New Balance 740 Sizing: Do They Run Big, Small or True to Size?

The New Balance 740 runs true to size in length. Order the size you wear in most New Balance sneakers and you will almost always get the right fit end to end. What catches people out is the front of the shoe: the toe area feels low and a bit narrow, so the 740 can feel more restrictive than the number on the box suggests.

Our advice: stay at your usual size, go up half a size if your feet are wide, and go half a size down only if your feet are narrow and you want a close, glove-like feel.

Fit by foot shape

• Narrow feet: true to size, or half a size down if you want it snug.
• Average feet: true to size.
• Slightly wide feet: true to size is generally fine, and it is the size most wide-footed wearers report as comfortable.
• Wide feet: half a size up is the safer choice.

Going down for a snug fit works less well than it sounds. Wearers who tried half a size smaller in this shoe report that the toes reached the stitching on the overlay at the front, which became irritating over a long day. It was not painful, but it was noticeable.

The toe box is the thing to understand

On paper, the 740 has a toe box height similar to the 530, a model with a reputation for being roomy. On the foot, however, the 740 feels shallower and narrower, and that is what you will notice first. The upper in front of the toes is shaped more tightly, and a metallic overlay sits near the front of the shoe, which can press if your toes reach that far.

So when we say "true to size", we mean true to size in length. Treat the forefoot as a close fit and avoid sizing down.

How the 740 compares with other New Balance shoes

New Balance sizing depends on which family a model comes from. The common consensus is that the 740 fits like the Asia-made models and not like the Made in USA premium line.

• Same size as the 740: the 2002R, the 1906R, the 860v2, the 1500, the 991 and the 2010. If you wear a 9 in those, wear a 9 here.
• Half a size smaller than the 740: the 992, the 993, the 550 and most of the 990 series, which tend to run larger. Someone who takes an 8.5 in those may well take a 9 in the 740.
• The 530: a shoe people often compare it to. Its toe box height is similar, but the 740 feels tighter, so do not assume they are interchangeable if your feet are wide. Our 530 guide covers that model.

Outside New Balance, wearers report that it sizes much like the Asics GT-2160 and Gel-NYC. If you wear those at your true size, a true size in the 740 is a sensible match. See the GT-2160 guide and the Gel-NYC guide.

Widths: what to expect

This is where sources disagree, so we want to be honest about it. One common description is that the 740 is a narrower shoe that does not come in the wide options you may find on other New Balance models. Meanwhile, the standard New Balance width codes include D and 2E for men, and wider ones such as 4E and 6E exist for some models. Whether the 740 is offered in any width beyond standard depends on the colorway and the retailer, and we cannot confirm a width list for every release.

Our practical advice: check the product page for a width selector before you assume one exists. If a 2E is not offered and your feet are wide, go half a size up, and look at a roomier model if that does not solve the problem. Our shoe width chart explains the codes.

Heel, midfoot and lacing

The heel is a comfortable surprise. Wearers describe the shoe as flexible enough around the back that you can lace it tight or loose without getting slippage or pressure at the heel. That makes lacing your main tool for adjusting the fit, not a different size.

• If the front feels tight, loosen the first two eyelets to give the forefoot more room.
• If the heel feels loose, use the top eyelet and lace more firmly there.
• If the top of your foot is sore, skip a cross-over to relieve the pressure.

Collaborations

The Concepts x New Balance 740 is reported to fit the same as the regular release. If you buy a collaboration in a different material, expect the toe area to feel stiffer for a few wears, but assume the same size.

Men's and women's conversion

New Balance women's sizes sit 1.5 above men's on the same row. A women's 8.5 matches a men's 7, so if you are a women's 9.5 you would look at men's 8 and expect the same length. Remember that this also changes the default width: men's is D and women's is B, so a woman with a wider foot may prefer the men's size. Our men's to women's guide has the full conversion.

New Balance size chart

The chart is based on the New Balance size guide, copied on 2026-11-13. New Balance publishes length as the foot length, so the Foot length and CM (JP) columns match in these rows.

If your foot is 27 cm, that is a men's 9 and a women's 10.5. A foot that measures between two sizes should take the longer size in the 740, since the toe area is the tight part and you do not want your toes pushed against the overlay. Use our foot measuring guide to get a reliable number.

Between sizes? A decision guide

Many buyers land between two sizes and have to pick. For the 740, the logic is straightforward because the length is accurate and the width is the tight part.

1. If your foot is wide or you have a high instep, take the larger size.
2. If your foot is narrow and you wear a thin sock, the smaller size can work, but check that your toes do not press the front overlay.
3. If you are average in both, take the larger size when the difference is a few millimeters, and the smaller only if you always wear thin socks.

When you are unsure, the larger size is the safer error. A little extra length can be fixed with lacing and a thicker sock, while a toe area that is too tight cannot be fixed at all.

Everyday wear and long days on your feet

The 740 is a retro-styled lifestyle runner, and most people wear it for walking, travel and daily use. For those jobs, how it feels after four or five hours matters more than the first try-on. Feet swell through the day, and a shoe with a low toe area shows that quickly, so test the pair in the afternoon with the socks you actually wear.

If you are shopping for running itself, check our running shoe fit guide first, because training calls for more toe room than a casual shoe does.

Break-in and comfort

The 740 does not need a long break-in, but the front can feel firm for the first few wears. Most of that comes from the overlay near the toes, which does not stretch much. If the pressure sits on the top of the big toe, add more room in the first eyelets. If it sits on the sides of the toes, the shoe is too narrow for your foot and the better fix is half a size up.

Mistakes to avoid

• Applying the 992 rule. Half a size down is right for several larger-fitting New Balance models, but not this one.
• Trusting toe box height alone. A measurement on paper does not capture how tight the shape feels.
• Going up too far for width. More than half a size can make the heel slip.

Our recommendation

Order your usual New Balance size. Go half a size up for wide feet, and only consider half a size down if your feet are narrow and your toes do not reach the front overlay. For the wider picture, see our New Balance sizing guide, or put your measurement into the shoe size calculator.