Our initial reservations about the grip quality were dispelled by the on-road performance. The flat lugs offer excellent traction, including damp roads. Peter: Yep, traction is surprisingly good, shoe can bottom out a bit--especially going down steep grade. It’s a nice balance of having plenty of rubber to meet the road, but keeping the weight down. There is another patch of rubber placed on the midfoot of the medial side and on the heel. After 90 kilometres, the rubber has held up well but the exposed foam areas are a concern. Disclaimer: We calculate the average of four durometer measurements, disregarding any outliers. The photo above shows one of the takes. Adam: The Rebel V2 is an extremely light and comfortable shoe which also features great energy return.

New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 Review | Running Shoes Guru

Personal: A (Really lightweight, protective, bouncy, and responsive. This is a shoe I really like doing strides in, road workouts, long runs, etc.)Cheng: I frequently stress on the importance of insole tuning in producing a quality ride. Getting this right is quite difficult and New Balance has been known to make mistakes (e.g. 1500v5). However, the Rebel V2 does a decent job of implementing a Durapontex insole that has already been proven in the RC Elites. Most runners would attest to the merits of this shoe, so the New Balance Fuelcell Rebel V2 ended up being the surprise break-out hit of 2021-22.

New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 Shoes Make Running Fun These New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 Shoes Make Running Fun

Trying to run fast on wet, paved roads with a bit of surface water? Tread carefully, particularly through turns. Wear and Tear This new version weighs 7.4 oz (211g) in US size 9, so the Rebel v3 remains an extremely lightweight shoe compared to the average of road running shoes, which is 9.5 oz (270g). New Balance Rebel v3 doesn’t c ost you a fortune DPT/Footwear Science: A (Midsole and outsole integration really well thought out. Bevel and midfoot done well. But even the outsole has perforations and cuts in it which I think make it slightly more bouncy.) Given the unpredictable durability outcome, we think that the New Balance Fuelcell 2 will last anywhere between 100 to 500 miles, with 250 miles being the median. THE UPPER DESIGN AND FITThe outsole isn’t much to look at. The rubber slabs are thin and soft, thus allowing them to bend whenever the midsole does. Overall, there isn’t a massive difference between the 2 versions so if you want to buy v2 at a heavily discounted price, you have my blessing. The midsole sidewalls are raised at the midfoot to provide some stability but I still think that heel strikers will find the Rebel v2 slightly unstable.

New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 review - RunRepeat

Based on internet chatter, New Balance is going to completely overhaul the Rebel for its third outing. For a change, we’re actually looking forward to a shoe receiving its annual update. SHOES SIMILAR TO THE NEW BALANCE FUELCELL REBEL V2 The Rebel v2 doesn’t feel like a tempo trainer anymore because of how soft and flexible it is. All the shoes mentioned above are better shoes for speedwork.Puma Liberate Nitro Review - Super light offering from Puma that absolutely rips the road for those with the right experience and strength One notable aspect of the FuelCell product line is that the foam compound may all be FuelCell, but the formulation varies, and it results in a varying underfoot feel. I find some are far less exciting than others, fortunately this is the most lively of the bunch. It’s very soft and bouncy and feels like the top of the line racer – the RC Elite. Just like the first version, the Rebel V2 is an excellent running shoe for forefoot strikers. There’s plenty of deep cushioning to tap into, and the wide midsole provides a reliable foundation to land and launch from. Hoka Mach 4 - Hoka's big drop of 2021 so far, the Mach 4 has been a versatile trainer for many, shining particularly in uptempo work.

Fuelcell Performance Running Shoes - New Balance

Ryan: More flexible than Simone Biles on the balance beam -- this shoe bends the way you tell it to, both laterally and torsionally. It makes for a very free (no, not knee-busting Nike Free) heel strike, pronation, and toe off. Which is great for easy running, or for folks who don’t covet stability. Its springiness is undeniably fun, and is ideal for anything short of tempo pace. There’s enough of the low density Fuel Cell foam here that bottoming out shouldn’t be a concern. Ryan (M9.5): I concur that the Rebel is certainly a bouncer shoe underfoot. Both shoes are exceptionally light, have low inertia, and offer very comfortable uppers, but they ride like entirely different beasts. The Beacon’s Fresh Foam is far more responsive and stable than the Rebel’s explosive Fuelcell foam. For harder efforts, I prefer the stability of the Beacon, but for easy cruising, the Rebel is a supremely enjoyable ride. Sally: My first impression was WOW! Right out of the box, a great looking shoe with an eye-popping colorway. But the real wow factor came after trying the shoe on: true to size, accommodating toe box, flexible, but oh so soft and bouncy feeling. Unlike standard EVA foam or even rubber-blend materials like the Nike React, the New Balance Fuelcell foam did not stiffen in the cold and retained its cushioned bounciness. At 400 miles so far I feel like I could take yet further which is very rare for a shoe in this kind of weight category. I have to say, I’m super impressed with the durability and how soft these feel even after long term use on the pavement.As a shoe reviewer, one of the most common questions I get is from runners asking me for suggestions to replace their beloved Nike Pegasus Turbo which has now been discontinued. Derek: I wear US9.5 in Rebel, and US9.5 for TC for long runs and easy runs, and US9.0 for TC for speed work. Fit-wise, the TC feels longer than Rebel at the same size and if you want a more performance fit, I would go half size down in the Rebel vs the TC. TC is one of the very few shoes I own more than 1 pair of, and paid for. That should tell you something. The TC is a special and incredibly versatile trainer. The Rebel is similar to the TC in that both have pretty soft and bouncy heels (read: unstable for some), with the key difference being the TC has a stiffer forefoot partly due to its plate and partly due to stiffer outsole rubber. The Rebel is more natural-feeling and flexible through the toes at slower paces. Overall both are incredibly versatile shoes. Rebel wins big by on weight savings, TC wins on “assistive Carbon plate”. I’d say it’s a tie, but the retail price difference is pretty big here. If you can’t find the TC (because it’s often sold out), the Rebel would be an excellent alternative, though I suspect it will sell pretty fast too! Apart from some slight tearing on the medial side of the upper, which could be because of wear and tear and also might be from of the salt on city streets eating away at the mesh.