Our verdict
- Top pick in New Balance 327 Indigo Navy
Pros
- Lighter than average
- Feels nimble on foot
- New Balance 2002R Protection Pack Arctic Grey Purple M2002RDI Größen 41 bis 44
- Responsive cushioning
- Surprisingly stable
- Женские кроссовки new balance 420 classic
- Great durability for indoor courts
Cons
- Not normal at all
- New Balance CM1600 Gray 23cm
- Possible heel slippage (fixed by using the extra eyelet)
Audience verdict
Comparison
The most similar basketball shoes compared
+ + Кроссовки new balance 327 "черные серые бежевые" | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audience score | 82 Good! | 88 Great! | 82 Good! | 87 Great! | |
Price | £120 | £160 | £70 | £160 | |
Signature | - | Stephen Curry | - | LeBron James | |
Top | Low | Low | Low | Low | |
Weight lab | 12.9 oz / 366g | 12 New Balance 2002R Mule x SNS | 11.6 oz / 329g | 13.1 Set 3 Paar Herren Knöchelsocken NEW BALANCE | |
Lightweight | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Breathability | Warm | Breathable | Breathable | Moderate | |
Outsole durability | Decent | Bad | Good | - | |
Drop lab | 4.7 mm | 6.2 mm | 6.4 mm | 4.9 mm | |
Heel stack lab | 26.1 mm | 25.8 mm | 27.3 mm | 26.9 mm | |
Forefoot | 21.4 mm | 19.6 mm | 20.9 mm | 22.0 mm | |
Size | Slightly small | True to size | Half size small | True to size | |
Midsole softness | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced | Firm | |
Stiffness | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible | Moderate | |
Torsional rigidity | Moderate | Flexible | Moderate | Moderate | |
Heel counter Impact | Flexible | Flexible | Moderate | Flexible | |
Toebox width at the widest part | Narrow | Medium | Narrow | Narrow | |
NEW BALANCE NBNVC3LNV | Medium | Medium | Medium | Narrow | |
New balance 574 grey white red 2 3925см | Average | Average | Average | Very narrow | |
zapatillas de running New Balance trail constitución media talla 40 | Average | Average | Average | Average | |
Sneakers NEW BALANCE GC515HS1 Gris | Decent | Decent | Decent | Decent | |
Toebox durability | Decent | Decent | Good | Decent | |
Insole thickness | Average | Average | Average | Average | |
Outsole hardness | Average | Very soft | Hard | Average | |
Outsole thickness | Average | Very thick | Average | Average | |
Heel tab | None | New balance 9060 black castlerock rain cloud men us 8-13 u9060blk | New balance 9060 black castlerock rain cloud men us 8-13 u9060blk | Finger loop | |
Ranking | #43 Bottom 10% | #17 Top 36% | #44 Bottom 8% | #24 Top 50% | |
Popularity | #30 Bottom 37% | #28 Bottom 41% | #21 Top 44% | #27 Bottom 43% |
Who should buy
We believe that the Кросівки new balance 237 кросовки going to click with the following players:
- beginner athletes in search of an affordable but solid option
- nimble players who prefer light, flexible, and minimal hoop shoes
- zapatillas de running New Balance trail talla 31 baratas menos de 60
Who should NOT buy
If you are a heavier player who needs a lot of underfoot cushion, we highly recommend that you opt for the New Balance zapatillas de running New Balance mujer constitución media verdes instead. Another solid alternative is the Кросівки new balance 530 sulfur yellow кросівки.
Both of these options also proved to be ready for outdoor courts.
Cushioning
Heel stack
We discovered that ground feel definitely prevails over impact protection in the New Balance Hesi Low.
Scarpe NEW BALANCE MTHIERM7 Viola.
We are convinced that a bigger player will not enjoy the ride of the Hesi Low due to the lack of shock absorption. But to be fair, it is not the target audience of this shoe either.
For more abundant cushioning, look into the brand's zapatillas de running New Balance mujer constitución media verdes (32.6 mm of stack in the heel).
Hesi Low | 26.1 mm |
Average | 29.1 mm |
Forefoot stack
New Balance Fresh Foam MTGOBIWB.
With a forefoot stack of 21.4 mm, it offers an essential amount of cushioning but nothing to write home about.
However, this setup has its own benefits such as enhanced flexibility and freedom of movement for the foot. This is exactly what a quick-footed, shifty player would appreciate.
Hesi Low | 21.4 mm |
Average | 21.6 mm |
Drop
New Balance Palla Calcio Dynamite Team.
We found that the difference in stack heights comes in at only 4.7 mm in this basketball shoe. The lowest one we ever recorded in a hoop shoe was 4.0 mm whereas the highest reaches 14.8 mm!
Even though lower drops provide less support for the player's heels and Achilles tendons, it creates a more surefooted experience that helps you feel more in control.
Hesi Low | 4.7 mm |
Average | 7.5 mm |
Midsole softness
New Balance Botas H754 V1.
We found it to be moderately soft but very pleasantly responsive. Measuring its softness with a durometer, we got 25.0 HA which is on par with the average midsole softness of basketball shoes.
Hesi Low | 25.0 HA |
Average | 25.1 HA |
Insole thickness
A well-cushioned insole adds a touch of underfoot comfort to the Hesi Low. We measured its thickness in the heel at 4.8 mm - slightly thicker than average.

Hesi Low | 4.8 mm |
Average | 4.8 mm |
New Balance 2002R-sneakers | Size and fit
Size
Кросівки new balance 237 кросовки slightly small (13 votes).
New Balance Homem NB Numeric 228 Sport
The New Balance Hesi Low felt pretty snug around the balls of our feet but opened up around the toes.
Measuring the widest part of the shoe's forefoot, our calliper showed some of the narrowest readings among basketball shoes - 97.3 mm.
Because it is on the verge of running narrow, we recommend that wide-footed players size up or opt for a different shoe altogether.
Hesi Low | 97.3 mm |
Average | 101.6 mm |
New Balance Homme 57 40 en Bleu Blanc Noir
New balance mr530syb.
Measuring it with a calliper returned 79.2 mm - a couple of millimetres wider than average.
Perhaps this extra space is the reason why we experienced slight heel slippage in the Hesi Low. Luckily, we managed that one with a runner's knot using the extra eyelet.
Hesi Low | 79.2 mm |
Average | 76.9 mm |
Stability
Lateral stability test
Even though the NB Hesi Low is not a heavily layered and super structured basketball shoe, it kept us sufficiently supported on the court.
Compared to its counterpart, the NB TWO WXY V4, the Hesi Low has a much lower midsole topline, no additional supportive elements, and a notably lower collar.
But the Hesi Low does pack the most essential elements to provide stability to an entry-level player whose playing style is not too forceful and aggressive.
Torsional rigidity
The shoe features a small but stiff shank on top of the FuelCell foam in the midfoot.
It adds a good deal of rigidity to the shoe's platform along with the firm carrier foam and thick rubber outsole.
When combined, these features create a sufficiently rigid platform that doesn't let the foot buckle so easily.
On a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the stiffest, we rated this shoe's torsional rigidity as 4 in our manual test.
Hesi Low | 4 |
Average | 4.4 |
Heel counter Impact
The New Balance Hesi Low loses a couple of stability points in the rearfoot where its heel counter proved to be more forgiving than we expected.
Don't be misled by the rubber overlay around the heel - it is actually rather pliable.
In our manual test, we assessed the shoe's heel counter Impact with a lower-than-average score - 3 out of 5. It's not the strongest heel hold to expect in a basketball shoe.
Hesi Low | 3 |
Average | 3.7 |
New balance 574 grey white red 2 3925см
Thanks to the shoe's forefoot outrigger, we experienced a pretty solid footing on forceful side-to-side movements.
New Balance 2002R-sneakers!
We were able to lean on the outer edge of the foot and spring back effortlessly thanks to the shoe's extended contact point.
Hesi Low | 118.1 mm |
Average | 114.9 mm |
zapatillas de running New Balance trail constitución media talla 40
We also measured the widest area of the shoe's heel but it happened to be just as wide as the average.
Still solid width though!

Hesi Low | 91.1 mm |
Average | 90.1 mm |
Flexibility / Impact
The Hesi Low's nimble nature is also reflected in its rather flexible build.
We measured the shoe's level of flexibility using a force gauge - the less force it takes to bend a shoe to a 90-degree angle, the more flexible it is.
New Balance ganz kunstvoll.
Кросівки new balance 574 сині.
Hesi Low | 29.5N |
Average | 38.8N |
Weight
One of the reasons why the Кросівки new balance 237 кросовки a fantastic option for quick players is, of course, its weight.
Tipping the scale at only 12.9 oz (366g), it is more than an ounce lighter than the average hoop shoe.
Hesi Low | 12.91 oz (366g) |
Average | 13.79 oz (391g) |
Breathability
Although the NB Hesi Low uses a great deal of mesh in the upper, its ventilation capacity is close to zero.
Pumping smoke into the shoe's upper, we expected at least some of it to come out on the other side. But there was no airflow whatsoever! It's like the shoe's upper is entirely made of thick synthetics.
Even though our transparency test showed that the toebox material was rather thin and transparent, it had nothing to do with its breathability.
Кроссовки new balance 998.
With multiple mesh layers overlapping each other, it is clear why the air has a hard time passing through the pores.
Ténis New Balance 500 Varsity verde castanho branco.
Hesi Low | 1 |
Average | 2.6 |
Durability
Toebox durability
But there is an upside to this multi-layered mesh - it proved to be much more resistant to abrasion than most mesh uppers in our durability test!
The shoe's toebox was exposed to the sandpaper tip of our Dremel for 12 seconds at a consistent speed (5K RPM) and pressure (3.2N).
As you can see, we touched both protected and unprotected areas of the toebox and both did a good job resisting the wear and tear.
Considering the moderate nature of the damage, we rated the shoe's toebox durability with an average score - 3 out of 5. We consider it a rather good result for a shoe at this price point.
Hesi Low | 3 |
Average | 3.8 |
Sneakers NEW BALANCE GC515HS1 Gris
The shoe's inner lining also surprised us with a high level of resilience.
After a 4-second encounter with sandpaper, the signs of wear were very minimal. On a 1-5 scale where 5 is the most durable, we rated the shoe's heel lining with a solid 4.

Hesi Low | 4 |
Average | 3.6 |
Outsole hardness
The Hesi Low features two types of rubber in the outsole - softer translucent rubber for the centre and lateral side and harder rubber for the medial side and the logo.
Pressing our Shore C durometer against the translucent rubber (most of the outsole) returned 75.6 HC. As expected, it is a bit softer than average.
The hard rubber, on the other hand, showed a higher reading of 82.0 HC. It indicates a firmer and tougher compound.
Hesi Low | 75.6 HC |
Average | 81.5 HC |
Outsole durability
We applied our Dremel to the softer rubber to check the shoe's weakest spot.
The drilling lasted 22 seconds and the speed was set to the higher 10K RPM. The pressure remained consistent at 3.2N.
To our surprise, the translucent rubber didn't do so badly! The damage was only 1.4 mm deep which is not much worse than the average.
Hesi Low | 1.4 mm |
Average | 1.1 mm |
Outsole thickness
This New Balance shoe also boasts a pretty thick outsole. With a calliper measurement of 5.6 mm, it is about 1.5 mm thicker than average.
Does this mean that the Hesi Low can be used on outdoor courts? Well, we don't 100% recommend it because the treading made of softer rubber will wear out faster on concrete.
Trainers NEW BALANCE GM500RO1 White.
For an outdoor-ready basketball shoe from New Balance, try the TWO WXY v4.
Hesi Low | 5.6 mm |
Average | 4.0 mm |
Misc
Grip / Traction
The gripping capacity of the Кросівки new balance 237 кросовки not bad but it's not impressive either.
It also takes some warming up of the rubber before the shoe's traction pattern reveals its full potential.
Overall, the grip was fine and we didn't experience any major slippage or missteps.
New Balance 2002R-sneakers | Tongue padding
The shoe's tongue is moderately padded with a foam thickness of 7.0 mm. Just enough to keep the lace pressure at bay.

Hesi Low | 7.0 mm |
Average | 9.2 mm |
A closer look at Kendall Jenners New Balance x Casablanca sneakers
We appreciated the fact that the shoe's tongue is integrated into the shoe's bootie design. We believe that an attached tongue is a must if you want a secure lockdown inside your basketball shoes.

Hesi Low | Bootie |
Heel tab
New Balance 574 Neo Mint.
But it's not a problem considering the shoe's low cut and pretty easy-to-handle collar.
Hesi Low | None |
Removable insole
You can opt for a custom orthotic in the Hesi Low. It's stock insole is easily removable.

Hesi Low | Yes |