Looking for Comparison/Opinions on NB 350 vs NB 995 Base Shoes

[MajorDave]

I currently wear the NB 350 high top base shoes and I really like them but they are on their third season and are not as comfortable anymore thus I am in the market for new base shoes.

I think I can still find 350's in my size but before I order I was wondering if anyone out there had/has 350's AND the new NB 995's that just came out and can give me a comparison review either here publicly or by PM.

Thanks in advance.

[jkumpire]

The new ones look nice, but they fit my feet horribly. The 350's I have in the same size fit my feet very well, and they look great after a lot of games. Stick with the 350's.

[zm1283]

I saw the new ones this weekend and they almost look too shiny. I realize that the front of them is patent or looks like it, but the top looks really shiny too. I have the 350's and like them just fine.

[ncblue]

Dave, I have used the high top 350's for the last two years. Like you, I decided to get a new pair this year and went with the high top 995's.

For me, the 350's were okay, but nothing to get thrilled over. The 995's, on the other hand, feel fantastic. I have worn them now for 20+ high school games and would not trade them for anything.

They fit and feel great, and they clean up super easy. I think they look sharp and I really like the way they look.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Kevin Finnerty]

I have them both. I have the mid-cuts in the 995s.

More stability and lighter weight in the 995s. Not as much cushioning, however. The traction is expectedly a little better with the turf soles. I love them.

I would suggest that you go a little wider than with the 350s. I am somewhere between the D and the EE normally in the NBs. I have both widths in the 350s, and the EE is a little loose. I got the EE in the 995s and they are barely wide enough.

If I were to make a blanket analysis: I would say that the 350 is a comfort shoe, and the 995 is a performance shoe (it's actually a football shoe). They should make both, really. I actually sometimes wear the 350s just for the comfort. I even wear them around occasionally. But for sheer support and lightweight performance, the 995 is the one. And it's beautiful.

Tough call; they're quite different.

[Rich]

I needed a pair for this season and bought the 995s. Little did I remember that my *football* shoes from last season (that I loved) were the same model, just with a silver N. So now I have 2 pair.

[MajorDave]

I sometimes work up to 7 games in a day in the summer I will go with more comfort and padding. Thanks for the in-depth facts and comparison.

[mroyal]

Originally Posted by ncblue

Dave, I have used the high top 350's for the last two years. Like you, I decided to get a new pair this year and went with the high top 995's.

For me, the 350's were okay, but nothing to get thrilled over. The 995's, on the other hand, feel fantastic. I have worn them now for 20+ high school games and would not trade them for anything.

They fit and feel great, and they clean up super easy. I think they look sharp and I really like the way they look.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

20 games??? With the weather in NW Missouri, I've only seen the field THREE times. I am so tired of rain!!! Another game was cancelled today....hopefully the remaining two games this week will go on without a hitch. Sunny skies planned for the next several days - yeah, right!

[johnnyg08]

Originally Posted by MajorDave

I sometimes work up to 7 games in a day in the summer I will go with more comfort and padding. Thanks for the in-depth facts and comparison.

wow, that's intense.

[MajorDave]

Sometimes I ask myself why? (or WTFIWWY? What The F Is Wrong With You?) but for the most part I enjoy the games and the partners I get to work with-My son for one (He's 22 now) and my good friends J.T., Harvey, Steve and one of my former players, Chris. I especially like seeing the younger umpires get better (my son and Chris-they were teammates from t-ball through high school) and just being with other umpires who enjoy baseball and umpiring as much as I do (JT, Harvey and Steve).

It is insane but it keeps me out of trouble and relatively thin. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone (okay for anyone but this is coming from a guy who used to jump from perfectly good airplanes).

[DonInKansas]

If the baseball is good, I could be out there sunup to sundown. Better than being at work.

[etn_ump]

I have both the 350's and the 995's.

As others have said, they are completely different shoes. I find the 350's to be much more comfortable and my feet feel much better after games than when wearing the 995's.

It makes you wonder why New Balance stopped making them.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by etn_ump

I have both the 350's and the 995's.

As others have said, they are completely different shoes. I find the 350's to be much more comfortable and my feet feel much better after games than when wearing the 995's.

It makes you wonder why New Balance stopped making them.

If the 350's are "much more comfortable", then I'd be wearing slippers if I wore them. I wear 995's and haven't had any comfort issues at all.

[zm1283]

I don't know about anyone else, but the 450's are killing my feet this season. I put gel insoles in them last fall but that didn't really help. The 350's are extremely comfortable though.