New Balance Men's 624 Extra Wide Fit 4E Leather Sneakers - Comfortable Walking Shoes for Wide Feet - Perfect for Work, Casual Wear & Daily Activities

It's occurred to me after purchasing at least five pairs of these over the years that every now and then the "v" number will go up one and some of the newest changes don't seem to suit me well. The concave design on the underside means the shoes last longer in this area and I think are designed to have some shock impact reduction, but I keep finding this odd when I press my weight down there.Then there are the changing of the ventilation holes which seems to make it easier for the interior of the shoe to get damp from walking through wet grass or the shallowest of puddles and even just a wet pavement.They've bulked out the top of the shoes where you tighten things so there's more cushioning, which should in theory be more comfortable, but I'm still unsure of this. Also the tread of the shoe has changed which in theory should give me more grip due to its patterned zigzag grooves, but I feel more aware of debris getting in the zigzag grooves which the older designs didn't make so much of an issue of.At forty quid for a nice enough looking shoe in an extra wide width to accommodate my wide toes, they're cheaper then the competition, but I'll be looking elsewhere for my next pair of trainers. These used to be comfier then I find the newest designs to be and I only recently seem to have become aware they're made of leather as opposed to synthetic materials. So as a vegetarian that leans towards vegan products, I'll either have to up my budget for their more expensive trainers or choose a different company.The V4s seemed fine. I just dislike these V5s and my newest pair aren't adapting to my feet quickly enough.This must be about my 10th pair of New Balance 624 trainers in their various versions. The latest two pairs have been V5's. I confess I practically live in them. At any one time there are three pairs on the go - starting from newest which are reserved for being out "tidy" as we say in South Wales; then the everyday pair; and finally the oldest pair that are used for doing the dirty jobs around house and garden.I discovered them years ago when trying to buy wide fit trainers. I'm a natural 4E fitting and I used to have to cram my feet into standard width trainers (or buy boats that were too long too). Then one day I found these New Balance ones and later was delighted when they had worn out to find I could still buy the latest version in Extra-Wide fit. Why other manufacturers don't offer wide fit trainers in this country I have no idea. I can't remember how many times in the past I have found myself in shoe shops trying on shoes and chatting to the person next to me in the store who almost invariably is also looking in vain for wide fit.The sizing has been accurate and consistent for me for years.Bought these for indoor exercising as a replacement for my worn out normal trainers. I immediately noticed the difference in fit and comfort with the extra wide fitting and the more rounded toe which felt a good deal better for a lot of the exercises. Will buy another pair for casual use in a different colour as they feel so good (albeit with an added insole).Thought these were great at the start but fell apart after only a few times in my husband feet! Such a shame. Won't buy again. Glue on soles was not strong enough to keep them togetherI have reviewed this product before but keep getting emails asking me to review it again