Back in May of 2026, I headed off to work abroad for a month in Spain. It was a swell time, thanks for asking. Just like on my previous ventures to the Dominican Republic, Peru and Italy, I was hoping to get a chance to get familiar with another shoe – not in that way though, foot fetishists be gone!
Now, as a huge fan of footwear, choosing one shoe to be your sole companion on a month-long journey can prove difficult, especially when you’re a last-minute packer like me. Admittedly, I did pack the Havaianas that I picked up in Brazil for beach days, cause unlike what Ye once said, I will not be doing Jordans on the beach. Touching sand is almost the best part!
So with my beach footwear sorted, the main driver needed to be accounted for. I would need a pair that would could keep up with inter-city travel, long city walks and easy runs. I’d had fond memories of the New Balance 475 during my time in Italy and my Footpatrol x Salomon XT4s that I took to the Dominican Republic, so whittling down my collection for another banger was important.
My mind instinctively moved towards my New Balance selection, although I’d be lying if I didn’t mention the Nike SB Air Max 95 “Coco Browns” were very tempting to me. Looking back on photos of me traipsing around the Spanish landscape in 110s could have been REAL hip, a great set of photos that work wonderfully in a ‘my life in shoes’ book I plan on making later in life. But not wanting to get carried away with romance, I had doubts about the SB 110s keeping up on a day-to-day level. Not to mention, running in them would prove an absolute chore given the latest skateboarding tweaks.
Alas, after going back and forth between the New Balance 990v4 and 990v6, I settled on the latter. The bulkier 990v6 might not look as cool given its larger silhouette; but they were the best option for that casual-to-running sweet spot. One option I’d had in mind for this niche vendiagram was Satisfy’s TheRocker, but I didn’t fancy forking out £240 for them.
Even the brand’s promotional campaign about ‘runners aren’t normal’ highlighted the latest v6 addition to the premium series through a performance lens. That said, I don’t recall ever seeing anyone actually running in them or even talking about running in the 990v6. I did however find myself watching an obscure Japanese YouTube channel discussing just how hard-wearing the silhouette was – after all, this is what the internet was made for, right?
In the end, I picked out the New Balance 990v6 “Core Grey” for my month-long trip to Spain. Just to be extra sure, I went out for a short walk around the block in the 990v6 – yes, I realise I sound like a geriatric Uncle at this point, but apparently that’s ‘in’.
I’d not really given the silhouette a chance to win me over in the year that I’d owned it, previously sat on the shelving in my room looking pretty. But like Mark Wahlberg’s character says in The Other Guys, the 990v6 is a peacock that needs to fly.
My main concern involved the maximal midsole and how it could give me what the barefoot community calls “stupid feet”. As a counter to that thought, the maximum cushioning would help on those days when I’d clock 20K steps sightseeing. I also realised the 990v6 would make for a solid easy-day shoe, one in which to clock your typical 5-10km runs.
Boarding the plane, I still had minor concerns, but looking at the top-down view of the New Balances was a welcome sight. The added weight of both my Osprey 40L and Osprey 18L was absorbed by the energy-returning midsole, taking the stress-related load off my feet. After a multi-transport trip from Gatwick, I eventually touched down in what would be my home for the next two weeks, Peniscola.
Quickly dumping my things at the flat, I slipped on the v6s again and headed out to the local supermarket for supplies. I got back at the end of the day feeling content with how my feet had held up, all thanks to the New Balance 990v6 below.
The next few days consisted of me rocking the Havianas down at the local beach, although morning espresso runs were made easy as the plush midsole gracefully took the descent from Peniscola’s Castle.
A few days in, I clocked what would be my first and only 5K run, a detail I’m less pleased about considering these 990v6s were supposed to be my hybrid shoe option – but such is life in the tropics (I realise this phrase doesn’t technically apply to Spain, but I am the writer here).
I’d liken running in the NB 990v6s to the NB 1080v10s, a shoe that definitely provides cushion, but one I felt lacked the ‘snap’ or sharp energy return I feel with runners like the ASICS Tri-Noosa 14. Speaking of, I did spot a lot of Tri-Noosa 14s on the feet of the elderly. Clearly making for a great walking shoe, the Tri-Noosa’s heavily rocker-forefoot does encourage forward momentum, a feature the elderly Spaniards were aware of.
After a week, I did start to warm up to how the 990v6s looked in photos. All of a sudden, I welcomed the silhouette’s aggressive change in direction from the more streamlined 990 series.
Of course, the designers at New Balance knew this was a drastic change for its sixth version, a factor that the future 990v7 will be moving away from…or at least from what I’ve been told. If you’re reading this, New Balance – yes, I would love the chance to wear-test the 990v7.
It was around the 9th day of my trip when I spotted another gentleman wearing a pair of New Balance 990v6s. I was scanning the floor for any slippery patches on my descent to a food shop when I saw the familiar shade of grey cross my vision. I looked up to see a late-20s-year-old dude in shorts and a boonie hat walking with what could have been his Miss, unless she was his caregiver. I suppose all partners are carers in a sense, although my idea of a romantic evening doesn’t involve being forklifted out of my wheelchair so I can use the loo – never say never though!
I think the point I was trying to make, was that it takes a certain gentleman to really invest in a £220 shoe that makes them seem like they’re embracing the concept of ageing well. It’s the size of the fight in the dog, not the size of the dog in the fight (once again, an irrelevant phrase, but it feels apt at the time of writing). A more appropriate version would be: it’s the size of the geriatric in the man, not the size of the man in the geriatric.
After two weeks in, I did notice the balls of my feet starting to hurt a little, but this felt like a personal issue rather than one caused by the soles on my NB 990v6. Around the same sort of time, I noticed the suede along the mudguard starting to wear nicely, the nap of the panel revealing its fibres, the patina equivalent you can get with mostly suede shoes.
After 3 weeks of travel, I noticed the grease stain on my left toe box had all but gone. This was from a rare boba coffee spillage months back, one that I thought was destined to remain in the 990v6’s mesh for years to come. Luckily, whether through the accumulation of more dirt or its simple evaporation, the stain was no more.
That same week during my time in Toledo, once the capital of Spain, I did accrue my first set of blisters. I think this was due to the dry inland heat and not changing into drier socks more frequently – a harsh realisation I discovered during my Duke of Edinburgh hike in Year 9. Once again, the New Balance 990v6 is less to blame here; the resulting blisters are the fault of my own.
However, you could question the v6s breathability, meaning that when encountering heat over 28 degrees, you may find that the NB 990v6 will start to falter. Of course, this all depends on what socks you’re wearing and how much you tend to perspire from your feet as well. So take that conclusion with a pinch of salt.
In terms of aesthetics, I still had my own reservations about how bulky the shoe looked when worn with shorts. Compared to the New Balance 990v3 or 990v4 in a UK12.5, it’s much larger in relation to other 990s. That said, the added bulk offers more functional comfort than previous versions, with the foam remaining consistently spongy throughout my month-long trip in Spain. If anything, I found the New Balance 990v6 getting comfier as the journey went on and the foam continued to break in.
And as someone who’s worn the NB 996, 997, 998, 1500, 990v1, 990v2, 990v3, 990v4, 990v5, 991, 991v2, 992, 993, I can safely say that the New Balance 990v6 is the comfiest, if not the second most comfy within the shoes that I have worn.
Unfortunately, my Garmin watch died within the first week of the trip, so I am unable to provide an accurate total step count for my trip to Spain. However, working on estimates, I think it’s safe to say that I clocked around 400,000 – 500,000 steps in my New Balance 990v6s.
In terms of sizing, I always tend to go up half a UK size in my New Balances. With the NB 990v6, I also went up from a UK12 to a UK12.5. I think the extra room is necessary given that your feet will expand more throughout the day, especially if you’re walking a lot or even running in them. I would personally go up half a UK size in the NB 990v6, but trying the shoe on in-store is the best way to figure out which works best for you.
Since coming back from the trip, I have picked up another pair of 990v6s, spotting the “Beef and Broccoli” pair on sale. My fondness for the v6 has gone up since my Spanish saunter, possibly even working its way into the top 3 within the 990 series. The NB 990v6 would have to battle it out between the 990v4 and 990v2 for that number one spot. However, from a purely functional standpoint, the v6 certainly towers over the two previously mentioned versions.
Next time I work abroad, I would be inclined to take another New Balance with me, the likes of which will be the NB 990v4 or NB 1300. You can expect that shoe review to come towards the end of the year once I’ve gone off travelling again. In the meantime, pick up an New Balance 990v6!
wear shoes, write poems 