The last years of development have been insane in the running shoe industry. And the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 really shows the pinnacle of what can be achieved right now.
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It’s easy to review a shoe with a lot of foam. Words are easy to come by when the sensations you feel are amplified by the amount of foam underneath your feet. It could be soft, firm, bouncy, sluggish etc. Words that could describe every shoe, but that are easier to think of when the stack is high.
The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 has what I consider to be normal to lower stack, It has 27.5mm in the heel and 21.5mm in the forefoot. But the words are just as easy to find in this shoe. Why? Because it is that good!
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 - That FuelCell midsole
When we talk about the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3, the main thing we will talk about is that FuelCell midsole. With a 27.5mm-21.5mm stack, and 6mm drop you don’t have a huge amount of foam underneath your feet, but the FuelCell still amplifies those sensations and makes the Rebel v3 very easy to describe.
It is first and foremost a soft and springy midsole, with some comfort of a softer heel. The forefoot has a bit more firmness which gives you a nice toe-off, but not that springy sensation that extra foam gives.
The Rebel v3 does not have a carbon plate, and it lacks about 5-10mm of foam for the midsole to feel bouncier. But what you get in return is an insanely smooth and easy running feel with the added agility of a lower stack shoe.
Overall, the midsole just works, but you shouldn’t expect the shoe to compete with the insane feel the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer has or the softness of the New Balance Fresh Foam More v4. These are different beasts, that can do different things.
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 – Light as a feather
The reason why I say this shoe is such a marvelous engineering feat is the combination of that comfortable and springy midsole, and the extreme lightness you get in a shoe like this. In a sample size, this shoe weighs 208g (7.3oz) in a men's US 9, and an insane 176g (6.2oz) in a women's US 7.5. To me that is baffling!
This is a combination of the midsole and a light, but still surprisingly comfortable upper. The fit is a bit tighter around the midfoot than you would find in your normal daily trainer, but still wide enough for the toes not to feel cramped in the forefoot. It feels comfortable and light on foot, making the entire running experience feel nimble and effortless.
Five years ago, this weight and comfort could not be done. It wasn’t possible. And right now, the impossible is easy apparently.
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 - What would you use this for?
It all depends on what type of runner you are, and what you want to use this for. But for me, this is the perfect shoe for the faster tempo days, where you want to feel a bit more agile and nimble. I wouldn’t hesitate the slightest in choosing this shoe as a 5k or 10k race shoe either, especially when the race course has a lot of twists and turns.
For those people lighter runners who just want a very lightweight daily trainer, then you are also in luck. It's hard to find anything as light and as comfortable as this on the market.
But beware, the lighter a shoe is, the less durability it will have. There are many who have used the very similar New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 as a daily trainer, and it will do the job, but don't expect it to last the same distance as a shoe twice its size.
Either way, I really recommend this shoe, if you are looking for a lightweight shoe with bounce and responsiveness.
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