extreme opposite case would be the Adidas 4DFWD 2.

The NB 574 takes really good care of your ankles. With double overlays and a plastic ENCAP at the bottom of the heel, we felt very securely held at the rearfoot.

Between 1 and 5, we rated the 574's heel counter stiffness as 3. It is not the stiffest but structured enough for sure.

A stable platform wouldn't be complete without a nice and wide base. And the 574 scores high here too!

At the widest part of the forefoot, our caliper measured 114.3 mm, which is a whole centimeter wider than other classic sneakers like the Reebok Classic Leather (103.3 mm).

This NB shoe also proves to be fairly wide in the heel. We got 80.2 mm in the widest part of the sole, which is also on the wide side of the sneaker spectrum.

The New Balance 574 is not the kind of sneaker that bends to your will so easily. The shoe feels notably stiffer than minimalist sneakers like the Adidas Gazelle.

To figure out exactly how much stiffer the 574 is, we used a force gauge to bend the shoe to a 90-degree angle. The tool showed that it took as much as 28.8N. This is almost 50% more than it takes an average sneaker!

As long as you don't try to conquer ice and slush in the NB 574, it should provide just enough grip for most occasions.

Its lugs may seem aggressive but they are definitely not deep or sharp enough for slippery conditions.

If your toes could dream, they would certainly have a little dream of the 574. Especially if you have wider feet.

Measuring the toebox at its widest part, near the ball of the foot, we got 97.7 mm. And while that's just an average width, the difference lies in the tip of the forefoot. 

Applying our caliper to the area around the big toe, we got a pretty impressive 82.7 mm of width! This is significantly wider than most sneakers.

This offers a significantly roomier fit, allowing toes to splay and preventing them from going numb by the end of the day.

Oh, and did we mention that the 574 is also available in wide and extra wide?

The tongue doesn't have any gussets (attachments) on the sides. Unfortunately, this resulted in slight shifting of the tongue sideways in our case.

Measuring the tongue padding, our caliper returned 4.6 mm.

Even though it is about the same as average, we felt a little bit of lace pressure through it, especially when cinched tightly.

No heel tab at the back but we didn't find it a necessity in the 574.

Because New Balance started out as an insole company, they know how to make these inserts right. We enjoyed the 574's stock insole but if you need your own orthotic, it can be swapped easily.

No shining in the dark.

In 1988, New Balance released the 574 as an advanced running shoe with a notable design. This iteration was a hybrid that blended the best details of New Balance's well-known running kicks, namely the New Balance 575 and 576 models.

The shoe also carried the famous ENCAP cushioning system, responsible for comfort and protection.

Ever since then, the 574 has undoubtedly become one of the brand's most iconic pairs in sneaker history. And even though it can be lost in the shadow of much more hyped releases like NB 550, the 9060, and the 2002R, it still holds its place as a timeless silhouette on the shelves of New Balance.

Especially for its unbelievably affordable price tag!