Our verdict

Out-dated styles are a huge thing in this day and age, and New Balance 480 is not an exception. The silhouette of this sneaker might be retro, but do not think even for a second that it has a retrogressive in-shoe feeling because it is actually the opposite! We had the time of our lives while wearing these trainers on our casual day outs, at work, and even in the gym, thanks to its well-padded collar and beefy cushioning.

New Balance Women's 996 Black Pros

  • Luxuriously padded and comfortable
  • Protective cushioning
  • Pantofi NEW BALANCE WE430LN2 Bleumarin
  • Excellent for all-day use
  • Great traction
  • New Balance 420 Marathon Running Shoes Low Tops Womens Light Breathable WE420LP2
  • Zero break-in required
  • Chaussures NEW BALANCE MS42TBK2 Noir
  • Чоловічі кросівки new balance нью баланс mh574xb1 шкіра
  • New Balance Chaussures Running Dynasoft Nitrel V5 PS
  • Budget-friendly

New Balance Women's 996 Black Cons

  • Leather isn’t genuine and lacks quality
  • Durability could be better

Audience verdict

89
Good!
  • Top 21% most popular trainers

Who should buy

We recommend the brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT as a great choice for: 

  • Those in the market for a well-padded shoe that’s superbly comfortable for all-day wear
  • Спортивные майки new balance retro vibe

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT wqilulb

Who should NOT buy

New Balance X Reformation 997W Shoes UK7.5 Adidas Spezial offers a much more high-quality and durable construction made almost entirely of genuine suede, making it a much better bang for the buck.

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Cushioning

New Balance Women's 996 Black | Heel stack

Using our calliper, we measured the 480’s stack to be 26.8 mm thick at the heel which is a little shorter than our current lab average.

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Heel stack

However, this is still an adequate amount of protective rubber underfoot, with the cutout sections allowing the shoe to compress under our weight and provide excellent impact dampening as we go about our day. 

Test results
480 26.7 mm
Average 30.2 mm
Compared to 93 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
16.9 mm
Heel stack
50.5 mm

Forefoot stack

Moving up to the forefoot, we found that the 480’s stack is also shorter than average at only 15.3 mm thick.

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT hjerbler

Having such a low stack not only feels quite natural underfoot but also means that we felt incredibly stable in this shoe. This not only makes the 480 a good walking-around kick but also means that we were comfortably able to take on mild fitness activities or do some lifting in this shoe. 

Test results
480 15.3 mm
Average 19.1 mm
Compared to 93 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
9.7 mm
Forefoot stack
29.5 mm

Drop

The difference in our stack measurements leaves the 480 with a heel drop of 11.8 mm, which is right on par with our current lab average. This offset means that we have a good amount of material at the heel to dampen our landings while providing a lot of ground feel at the forefoot. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT drop

There is no right or wrong with drop heights when it comes to trainers, only a matter of preference. While some are used to having an elevated heel to their shoes, others prefer the barefoot feeling of low or zero-drop shoes like those offered by Altra.

Test results
480 11.4 mm
Average 11.1 mm
Compared to 93 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
3.5 mm
Drop
17.2 mm

New Balance Women's 996 Black | Insole thickness

Despite being less padded than our current lab average at only 5.3 mm thick, the 480’s insole still provides a soft surface within the shoe that complements the cushioning quite well. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Insole thickness
Test results
480 5.3 mm
Average 5.1 mm
Compared to 93 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
3.1 mm
Insole thickness
11.5 mm

Size and fit

Size

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT is true to size (41 votes).

New Balance T-shirt A-Clas-Shir WT91546BK?

1 size small ½ size small True to size ½ size large 1 size large
Compared to 110 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
½ size small
Slightly small
True to size
Slightly large
½ size large

New Balance Women's 996 Black

The slender tennis-shoe aesthetics of the brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT differs from most other NB trainers. And this difference is also reflected is its internal space.

Having created a gel mould of the shoe's interiors, we measured its widest part at 87.4 mm. This is indeed a few solid milimeters narrower than average and could feel restricting even on a medium-widith foot.

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT New Balance Women's 996 Black
Test results
480 87.4 mm
Average 92.3 mm
Compared to 74 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
85.4 mm
New Balance Women's 996 Black
96.8 mm

New Balance CT 302 LH

The NB 480 turned out to be proportionally narrower at the big toe as well. Our calliper returned 66.8 mm in this area.

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT New Balance CT 302 LH
Test results
480 66.8 mm
Average 68.8 mm
Compared to 74 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
63.9 mm
New Balance CT 302 LH
74.1 mm

Toebox height

On the other hand, we can't claim that it is a perfect sneaker for narrow feet because, paradoxically, it has a whopping toebox height of 34.2 mm!

zapatillas de running New Balance hombre competición trail pie normal Nike Court Vision Low and the The atmos x New Balance Is In the Works would be a safer bet, in our opinion.

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Toebox height
Test results
480 34.2 mm
Average 27.7 mm
Compared to 74 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
20.7 mm
Toebox height
35.0 mm

Stability

Lateral stability test

Thanks to the shoe’s low profile, it’s no surprise that the 480 feels incredibly well-planted and stable as we shift our weight from side to side. Additionally, the well-structured leatherette upper provides an excellent foothold that feels incredibly supportive. As such, the shoe focuses more on delivering comfort rather than any rigid stability features. 

Torsional rigidity

We were faced with less-than-average resistance as we bent and twisted the 480 in our hands, leading us to give it a torsional rigidity score of 2 out of 5 on our subjective scale.

This greatly contributes to the 480’s comfy and natural feel underfoot as the shoe is able to conform with the natural contortions of our foot throughout our stride with relative ease.

Test results
480 2
Average 3.6
Compared to 92 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
1
Torsional rigidity
5

Nicht das erste Mal arbeiten Levis und New Balance zusammen

We found the 480’s heel counter to be similarly pliable as we probed at it, earning it another score of 2 out of 5. This allows us to achieve a secure lockdown that doesn’t put too much pressure on our heels or tendons, making the shoe a great choice for those with sensitivities in those areas. 

Test results
480 2
Average 3.2
Compared to 92 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
1
Nicht das erste Mal arbeiten Levis und New Balance zusammen
5

Midsole width - forefoot

Using our caliper, we measured the 480’s platform to be 103.8 mm wide at the forefoot. Despite this being slightly narrower than average, it’s still a broad enough base to keep us feeling stable throughout day-to-day use. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Midsole width in the forefoot
Test results
480 103.8 mm
Average 108.5 mm
Compared to 93 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
95.1 mm
Midsole width - forefoot
121.0 mm

New balance 530 черные с белым мужские кроссовки винтаж

The 480’s platform is slightly wider than average at the heel, measuring 79.3 mm.

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Midsole width in the heel
Test results
480 79.3 mm
Average 83.6 mm
Compared to 93 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
67.7 mm
New balance 530 черные с белым мужские кроссовки винтаж
103.1 mm

two new iterations of the Stone Island x New Balance RC Elite

We secured the 480 in our shoe flexing tester to measure the amount of force needed to bend it by 30 degrees. The machine returned a lower reading of 11.1N, making it more flexible than our current lab average.

This level of flexibility means that the 480 is able to bend along with our foot with ease throughout our stride and greatly contributes to the comfortable nature of this shoe. As a result, it’s definitely forgiving enough on the foot for all-day use.

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT two new iterations of the Stone Island x New Balance RC Elite
Test results
480 11.1N
Average 14.0N
Compared to 33 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
4.6N
Flexibility <> Stiffness
27.6N

Weight

While the 480 does sport a chunky old-school look, we found that it actually feels quite light and easy on the foot and never weighed us down as we moseyed around. 

This is confirmed on the scale with the 480 coming in ever-so-slightly lighter than the average sneaker at 14 oz (395g). We wouldn’t call it a barely-there shoe, but it certainly doesn’t need a diet.

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Weight
Test results
480 13.93 oz (395g)
Average 13.79 oz (391g)
Compared to 93 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
8.50 oz (241g)
Weight
20.49 oz (581g)

Breathability

To test the breathability of the 480, we pump the shoe full of smoke to get a visual idea of how well-ventilated it is. Leather shoes (even fake leather) generally don’t fare too well in this test however, thanks to the mesh portion of the toebox and perforated tongue, we can see a slow but steady stream of wispy smoke emanating from the shoe. While somewhat better than expected, this run-of-the-mill performance leads us to give the 480 a middle-of-the-road breathability score of 3 out of 5. This means that the shoe should be comfortable enough to wear all year round, except on exceptionally hot days when it might feel a little toasty. 

New Balance Heren 57 40

When examining a backlit cross-section of the 480, we can clearly see that the only parts of the shoe that allow any light to shine through are the unreinforced mesh portions of the upper.

Inspecting the mesh portion of the toebox under our microscope, we can see that it is made of braided fibres that form a pattern to reveal a less dense underlayer of mesh, all with lots of gaps that promote good airflow through the shoe. Without this section, the 480 would definitely be a toasty foot sauna of a shoe.

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT webevbe

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Breathability
Test results
480 3
Average 3
Compared to 92 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
1
Breathability
5

Durability

Using our caliper, we measured the 480’s platform to be 103.8 mm wide at the forefoot. Despite this being slightly narrower than average, it’s still a broad enough base to keep us feeling stable throughout day-to-day use. 

Leather/Suede quality

Using our butane torch, we can confirm that the 480’s upper is made almost entirely out of synthetic materials. This is clear as the white sections of the shoe burst into flames and melt away from our awl when we scrape it. On the other hand, the suede overlays are the real McCoy, with the material only becoming scorched upon contact with the flame. 

Test results
480 Fake leather

Toebox durability

We applied our Dremel to the unreinforced mesh section of the 480’s toebox to see just how durable it is. After withstanding 3.2N of grinding force spinning at 5K RPM for four seconds, the 480 was left with a massive and unsightly crater in its toebox.

However, since our tool didn’t manage to punch a hole clean through all the layers of material, we have to give the 480 a respectable 2 out of 5 for toebox durability. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Toebox durability
Test results
480 2
Average 3.7
Compared to 92 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
1
Toebox durability
5

Женские кроссовки new balance 530 летние сетка

Next, we turn our attention to the 480’s heel collar and unleash our merciless Dremel once more. The tool makes quick work of the lining material and starts flinging bits of padding material all over the place. 

The white material makes it hard to visually assess the damage in the aftermath of the test, but we can confirm that the shoe had lost a good chunk of padding in those short four seconds. However, the generously padded collar still had some to spare, so this didn’t compromise the shoe’s rearfoot lockdown too much; thus earning it a durability score of 2 out of 5.

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Женские кроссовки new balance 530 летние сетка
Test results
480 2
Average 3.2
Compared to 92 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
1
Женские кроссовки new balance 530 летние сетка
5

Outsole hardness

With a durometer reading of 79.8 HC, the 480’s outsole is slightly softer than our current lab average. This means that the shoe should be soft enough to bite into and grip most surfaces with relative ease while still being hardy enough to withstand repeated impact and abrasions. We’ll be testing the latter with our Dremel in the next section. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Outsole hardness
Test results
480 79.8 HC
Average 85.7 HC
Сандалии new balance оригинал.
Compared to 92 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
76.1 HC
Outsole hardness
94.0 HC

Outsole durability

This time spinning at 10K RPM, we pressed our Dremel onto a section of the 480’s outsole and immediately kicked up a virtual snowstorm of debris. 

Once the dust had settled after the twenty-second, we measured the damage with our tyre tread gauge and found that only 0.94 mm of material was lost. This is better than the average sneaker performs in this test and means that we don’t expect to see any major wear and tear within the first 400 to 500 miles of normal use. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Outsole durability
Test results
480 0.9 mm
Average 1.1 mm
Compared to 92 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
0.0 mm
Outsole wear
2.0 mm

Outsole thickness

We used our caliper to measure the 480’s outsole up to the cutout sections and found it to be just shy of our current lab average at 5.2 mm thick. However, as our previous test demonstrates, this still gives us plenty of material to wear through before the shoe becomes unwearable. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Outsole thickness
Test results
480 5.2 mm
Average 5.3 mm
Compared to 93 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
2.9 mm
Outsole thickness
8.6 mm

Misc

Grip / Traction

The wavy tread pattern on the 480’s outsole provided us with excellent traction over a variety of surfaces while testing the shoe. Even wet pavements were no match for the 480, though we have to note that getting the suede overlays wet will turn them into an unsightly mess. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT wevew

Reflective elements

The 480 doesn’t feature any reflective elements. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Reflective elements
Test results
480 No

Tongue padding

At 8.8 mm thick according to our caliper measurements, the 480’s tongue is plumper than average. This allows us to lock the shoe in securely while still feeling extremely comfortable around the instep and without the faintest hint of lace bite. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Tongue padding
Test results
480 8.8 mm
Average 9.3 mm
Compared to 93 trainers
New Balance Women's 996 Black
0.7 mm
Tongue padding
23.0 mm

Tongue: gusset type

The 480’s tongue is non-gusseted, though we didn’t face any issues with slippage thanks to its width and how generously padded it is. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Tongue: gusset type
Test results
480 None

Removable insole

The 480’s insole isn’t glued in, so those in need of added support in the form of custom orthotics can use them with this shoe. 

brand new with original box damskie New Balance CW997HRT Removable insole
Test results
480 Yes