The 5 Best New Balance Skate Shoes (Skated & Rated)

New Balance skate shoes genuinely live up to the hype, and once you try a pair on for yourself, you’ll understand why you see so many people skating them. With a relatively low-profile and minimalist aesthetic that mixes the look of a soccer shoe with a skate shoe, it’s a unique look not seen in many skate shoes.

After skating some of these shoes myself over the last couple of years, I certainly have some favorites I continue to skate and wear casually today. As for the ones I haven’t skated myself, I got the low-down from other skaters I know wearing them to get their thoughts on the different models on this list. So this guide will help you get a complete look at all the best New Balance skateboard shoes backed by real skaters to help you buy with confidence.

Now before we get into the list and more details on every shoe, here are the top three New Balance shoes at a glance:

Now let’s look at these shoes more in-depth, along with some other great shoe options from New Balance.

The 5 Best New Balance Skate Shoes

5. New Balance Numeric 272

The New Balance Numeric 272’s are the least technical skate shoe on their roster but offer everything you’d hope to find in a quality skate shoe. Although they wear relatively stiff out of the box, they break in quickly and have great board feel that won’t make tricks feel awkward.

This is a standard vulcanized shoe, but they have a unique inverted cone heel that helps distribute impacts better across the shoe and ultimately prevents you from getting heel bruising. If such a thing is possible, it’s like New Balance merged the heel protection of a cupsole with the board feel of a vulcanized shoe.

These shoes come in all suede or all leather models with the toe cap reinforced with New Balance’s Flick Screen to help improve the shoe’s lifespan. They are averagely grippy as far as skate shoes go, but they aren’t anything unique on that front. With all that said, these shoes fit true to size but are relatively narrow shoes that are certainly not suited for wider feet.

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4. New Balance Numeric 440

The New Balance Numeric 440 comes in a high-top and low top version depending on your tastes, but the high tops are our favorite version of this shoe. It even made it on the list of the best high-top skate shoes! These shoes make your feet feel well protected without losing out on board feel and feel very similar to skating a Vans shoe.

The unique part about the high-top version of these shoes is that you still have decent ankle mobility. The seam just below the ankle helps the collar to bend and flex independently from the heel. That way, you don’t have that locked-in feel of standard high tops that some people find uncomfortable.

Made with suede around all major flick points on the toe and heel, with mesh side panels, these shoes are relatively durable but super breathable. The stitching around the toe cap wears out relatively fast, but it doesn’t seem to affect the shoe’s performance. These are slightly wider shoes but might still be too narrow if you have very wide feet. Going up 1/2 a size for wider feet or if you are between two sizes is a good idea with these.

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3. New Balance Numeric Tiago Lemos 1010

Even though these might look like your dad’s favorite pair of BBQ shoes, these skate shoes are no joke. As the most technical skate shoe New Balance offers, these shoes are not ideal for beginner skaters. Instead, these shoes are aimed at skaters sending heavy tricks that need the most impact protection and responsiveness they can get out of a shoe.

No-sew overlayers around all the major flick points make these shoes a bit less bulky and more durable than you’d expect. They’re made with a combination of leather, suede, and mesh materials to give you the best shoe longevity and breathability from a skate shoe. As an extremely stiff skate shoe, these aren’t your typical floppy skate shoe. Even after weeks of wearing these, they feel way stiffer than other skate shoes you’ve likely worn in the past.

The grip on these is as good as it gets, with a flick and board feel that’s hard to compare to other shoes with this much foot protection. Even after weeks of skate sessions, the bottoms of these shoes still look new and feel as good as the first day you skated them.

Unlike most of the other New Balance skate shoes, these run relatively wide and are perfectly suited for a wider foot. If you have narrow feet, going a 1/2 size down is the move unless you want to really tighten down your laces.

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2. New Balance Numeric Brandon Westgate 508

The 508s are my favorite cupsole shoe from New Balance, with a super low-profile design and a board feel that is surprisingly similar to a vulcanized shoe. Unlike many other cupsole shoes with stitching connecting the sole and the upper, New Balance’s no-sew design makes the shoe more durable on that front.

As for the rest of the shoe, it’s made with suede around the toe and heel, with leather and mesh mixed throughout. The insole is thin and unexciting, but the sole is where all the impact absorption comes from. In my experience, a slightly thinner sole like this makes the shoe more responsive and improves the board feel. So it’s no surprise that that’s exactly what these shoes give you when you skate them.

Like all New Balance skate shoes seem to be, these are super grippy, and the grip doesn’t go away even after the tread wears down. The flick feels super consistent, but might be a little different if you’re used to more foxing tape from a vulcanized shoe like Vans or Lakais. These are one of the best skate shoes for all levels of skaters, but they might feel a bit overbuilt if you’re new to skateboarding. Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with 508’s; they look great for casual wear too.

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1. New Balance Numeric Jamie Foy 306

The 306’s are one of the most popular New Balance skate shoes for good reason. They tick all the boxes for durability, board feel, responsiveness, style, and price. They have a suede and mesh upper with a few leather accent pieces around the shoe. The suede covers all of the toe and most of the heel while being reinforced to make it harder to blow a hole through.

Since there is such minimal rubber around the shoe compared to other vulcanized shoes, these shoes have a super responsive flick that doesn’t change as the shoe wears. This is mostly because you are flicking against more of the suede from day one, making it feel consistent as the rubber foxing tape wears away.

These shoes are super breathable and feel great to skate in, even on a hot day. They’re super lightweight, too, compared to most skate shoes you’ve likely tried, making them a welcomed change you’re sure to appreciate. The insoles of these shoes are a bit lackluster, and they don’t have the best impact protection. Luckily switching out to another set of insoles tends to do the trick for most skaters.

Finally, another thing to note is the bottom of these shoes tends to wear out faster than the upper, which is pretty uncommon for most skate shoes. However, this wearing will depend on how you skate too.

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New Balance Skate Shoes FAQs

Are New Balance Skate Shoes Wide?

Most New Balance Numeric skate shoes aren’t well suited for wide feet and will generally fit snugly for wider feet. The exception is the New Balance Numeric Tiago Lemos 1010 shoe which is noticeably wider than other New Balance skate shoes.

On average, these skate shoes don’t run too wide or too narrow, so they fit true to size for most people. However, wider feet will feel squished in most New Balance skate shoe models.

What Do The Numbers On New Balance Skate Shoes Mean?

The numbers on all the New Balance Numeric skate shoes help to rate the shoes from least to most technical. The lower the number, the less technical the shoe will be, while the higher the number, the more performance and technology it has. For most everyday skaters, anything from the NB 272 to the NB 508 skate shoes will be a great shoe for skating and casual wear. However, if you want more padding, support, and protection, the NB 1010s are as good as it gets.

Are New Balance Skate Shoes Comfortable?

Yes, New Balance skate shoes are some of the most comfortable skate shoes for both skating and everyday wearing. They don’t take long to break in, feel comfortable to stand in for a long period of time, and don’t rub your feet in ways that would cause blisters. I regularly wear my New Balance skate shoes as my everyday shoes and love them.

What Are The Best New Balance Skate Shoes?

From my experience, and from most of the other skaters I know who skate New Balance, the New Balance Numeric Jamie Foy 306‘s are a regular favorite. However, the “technically” best skate shoe that New Balance offers is the Tiago Lemos 1010 shoe with all the best foot protection and New Balance skate shoe technology you could ask for. The only downside is they’re pretty expensive for a skate shoe.

So Which New Balance Skate Shoe Should You Pick?

If you’re still on the fence over choosing which shoe is right for you, here are our top picks from this list in order of their ratings to make a choice easier.

Shoe	Specs	Our Rating	Where To Buy
	New Balance Numeric 306	Vulcanized shoe for great board feel Very lightweight Feel great out of the box, no break in needed Consistent flick through the lifespan of the shoe Very durable upper with internal backing to improve the lifespan Suede & mesh construction	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop
	New Balance Numeric 508	Cupsole with board feel similar to a vulc Perforated toe for great breathability Very grippy The outsole doesn't wear out fast Has a soft foam collar that makes the shoe easy to take on and off No stitching around the sole like most cupsoles	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop
	New Balance Numeric 1010	Extremely durable Comes in leather and suede models A stiff and extremely technical skate shoe Amazing for wider feet Good board feel Good foot protection Consistent flick & wear patterns	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop
	New Balance 440 High	Best of both worlds between cupsole and vulcanized Available in low top models too Foot feels secure and snug Has great ankle mobility, not common in high tops Has good impact protection Has good board feel	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop
	New Balance Numeric 272	A vulcanized shoe with cupsole-like heel protection Reinforced toe to improve durability Thicker foxing tape to improve the lifespan of the shoe Relatively stiff but break in quickly Very grippy Mesh interior to improve breathability Comes in all suede or all leather models	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop

Now, if you aren’t sure if New Balance is right for you, check out our other skate shoe guide on the 24 best skateboard shoes!