David: "I absolutely love the Rebel's FuelCell midsole. It feels comfortably soft at slower speeds and super lively at faster paces. I thought the Rebel v2s were really fun to run in, and I always wanted to push the pace when they were on foot." Just like the v1, the Rebel v2 sports my favorite midsole in the game in FuelCell. Out of the box, this version feels just a tad softer which makes the v2 an even more versatile shoe for medium-long runs. The FuelCell is super responsive, giving the shoe a snappy, fun ride that feels great everywhere from tempo day to a long run Saturday. However, the extra foam in the midsole has certainly improved matters on this front. I did a hard hour in the shoe running around 16km and the midsole felt just as bouncy throughout. Although it’s definitely better than the v2, for runs over 25km I would want more cushioning than the Rebel v3 offers.

FuelCell Rebel v3 review - RunRepeat New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 review - RunRepeat

Michael: “Bouncy” is indeed the most apt word here. The midsole is so soft and so flexible that I genuinely thought they’d feel overly squishy on the run - I mean, these are softer than the first-generation Pegasus Turbo. But no - while the midsole is readily compressible, it’s springy enough to avoid a full collapse, and instead keep propelling you up and into your stride. Most lightweight trainers have a firm ride which makes them only suitable for short, fast runs but the Pegasus Turbo could be used for longer runs as well as short, tempo ones. There is also reinforcement around the eyelets and heel collar which gives necessary structure, but it is still sleek with minimal padding. The race-weight tongue is a good design—it is a thin, wide foam piece. It has good coverage, some rigidity, mitigates lace bite, and is easy to lay flat. Comfort and foothold are both top notch. The upper is hardly noticed on the foot and the foot doesn’t slide around in the upper. Overall it’s a sleek, unobtrusive, and light-on-the-foot upper. When running at lower, recovery paces, I tend to land midfoot with a slight rear and lateral bias. Here, the most prominent sensation is just how soft the foam feels. It's a wonderfully plush experience of running on clouds; and, while great for easy days, comes at the tantalizing cost of egging you to run faster.Even though it has lost some of its original DNA, I’m still happy about the direction that New Balance has taken with it because I make more use of it as a daily trainer than a speedwork trainer- it doesn’t have the snappy punch that I like in a speed trainer. While it's true that there is less exposed foam in the v3, the rubber in the outsole is 12.5% thinner than v2. Jacob: Fuel Cell is the name of the game here and I’m a big fan—it’s a single-slab of soft, flexible, bouncy, and energetic foam. This deployment of FuelCell minds me of the Propel v1 in it’s dramatically soft and flexible feel. There is a balanced level of cushion and foam in the Rebel v2 where it’s not tippy at the heel or sink-in-forever feeling like the TC so there is more stability and direct connection with the ground on toe-off. The forefoot has some firmness. However, it is well-cushioned and not harsh. 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.

New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 - idealo

Developed to meet the ever-evolving demands of serious distance runners, the New Balance FuelCell collection is the perfect combo of speed, rebound and energy return. Showcasing an exciting array of cutting-edge performance-driven technologies, it promises to propel you to the next level. The core component of FuelCell running shoes is our nitrogen compound FuelCell foam technology - game changing midsole cushioning that delivers radically improved energy return performance. In a pair of New Balance FuelCell running shoes, you’ll feel the benefits with every propulsive stride. Derek: Jacob did a great job with the description of the upper. Keywords here are unstructured and minimal. The main areas of structure are around the heel cup, using a semi rigid internal heel counter that actually does not run very far up the rear, and the internal toe bumper to give the toe box a bit of height. The FuelCell Rebel v2 is an amazing everyday running shoe that a lot of people should probably buy. It has a wide range of uses that will make it a great shoe for people of all skill levels and training types. Ultimately though, it's a shoe that can make the running experience fun. And sometimes knowing there will be little fun to be had is the thing that can motivate you to get out for a run. For that reason, these are my favorite running shoes I've tried over the last 12 months. This FuelCell iteration is softer than the previous version and works differently underfoot. While the original Rebel had a firmer midsole, it also had full cover crystal rubber covering the outsole. Between the rubber and the exaggerated flare on the lateral edge, the cushioning didn’t compress and expand underfoot while it rolled the runner’s foot towards a big toe take off. For some runners, this might explain why they felt the cushioning was softer and made their joints take on a little more stress.On the other hand, doing an easy 5-mile run at a purposefully casual pace was joyous. There were no aches in my feet, no prodding from the upper or any kind of discomfort to speak of. While these aren't plush recovery run shoes, they definitely lean slightly more toward the slower and steady pace. For any runs over five miles when speed isn't the goal, my eyes always glance at these New Balance shoes as ones to use. Imma keep going, so T Swizz, take a seat. The upper fits so well that when you drop the hammer in a workout, it seamlessly moves with you in total comfort. I wasn’t a fan of the odd-shaped tongue at first, but by the time I am writing this, I have come to appreciate the way it fits into the form. The heel counter is gentle on the heel/Achilles while it holds the rear of your foot securely in.

New Balance FuelCell Collection - New Balance New Balance FuelCell Collection - New Balance

I took the Rebel v2 on a 40 kilometre run on two occasions and its performance was excellent. It provided plenty of long-distance comfort and my legs felt great by the end of the runs. You could easily run a full marathon in the Rebel v2. You can now replace your Pegasus, Cumulus or Ghost with the Rebel v3 if you’re willing to accept a lower level of durability and stability. You’ll get a much more energetic, much more fun ride with more ground feel. 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.

SHOES SIMILAR TO THE NEW BALANCE FUELCELL REBEL V2

Peter: I’ll just quote Ryan here “The NB is arguably more fun , but the Mach offers a highly polished and buttery ride which the Rebel can’t quite match.” I’m glad I have both of these, but if I really had to choose 1 it would be the Mach 4. That said, I’m betting that the Rebel V3 will dial in to perfection.

New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 Multi 10 - Road Trail Run New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 Multi 10 - Road Trail Run

As for the flap material, the raw edges are soft and completely distraction-free – as is the rest of the upper. PROS AND CONS While I enjoyed the run I feared the Rebel v3 would have the same problem as the Rebel v2; that it would “bottom out” on longer runs where the foam stops providing as much bounce and cushioning once you pass around 12km. Either way, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that this is more of the same. That you know what this new running shoe is all about. I’m here to tell you that you don’t.We tested the Rebel V2 during the cold winter mornings of Toronto, Canada – and that included many sub-zero degree (Celcius) runs. New Balance equipped the Rebel v2 with a brand new “NDURANCE” rubber outsole. As you can see from the pictures, the outsole covers most of the surface area of the shoe. Sam: In many ways similar with bouncy rides the slightly heavier, more stable and more cushioned Mach 4 is a more versatile shoe which can easily handle the faster paces of the Rebel but also slower paces where the yet softer Rebel struggles a bit. The Mach relies on a dual density midsole of EVA underfoot and rubberized foam as midsole/ outsole It does not quite have the faster paces energetic rush of the Rebel but if I had to choose one for a wide range of uses I would lean Mach 4.