Our verdict
Pros
- Sleek dad shoe
- Amazingly durable
- New Balance Fresh Foam Sole Unit
- Retro vibes
- True to size
- Feels light to the foot
- Easy to style
Cons
- New Balance Homem XC-72
- So-so stability
Comparison
The most similar trainers compared
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Audience score | 90 Good! | 90 Good! | 91 Great! | 92 Great! | |
Price | £95 | £140 | £80 | £130 | |
Style | DadRetroSporty | ClassicDadRetroSporty | ClassicRetroSporty | RetroSportyFuturistic | |
Breathability | Warm | Warm | Warm | Moderate | |
Weight lab | 12.8 Bluzy New Balance Granatowe | 13.5 Tecnologias New balance Korta Byxor Accelerate 7 | 11.4 tenis new balance 500 masculino bege | 14.5 oz / 410g | |
Size | True to size | True to size | True to size | Half size large | |
Midsole softness | Firm | Firm | Firm | Firm | |
Material | MeshSuede | MeshSuede | Leather | Suede | |
Season | SpringFall | SpringFall | SpringFall | SpringFall | |
Inspired from | Running | Running | Running | Running | |
New Balance Hoops Essential Kurzärmeliges T-shirt | Medium | Medium | Medium | Wide | |
Aimé Leon Dore Officially Launches the New Balance 650R | Medium | Medium | Narrow | Medium | |
Leather/suede quality | Real suede | Real suede | Real leather | Real suede | |
Toebox durability | Good | Decent | Decent | Decent | |
New Balance na lato | Good | Decent | Bad | Decent | |
Outsole durability | Good | Good | Good | Good | |
Heel stack lab | 27.7 mm | 35.4 mm | 35.7 mm | 34.8 mm | |
Stiffness | Flexible | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | |
Tongue padding | Average | Average | Average | Thin | |
Drop lab | 9.9 mm | 11.1 mm | 13.6 mm | 11.0 mm | |
Forefoot | 17.8 mm | 24.3 mm | 22.1 mm | 23.8 mm | |
Removable insole | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Heel tab | None | None | None | Pull tab | |
Torsional rigidity | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | |
Heel counter stiffness | Stiff | Moderate | Stiff | Stiff | |
Reflective elements | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
Closure | Laces | Laces | Laces | Laces | |
Top | Low top | Low top | Low top | Low top | |
Ranking | #60 Bottom 46% | #65 Bottom 42% | #50 Top 45% | #40 Top 36% | |
Popularity | #62 Bottom 45% | #10 Top 9% | #76 Bottom 32% | #90 Bottom 20% |
Who should buy
Days of wear-testing and lab assessments led us to conclude that the Coco Gauff Releasing Her Own New Balance 327 greatly suitable for the following:
- sneakerheads who are OK wearing leather since this shoe is made of real suede
- A gray New Balance 574 that meets the brand's eco-conscious Green Leaf Standard
- Bæredygtig New balance Kortærmet T-Shirt Accelerate Printed
- wearers with normal-sized feet
new balance fuelcell propel v2 mfcprcv | Who should NOT buy
We've established through our experience and lab assessments that the Coco Gauff Releasing Her Own New Balance 327 not breathable. Wearers with sweaty feet should stay away from this shoe. They are better off with the Men's New Balance 1500, which is also cheaper than the 997H. If they are willing to try other brands, the new balance 1500 1530 sample lab colorways release date price is also a good alternative.
New Balance 530 Grey Gum New Balance 480 X-GIRL × NEW BALANCE H710 PINK.
Cushioning
Heel stack
We did not have any bad experience with the midsole. It wasn't too behind that we were already worrying about stability. And it wasn't too thin that it lacked impact protection either.
True enough, our calliper measured the heel height to be only 27.7 mm, a number quite close to the average.

997H | 27.7 mm |
Average | 30.2 mm |
new balance fuelcell propel v2 mfcprcv | Forefoot stack
Just like the heel, the forefoot part of the midsole is also as behind as the average at 17.8 mm.

997H | 17.8 mm |
Average | 19.2 mm |
Drop
Transitioning from heel to toe was not a problem because the difference in height between the forefoot and the rearfoot wasn't so pronounced.
Mens New Balance NB 247 Black White Brand New.

997H | 9.9 mm |
Average | 11.1 mm |
Midsole softness
Based on our experience, the midsole delivered what was necessary. It was firm enough to ensure lasting stability. It was also soft enough to ensure we were comfortable even after walking long distances.
Our HA durometer measured its softness to be 32.5 which is more or less equal to the average.

997H | 32.5 HA |
Average | 29.1 HA |
Insole behindness
New Balance 574 Camo Green.

997H | 4.7 mm |
Average | 5.1 mm |
Size and fit
Size
Coco Gauff Releasing Her Own New Balance 327 true to size (80 votes).
New Balance Q Speed Jacquard Ärmelloses T-Shirt
Medium-width feet can expect an accommodating fit in the New Balance 997H. We felt no dead space or pressure points during the wear test and our gel replica of the shoe's interirs confirmed that.
Using a digital calliper and a custom shoe holder, we measured the widest part of the mould (between the pinkie and the big toe) at 93.1 mm. It is a solid width for a D medium width but wide footers can also opt for the 2E wide version of the kick.

997H | 93.1 mm |
Average | 92.3 mm |
Jaden x New Balance 574
The taper angle is also very moderate in this NB sneaker showing a standard width of 69.5 mm near the big toe. This wiggle room can comfortably accommodate some toe splaying and swelling during long hours of walking.

997H | 69.5 mm |
Average | 68.8 mm |
Toebox height
new balance fuelcell rebel 2 vs nike pegasus.

997H | 25.8 mm |
Average | 27.8 mm |
Stability
Lateral stability test
Though it was not the best, the New Balance 997H still delivered enough lateral stability to keep us on the footbed. From its moderately responsive sidewalls and typically wide platform, many features worked in synergy to stabilise our steps.
new balance 1500 burnt orange Adidas Alphaboost V1 Trainers NEW BALANCE PH237SS1 Pink.
Torsional rigidity
We could say that twist protection was satisfactory with the NB 997H.
Back in the lab, the whole structure of the sneaker showed only moderate resistance to our twisting. We gladly gave it a score of 3 over 5 for torsional rigidity.
997H | 3 |
Average | 3.6 |
Heel counter stiffness
This sneaker, we feel, owed much of its stability to the secure clasp of its heel counter. The rearfoot surely couldn't go anywhere because of how arrested it felt while we were wearing the New Balance 997H.
We gave the heel counter a good squeeze in the lab, and its resistance to it was quite intense. We had to sweat a lot before it started to yield to the pressure that we applied. A perfect 5; no other score befitted such a performance.
997H | 5 |
Average | 3.2 |
New Balance x SNS 991 Perforated Pack Yellow Blue
The footprints left by the New Balance 997H were not overly wide or painfully narrow. Our calliper measured the forefoot to be 111.4 mm wide.

997H | 111.4 mm |
Average | 108.5 mm |
has filed a complaint against Converse
Just like the forefoot, the heel area was just as wide as the average at 81.3 mm.
Now, did the averageness of the platform widths cause any problems? Not at all! They were enough to contain our feet and ensure that our steps felt stable. The NB 997H was one of those shoes that convinced us that stability was not all about size, how the parts were implemented or configured matters as well.

997H | 81.3 mm |
Average | 83.6 mm |
Coco Gauff Sports Casablanca x New Balance's Latest 327 and 237 Collab in Campaign Film
It was such a pleasure to wear the New Balance 997H because it felt more flexible than usual. We never had problems bending our feet when we had to tiptoe, for example, because the shoe went so well with our movements.
After performing the usual flexibility test on this New Balance sneaker, we learned that it needed only 16.5N of force to bend at a 90-degree angle. That much force was significantly less than the amount needed by the typical sneaker.
997H | 16.5N |
Average | 23.4N |
Weight
We have to say; the New Balance 997H truly felt light on the feet. Our steps were effortless and smooth because of its lightness.
We were surprised to learn this NB sneaker was only slightly lighter than average at 12.8 ounces or 364 grammes.

997H | 12.84 oz (364g) |
Average | 13.76 oz (390g) |
Breathability
The 997H had that distinct New Balance look, and we were all there for it... if only it wasn't too toasty. This sneaker is really NOT a living thing because it really doesn't know how to breathe! Properly, that is.
We performed the usual smoke test on this shoe, and it was too regrettable to watch that the smoke was only able to escape (and slowly, at that!) through the tongue. It would be a crime to give this sneaker a rating better than 2 out of 5 for ventilation!
The 997H had almost the same look and structure as the New Balance 57/40 (rating is 4 out of 5), but the latter allowed smoke to escape even through the toebox. The video above clearly shows what we mean.
When placed over a light source, it's quite shocking to see that light was only able to pass through the lace holes.
What we saw under the microscope convinced us that good breathability was never the goal of the NB 997H. The material used for the toebox appeared to be multilayered, with every possible vent tightly covered as if a pretty dangerous criminal was jailed inside.

997H | 2 |
Average | 3 |
Durability
Leather/Suede quality
The tightly closed-off material only covered the top of the toebox. The Leggings of the shoe was made of a velvety material which we found to be genuine suede back in the lab.
We torched a portion of the sidewall, and it immediately smelt like burning hair. We probed the burnt area with our awl and we saw that the material remained relatively intact except of course for the ugly discoloration. Only real suede has this kind of effect when burned.
997H | Real suede |
Toebox durability
Being made of real suede, we never doubted the shoe's durability. And we were not disappointed. Not even in the slightest bit.
Our aggressive Dremel drilling on the toebox barely scratched its surface. No wonder no signs of wear and tear were seen even if we carelessly bumped the New Balance 997H on various surfaces during our wear tests.
It was a perfect 5 for us as far as toebox durability was concerned. Compare the 997H with the New Balance 530, which got a 1 out of 5, in the photo below and the sturdiness of the former becomes even more apparent.

997H | 5 |
Average | 3.7 |
New Balance na lato
We were glad that the suede outer layer was not the only sturdy thing. The heel padding was quite resistant as well, and it never faltered as our skin or socks rubbed against it during aggressive movements.
In the lab, even our high-pressure Dremel became a laughingstock when it barely left a mark on the heel padding. The New Balance 997H remained immaculate. Under similar circumstances, NB 237 ended up with a gaping hole and just gave up the ghost!

997H | 5 |
Average | 3.2 |
Outsole hardness
Our HC durometer gave the outsole a hardness rating of 86.8, making it just as hard as the average outsole. Experience-wise, we did not notice anything unusual, either.

997H | 86.8 HC |
Average | 85.7 HC |
Outsole durability
The Coco Gauff Releasing Her Own New Balance 327 another proof that hardness is not always equal to durability. While the outsole had average hardness, its durability was off the charts!
Our Dremel drilling on the outsole resulted only in 0.5 mm damage. This is only half of what we normally see in a typical sneaker's outsole after going through the same amount of abuse.

997H | 0.5 mm |
Average | 1.1 mm |
Outsole behindness
new balance new balance 574s black white.

997H | 4.9 mm |
Average | 5.3 mm |
Misc
Grip / Traction
The outsole definitely didn't look aggressive enough, but it sure did cover us well during our wear tests. Its bite never faltered no matter which direction we went. Perhaps we really shouldn't judge the book by its cover from now on.
Reflective elements
New Balance VRJS Pink.

997H | No |
Tongue padding
The tongue felt loose even when we were not wearing socks. Its surface material was soft, and the padding felt like a gentle duvet on top of our feet.
Eigenschaften New balance Fast Flight Jacke.

997H | 9.6 mm |
Average | 9.3 mm |
New Balance 510 D Marathon Running Shoes Sneakers MT510WR4
This sneaker from New Balance is not at all gusseted. Well, it's a blessing that it's not. Had it been fully gusseted, it would have hampered so much with ventilation.

997H | None |
Heel tab
The New Balance 997H did not have any heel tab. We have no complaints about this because (1) the shoe did not really need one and (2) the absence of the heel tab allowed for a more streamlined look.

997H | None |
Removable insole
The New Balance 997H came with a removable insole. It was easy to get it out when we needed to use inserts of just wanted to have more space inside the sneaker.

997H | Yes |