The FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v2 sees several updates compared to its predecessor. The most important of those is a significant decrease in stack height from 47mm to 40mm in the heel. That, combined with a new, less dense, midsole design means the shoe is noticeably lighter than before.
The Energy Arc build sees a full-length carbon plate that sits between two layers of Fuelcell Foam. In the centre of the midsole is a hollow channel that New Balance calls a void, where the plate flattens with each step and reshapes on toe-off to provide energy return.
Tom and Nick have taken the shoe out on a first run to see how it compares with the original.
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Jump right in:
00:00 – Intro
00:27 – Stats
00:42 – Design
01:22 – How’s the Fit?
02:30 – The First Run Test
09:04 – Early Verdict
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Hello there Tommy from the Run testers In this video myself and Nick are going To be doing a first run review of the New Balance fuel cell SC Trainer V2 now We were setting these from sports shoes In order to do this review we're not Paid to review these shoes we can say Whatever we want but big thanks to Sports shoes for getting us these so we Can get this review in right let's dive In with the first run [Music] New Balance fuel cell SC Trainer V2 Costs 210 pounds or 179.99 weighs in at 256 grams or 9 Ounces for men in a size 8 and the drop Is six millimeters [Music] Fuel cell super comp trainer V2 sees Several updates compared to its Predecessor the most important of those Is a significant decrease in stack Height from 47 millimeters to 40 Millimeters in the heel that combined With a new less dense midsole design Means that she was noticeably lighter Than before the ngr build sees a full Length carbon plate that sits between Two layers of fuel cell foam in the Center of the midsole is a hollow Channel that New Balance calls avoid Where the plate flattens with each step And reshapes on toe off to provide Energy return the shoe also features an
Updated flat knit upper that aims to Provide a comfortable fit with some Reinforced sections for support and There's a healthy layer of outsole Rubber to protect the midsole foam and Add grip So I have a uk9 in the SC Trainer V2 Which is my normal size in the UK and With New Balance that converts to a US 9.5 sometimes it's a us-10 but this is My normal size across all New Balance Shoes and it fits me perfectly well I've Got enough room in the toe box good hold Around the midfoot and heel I think it's A little bit roomier than the FC trainer V2 you better sound Times Really cramps Up the fit on their Racing shoes that Makes them very especially around the Toe box makes it very tight quite a bit Short I don't think that's really the Case with the SD trainer too so Sometimes I think it's worth going half Size up with New Balance with their Speed shoes but with the SC Trainer V2 I Was very happy in my normal size and That's why I recommend going with them The fit for me in the SC Trainer V2 Iman 8 this is a size eight I would stick to My size in this shoe it felt very Comfortable there was plenty of room at The sides of the toe box and in the Midsection of the suit what I would say Is I did quite a long run in I did a 10 Mile run in um this shoe and I did feel
That my big toe was touching the end Which I don't normally feel in shoes so I did notice that so it's worth taking Consideration that I mean they might run A little bit short So just heading out to do first run in The New Balance SC Trainer 2. pretty Excited for this one uh I do like the Field of fuel cell phone in general I Just found with the SC Trainer one it Was just a bit much it was just too high Stack ended up being a bit heavy for me And just it was okay to cruise around Him but he had to be a little bit more Quite aware of that stack at all times Because it was so big and it's not like I'm always running on Flawless uh tarmac Around here so hoping the new one will Deliver a similarly bouncy ride being a Little bit lighter and a bit more stable And just allows you to get on with the Run a little bit more so I've got easy To study 10K on the plan today start off Really gentle Pace just jogging around Move through the gears probably starting From around the 4th K through to 6K just Still pretty easy-ish and then get up to Steady pace for the last few kilometers Running somewhere around 340 okay Usually with some strides afterwards so Obviously sunny day looking forward to Using the shoe So first round in the shoe done I will Say I didn't entirely love that
Um it probably was a little bit uh less Good than I expected I was really hoping For a bit more from it like it felt fine It certainly feels smaller and nimbler On the foot than the previous version of The shoe but when I was running even Kind of those middle Paces not even Steady just you know easy-ish uh it's a Little bit muddy like the transition Isn't that fast don't really get a Bouncy feeling so much it's just kind of It's nice just a lot of foam this feels Like a lot of fun but it's okay you can Still run faster at the end I was Picking up the pay size normal high rate Was where I'd expect it to be Pace was Where I'd expect it to be just uh Rolling through quite nicely at a steady Pace and it felt okay but it's not a Snappier toy obviously so more if she's Got a rocker than a snap through to it But it didn't feel like it was really Rolling through quickly either or giving Much punch off the toes I was a bit Surprised I thought it would really feel Great because you know fuel cell phone's Great complex great I love the new band SC Elite B3 on it says different shoes a Lot heavier but I thought it would give A similar punch to it from the phone but It didn't really feel like the foam Obviously had been changed the density And all that compared to other versions Of fuel cell on different shoes and it
Just loses a little bit today yeah that Wasn't quite where I expect it to be uh Actually I put the old one on just now I Came home and just ran around the block Wearing both shoes to see how it felt And actually through the first version That I criticized the time but it does Feel like it's got more punch and bounce To it than this second version of the Shoe which feels lighter but a little Bit deader on the foot like I still Not a huge fan of that first version Just because of the weight and size Makes it a bit tricky and not that Practical to use there's still a little Bit of that with a new shoes a lot more Practical but even today like if I you Know the stretches around me there's Lots of camber Pavements things like That it doesn't feel the most practical Shoe you're a little bit knocked off Center and you lose a bit of the uh Transition but even then when I hit some Flat stretches where I thought I could Really open up in it which you can do in The first version they get a nice Runnable bit of terrain it really does Give you a lot of Bounce and uh punch Don't get so much from the second Version so yeah a little bit Underwhelmed by that first run now I'd Be surprised I thought I thought it'd be Pretty great it doesn't feel that heavy Even though it was nice rolling around
The easy Paces it probably will have That daily train arrange to it that We're getting a lot of these shoes these Days like the Mac X and stuff like that But yeah didn't really have the uh speed That I was expecting it to have later on In the run I thought it'd be a bouncy Ride and it wasn't that bouncy hopefully That might appear with some more runs in It I guess so I've actually done two Runs in the SC Trainer V2 now um I did a Park run and some intervals as part of That park run and I did a 10 mile slow Run an easy run Um the day after and I I wasn't a Massive fan of the original SC Trainer I Thought it was a fun shoe I was using it During my training for Chicago last year So I was just trying to use it for uh Longer runs so longer Tempo runs and I Thought it was okay up to a point I Didn't really enjoy it after about 20K I Found it it fished out a little bit too Clunky and I wanted something a little Bit lighter Um so when this shoe came out which is Lighter than the original version I was Quite excited I thought it might be the Improvement on the original that I was Looking for and it'd be a really good Shoe for marathon training and Tempo Runs and things like that Um what I've found with it is over the Park room that I did and I didn't do the
Park run at my full Pace because I'm Coming off of injury at the moment but I Did do some intervals within that to see How it felt at running at a faster pace And it was fine Um it definitely didn't feel like it was Comfortable doing faster Paces I I I Don't think I'd want to go out and go All out in this in this shoe because it Just didn't feel like it we was designed For it it felt to me a little bit Um soft too soft and you'd often hear me Say that um I love a cushion shoe this Feels like a soft cushion shoe and as a Result it sort of deadens the impact a Little bit when you're when you're out Running I didn't really feel anything Um on that park run when I was picking Up the pace from that carbon plate Um it felt comfortable but just didn't Feel like it was giving me anything more And you you did feel that from the Original Um a c trainer now on the long run I did The 10 miler I did uh a very easy page So that was about five minute kilometers For me and I was just plodding around The park and during that run it felt Like a completely competent daily Veering on the cushion shoe Um and it was time for that I got Through that 10 miles quite comfortably It felt very nice to wear didn't feel Like I could pick up the pace a lot it
Felt like it sort of settled into that Pace nicely Um but I I wouldn't have wanted to pick Up the pace during that run so I think It's a tricky shoe from that first Couple of runs that I've done because If you're buying a shoe you'll probably Want it as a training partner probably For marathon training where you're doing Tempo sessions and things like that at Your marathon pace or under your Marathon pace Um but for me it actually doesn't really Fit in that category for me it's really Veering more towards those daily cushion Shoes that are designed to be Comfortable and minimize the impact of The run and maybe be a bit versatile but Not really all the way not designed to To do proper fast training in which is a Shame because that's really what what People are going to be buying it for and It's a pricey shoe as well so you you're Kind of going to want it to do those Things definitely not sure I'll compare With faster options daily trainers like The soccer endorphin speed three it just Doesn't seem to have that benefit to it And I didn't really get a lot out of it And when it came to running at those Those faster intervals so all in all That first uh that first couple of runs Not that impressed so far Um apart from it being a comfortable
Shoe to wear on that easy run To my first room verdict on the SC Trainer V2 is that it's a little bit of A disappointment for me um I don't think It's a bad show I didn't dislike wearing It it felt fine if it was a shoe that Maybe was a bit cheaper and wasn't Pegged as a a faster training shoe to Use alongside your maybe your carbon Plate shoes Um I I think it might be okay but I Think because I was expecting a lot more From this shoe it just really didn't Deliver off that those first those first Two runs and um I'm interested to find Out where it really sits um I'd like to Try a few more sessions in this at Different Paces preferably when I'm Fully off injury over the next couple of Weeks Um and just see where it sits but at the Moment I'm finding that I'm not really Sure what to classify this shoe as and For the price that's that's not a good Position to be in Um for a shoe like this so uh hoping It's gonna come into its own after a few More runs so yeah a little bit Disappointed by the SC Trainer 2 on my First run in it today just felt just a Little bit mushy and muddy when trying To move through the gears and just a Little bit more suited to kind of easy Running and that seems to be almost a
Little Trend with these plated trainers And the latest versions of them but all The ones I've tested many of them really Have been geared more towards being big Stack plated daily trainers mostly for Easy running and I don't know that's Just not what I'd expected from this Area like I'm gonna spend 200 quid in The shoe with a plate in it and all These nice phones I'm expecting Something that is quick and you know Exciting and great for fast running as Well as being maybe okay for all that Easy running as well but I view that as More as a bonus like I'm not really out To use a play today trainer it's not Going to deliver the performance Performance benefits myself but maybe I'm at odds with the rest of the market There and maybe people are out for it But so now we've done our first runs I Think in nearly all these new super Trainers some of the strengths you know So Winx is whether any of them are Really going to knock off the Endorphin Speed three it's pretty hard for me to See at the moment I still seems like the Most versatile shoot with a lot of pace In it but it's still quite good for easy Miles whereas the New Balance comes in More towards that Mac X end of the Spectrum where it's like a really comfy Shoe that maybe could work as a carbon Plate alternative people don't get on
With carbon Super Shoes but still very Expensive And I want to see a bit more from it Basically I'll do some other sessions in There we'll do some more testing in it You're not going to say anything too Definitive now but that first one did Leave me one thing a little bit I Thought uh I was expecting something a Bit more exciting on the foot and it's Okay it's a good shoe but so far within This category it doesn't really uh Inspire me as much as some of the other Ones available that's it from us thanks A lot for watching this first run review Don't forget to like subscribe click the Little bell and check the channel out For all the other videos we've got also We have our monthly podcast and we also Have some extra special podcasts now so Without we do interviews with people Like confusi uh about the world of Running shoes but this month the monthly Podcast is all about cushion shoes so if You're interested in those head into the Comments and go and listen to that Thanks a lot for watching catch you next Time Thank you