Review on Enhanced Comfort with New Balance 520V5 Cushioning Running Men's Shoes for Athletic Performance by Marvin Perry

I received my New Balance 520v5 men's running shoes 1-2 months ago. When I first received the shoes I was very disappointed. The shoes looked good and were comfortable on the sole of my foot, even better than other New Balance shoes I've had. However, something hard on the lower tongue was painfully rubbing the tip of my toe due to the friction and movement of walking. The thing at the end of the tongue had a consistency similar to the end of a shoelace. It was present on both outsides of each flap, but was strongest on the left side of the left flap. The tips of my toes were covered with red scratches from the edge of the tongue, even when I wore thick socks. I tried wearing band-aids on my legs to protect them from the edge of the tongue and that helped, but the band-aids eventually came off from friction. At that time it was impossible to walk or hike in shoes. I could only go for short walks if I had a tongue guard. I considered returning the shoes but decided to give him more time to see how the tongue issue evolved over time. The friction of the petals decreased each week, and the outer spike-like tongues became smaller and smoother. After a little more than a month, the tongue rubbing when wearing thick socks was hardly noticeable. After a while I tried running and hiking in running shoes, both of which were successful. Now that I've been wearing shoes for almost 2 months, I no longer need thick socks. The shoes are comfortable in all conditions, so I wear them almost every day. After breaking in I prefer the 520v5 over the old New Balance 632 and 608 I had. Aside from the cleat issue, I find the shoe to be more comfortable than other NBs with softer mesh edges and more comfortable cushioning on the bottom. The mesh doesn't look strong, but there are no signs of destruction. After wearing the shoe for almost 2 months and many runs/hikes, the shoe is still in excellent condition with no visible damage. I will update this review if this changes.