#1Mizuno
Osaka sportswear and equipment maker founded in 1906, known for Wave-cushioned running shoes, baseball gloves and archive-driven Sportstyle sneakers.
16 Shoe Brands like New Balance
16 brands · Brands by scene · Updated August 2026This page is for anyone who wears New Balance for the fit and cushioning — half sizes, multiple widths, Fresh Foam and FuelCell — and wants a shoe that does the same job on a run or on a Tuesday commute. The short verdict: Brooks, ASICS and Saucony are the closest like-for-like swaps on performance, while ASICS Sportstyle, Saucony Originals, Mizuno and Onitsuka Tiger cover the archive-runner look that the 574 and 2002R trade on.
#1
#2New Balance
Boston-founded, family-owned athletic brand making performance running shoes and lifestyle sneakers such as the 990 series, 574 and 2002R.
#3Hoka One One
French-born, Deckers-owned running brand known for maximalist, heavily cushioned shoes like the Clifton, Bondi and Speedgoat.
#4Adidas
German sportswear giant behind the three stripes, known for Samba, Gazelle and Superstar sneakers, football kits and designer lines like Y-3.
#5Brooks
Seattle-based performance running brand owned by Berkshire Hathaway, known for the Ghost, Glycerin, Adrenaline GTS and Hyperion shoe franchises.
#6
#7Nike
American sportswear giant behind Air Force 1, Air Max, Dunk, Jordan and Converse, now rebuilding around a sport-led strategy.
#8Puma
German sportswear company making football, running and motorsport gear plus retro lifestyle sneakers such as the Suede, Palermo and Speedcat.
#9Reebok
British-founded, Boston-based sportswear brand owned by Authentic Brands Group, known for Club C and Classic Leather sneakers, the Pump and Nano training shoes.
#10Fila
Italian-founded, Korean-owned sportswear brand known for retro tennis styling, bold logos and chunky sneakers like the Disruptor II.
#11ASICS
Japanese performance running brand from Kobe, known for GEL cushioning and archive Sportstyle sneakers like the Gel-1130 and Gel-Kayano 14.
#12Salomon
French outdoor brand from Annecy known for ski and trail-running gear, whose XT-6 and Speedcross shoes became gorpcore streetwear staples.
#13Onitsuka Tiger
Japanese heritage sneaker and lifestyle label owned by Asics, best known for the retro Mexico 66 trainer.
#14Saucony
American running brand owned by Wolverine World Wide, known for PWRRUN-cushioned performance shoes and Originals reissues of its 1980s runners.
#15NIKE ACG
Nike's All Conditions Gear line, making GORE-TEX outerwear and technical trail footwear for the outdoors since 1989.
#16Converse
American sneaker brand behind the Chuck Taylor All Star, Nike-owned since 2003 and currently working through a steep multi-year sales decline.
New Balance sits in an unusual spot: a 1906 Boston arch-support company that now sells $9.2 billion a year of both serious running shoes and lifestyle sneakers, and still runs a MADE in USA premium line. That means "brands like New Balance" splits into two shopping lists.
If you're buying for the run
Brooks is the most direct substitute — Seattle-based, Berkshire Hathaway-owned, and structured almost identically around a daily trainer (Ghost), a max-cushion shoe (Glycerin), a support shoe (Adrenaline GTS) and PEBA racers (Hyperion). ASICS matches New Balance on Japanese engineering rather than foam-name marketing, with GEL and FF Blast under the Gel-Kayano, Gel-Nimbus, Novablast and Metaspeed lines. Saucony's PWRRUN range (Endorphin, Triumph, Ride, Guide, Peregrine) covers the same ground at a similar mid-tier price. Mizuno's Wave plate gives a firmer, more structured ride than Fresh Foam. HOKA goes the other way — maximalist stacks and rockered geometry in the Clifton, Bondi and Speedgoat — and On builds around CloudTec pods and a Speedboard plate, which feels notably less traditional underfoot than a 1080 or 880.
If you're buying for the look
ASICS Sportstyle (Gel-1130, Gel-Kayano 14, GT-2160) and Saucony Originals (Jazz, Shadow 5000/6000, Grid Azura) are the closest thing to a 2002R or 990 in mesh-and-suede archive form. Onitsuka Tiger, ASICS' separate heritage label, does the low-profile leather side with the Mexico 66. Mizuno's Sportstyle line reworks its own archive runners for the same crowd. Adidas (Samba, Gazelle, Campus) and Puma (Suede, Palermo, Speedcat) sit in slimmer retro-terrace territory, and Puma, Reebok, Fila and Converse all price below New Balance — Reebok's Club C and Classic Leather, Fila's Disruptor II, Converse's Chuck 70 — if you want the silhouette without the $150-plus ticket.
Price and outliers
Most of this list is mid-tier alongside New Balance; Puma, Reebok, Fila and Converse are the low-mid options. Salomon and Nike ACG are the technical outliers: Salomon's XT-6 and Speedcross carry Gore-Tex and Contagrip into gorpcore styling, while ACG is the priciest name here, with the Mountain Fly Low GORE-TEX returning in 2025 at $180. Note Reebok is now an Authentic Brands Group licence, Converse is Nike-owned and mid-restructure, and Fila's Korean parent renamed itself Misto Holdings in 2025 — all still widely stocked.
Common questions
Which brand is the closest alternative to New Balance?
Brooks, for running. Its lineup maps almost one-to-one onto New Balance's — Ghost as the daily trainer, Glycerin for cushioning, Adrenaline GTS for support, Hyperion for racing — at the same mid-tier price. For the retro-runner look, ASICS Sportstyle and Saucony Originals are the nearest matches.
What's cheaper than New Balance but similar?
Puma, Reebok, Fila and Converse all sit a tier below on price. Reebok's Club C and Classic Leather, Puma's Suede and Palermo, and Fila's Disruptor II give you the heritage-sneaker silhouette; Converse's Chuck Taylor All Star and Chuck 70 are the canvas option.
Do any of these brands offer multiple widths like New Balance?
Width and half-size availability is one of New Balance's genuine differentiators, so check each retailer's size grid before assuming a swap fits the same. Fit character also varies a lot within this list — Mizuno's Wave plate rides firmer than Fresh Foam, HOKA rides softer and more rockered, and On's CloudTec pods feel different again.
Is HOKA or New Balance better for cushioning?
HOKA is the maximalist choice by design — oversized midsoles and rockered geometry are the whole premise of the Clifton and Bondi. New Balance's Fresh Foam and FuelCell are cushioned but more conventional. HOKA is French-founded and now owned by Deckers, running out of Goleta, California.
Which of these are best for trails?
Salomon (Speedcross, Sense Ride, Contagrip outsoles, Gore-Tex) and Saucony's Peregrine are the dedicated trail picks, with HOKA's Speedgoat close behind. Nike ACG covers the hiking and technical-outdoor end with GORE-TEX footwear and shells, at a higher price tier.