Review on New Balance Voltage Women's Athletic Running Shoes for Women by Teambringit Truitt

I was looking for a high-quality shoe with good cushioning and plenty of room in the toe area. I would mainly use them for city walks and treadmill runs. I have a flat feeling and pronation, but I don't need a supportive shoe because the arch and stiffness make me uncomfortable. I prefer an arch support sock or arch wrap. I narrowed my choices down to New Balance 1080v9 (NB) and Brooks Glycerin16 (Brooks) and tried both. When I looked at the reviews, a lot of people commented that the Brooks were narrow, so I bought these shoes wider to accommodate the bursitis I developed from wearing stilettos. I found them to be very similar in shape. I wear an 8.5 and both fit true to size, but the regular NB width was as wide as the Brooks width. The NB also looked a bit wider when worn side by side, but that could be because the pastel color is different from the dark. NB in light cashmere in a very pretty muted pink. Brooks' online black and pink photos show it with a medium pink accent, but it's more of a deep fuchsia/magenta color. I noticed three differences in fit/feel. With NB, my heel slipped off with every step, even the running strap. I don't have heel slip at Brooks. While the cushioning is exceptional up to both heels, it felt like the Brooks were pure cushioning, the NB had a bit of a shell feel at touchdown. It can be good, but I was wondering if it could become uncomfortable over long distances and when worn. Finally, Brooks has a one-piece, smooth, sock-like interior that makes wearing the shoe barefoot or with a flat toe a little more comfortable. Without the heel slip, it would be difficult to pick a clear winner. I may have picked the NB for the looks but chose the Brooks for the fit. I don't usually leave reviews like this, but when I looked for a comparison of these two sneakers there weren't any, so I thought this might help someone.