New Balance vs Saucony: Which Fits Better? A Canadian Sizing Guide

Both brands publish their lifestyle sneakers as true to size, so in both cases the right starting point is your normal sneaker size. Neither New Balance nor Saucony publishes a "size down half" instruction for these lines — that advice circulates online, not in either brand's own guidance. Gallery Streetwear is an authorized Canadian retailer for both New Balance (Tier 1) and Saucony, based in Kelowna, BC and shipping Canada-wide. Below is how to size each correctly, using only what the brands actually state.

How New Balance sizing works

New Balance publishes a size chart per model and lists its lifestyle silhouettes as true to size. Order your measured size and check it against the chart for the exact model you want.

One correction worth making, because it is repeated widely and it is wrong: the four New Balance lifestyle models we carry — the 1906R, 2002R, 9060 and 550 — are offered in standard D width only. New Balance does produce multiple widths across its wider catalogue, particularly in performance running and walking, but not on these lifestyle models. If a page tells you to pick a 2E in a 9060, that option does not exist. And the 9060 is a narrower shoe through the forefoot than the 1906R, not a roomier one.

How Saucony sizing works

Saucony also publishes a size chart per model, and lists its Originals line true to size. Take your measured size, confirm against the chart for the specific model, and don't carry a size across from another brand.

Side by side — what we will and won't tell you

What we can say from the brands' own published guidance: both lines are true to size, both publish per-model charts, and the correct method is to measure rather than to apply a rule of thumb.

What we won't say: that one brand is reliably roomier than the other, or that your size in one carries over to the other. Neither brand publishes a shared last or a cross-brand conversion, so any such claim would be invented. Foot shape is individual, and the honest answer to "which fits better" is that it depends on your foot — which is a question a five-minute try-on settles and an internet rule of thumb does not.

How to get it right the first time

• Stand on a flat surface and measure heel to longest toe in centimetres, both feet.
• Use the larger foot's measurement.
• Compare it to the brand's size chart for the exact model — not to your habitual size, and not to your size in another brand.
• If you land between two sizes, take the larger one.

Our Size Guide walks through measuring and converting. If you're between sizes, message us before ordering rather than guessing.

Where to buy New Balance and Saucony in Canada

Gallery Streetwear is a Tier 1 authorized New Balance retailer and an authorized Canadian Saucony retailer, at 588 Bernard Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1Y 6P2, shipping Canada-wide. Browse New Balance and Saucony, or read our New Balance Canada hub for the models worth knowing. Orders ship from Kelowna in 1–3 business days; delivery time varies by destination. Free shipping on Canadian orders over $150 CAD, and local pickup is ready in about 24 hours. Trying both on in the shop is the fastest way to answer a fit question properly.

Frequently asked questions

Do New Balance shoes run big or small?

Neither. New Balance publishes its lifestyle models as true to size, so order your measured size and check the chart for that specific model. There is no size-down instruction in New Balance's own guidance for the 1906R, 2002R, 9060 or 550.

Do Saucony sneakers run big or small?

Neither. Saucony lists its Originals line as true to size and publishes a size chart per model. Measure your foot, compare it to the chart for the model you want, and take the larger size if you fall between two.

Which is better for wide feet, New Balance or Saucony?

Neither brand publishes a comparison, so we won't invent one. Note that the New Balance 1906R, 2002R, 9060 and 550 come in standard D width only, so wide-width options are not available on those models. A try-on is the reliable answer.

Should I size down in New Balance or Saucony?

No. Neither brand publishes a size-down instruction for these lines; both list them true to size. Measure your foot, use the model's own size chart, and if you are between two sizes take the larger one.

Where can I buy New Balance and Saucony in Canada?

Gallery Streetwear is a Tier 1 authorized New Balance retailer and an authorized Canadian Saucony retailer at 588 Bernard Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1Y 6P2, shipping Canada-wide. Orders ship from Kelowna in 1–3 business days, with free shipping on Canadian orders over $150 CAD.