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 been testing the shoe out to see if it’s worth buying.
To find out more about the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v2 click here (we don’t make any money if you click on this link):
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00:00 – Intro
00:27 – Stats
00:42 – Design
01:25 – How’s the Fit?
02:26 – The Run Test
09:18 – Should You Buy it
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers with Another running shoe review in this Video myself and Nick are going to be in Doing a full review of the New Balance SC Trainer V2 now these are sent to us By Sports shoes We're not paid to do This review we so we can say whatever we Want but big thanks to sports shoes for Getting hold of these shoes for us so we Could do this review right let's dive in And check it out The New Balance fuel cell SC Trainer V2 Costs 210 pounds or 179.99 weighs in 256 grams or 9 ounces For men in a size 8 and the drop is six Millimeters The 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 the 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 no concerns at all about the Fit of the New Balance SC Trainer V2 I've got my normal size here which is a Uk9 which converts to a 9.5 of New Balance uh sometimes their shoes can Come up a little bit short a bit cramped Things like the early editions of the Rebel and some of their Racing shoes but This is a nice amount of room in the toe Box good hold around the healing midfoot So I was very happy sticking to my Normal running shoe size that's what I'd Recommend fit me in the SC Trainer this Is a size 8 UK I am a size 8 in the UK Fit me perfectly I've done quite a lot Of runs in this now and I've found it to Be a very comfortable shoe there's Plenty of space in the mid foot and the Forefoot and there's a nice lock down Feel to the shoe what I would say is That it's a very tiny thing but I do Think my toe gets closer to the end of The shoe than I would normally like it's Not been an issue but I can feel it Occasionally touching the end of the Shoe Um but I'd still stick to my size but It's worth keeping that consideration as It might run a little bit short So I was really excited for the St
Trainer V2 on paper when I looked at all The specs it sounded like a really good Shoe it's got very similar setup on Paper actually to the SC Elite V3 just With probably a slightly different fuel Cell formula and different geometry and I hope actually it would recapture some Of the magic of the original New Balance TC which was a really great shoe and Actually I don't think your balance has Managed to nail their plated training Partner shoe since that shoe that Unfortunately Remains the case with the FC trainer V2 for me I just don't think It really hits the Mark I don't love the V1 uh just because it was so big and Heavy I found that it was a bit too Heavy and high stack and a bit awkward At times but it was undeniably Incredibly bouncy and with the V2 you've Lost a little bit of that bounce that's Actually a fair amount of that bounce And you haven't really added much else Because it is a little bit lighter but I Don't think this is a much more Versatile shoe and I don't think it's as Exciting as you just to mooch around in So not entirely sure about the changes Made have improved the shoe with the Second version of the SC Trainer I've Done 50k in it across a range of General Training runs so a couple of easy runs Progression run Um gone down for track do a reasonably
Controlled session in it running 2K reps And some 400 meter reps at solid Pace But not all out and then I've done a Tempo 10K I really didn't like it very Much for the speedier stuff this is one Of the new brand of super trainers that Are coming out that seems geared much More easy runs things like the canvara Pro or the even the Mac X I think is at Its best almost for just your general Daily training and then it has a little Bit of Versatility for speed for me the SC Trainer has a little bit less Versatility in terms of how it performs Four speed sessions it was okay on the Track running those shorter reps it Didn't feel like it was giving me very Explosive ride and then on the tempo 10K It really didn't feel great by the end It really felt like quite sluggish the Transition is quite slow with this phone I find it really gets lost around the Mid foot you know if you don't get that Nice propulsive feel of the fuel cell Phone and the play that you do get from Some of the New Balance shoes with fuel Cell in them especially the SC Elite and The older TC but so I just didn't find It great for that 10 by 10K in Particular and that's the kind of run I Normally would expect a plated training Shoe or like this to excel it's the kind Of one I really love doing and things Like the Endorphin speed AES Boston
Magic speed that kind of thing easy ones It does feel pretty good but it's not an Exceptional thing it's not as fun as Going out and doing those easy runs in Something like the super blast Dramatics For example it's okay to do as easy run Doing it's comfortable enough it's Stable enough but really getting the Ride I expect from a midsole setup like This it's not quite as bouncy and fun as I'd hope um and there is a little bit of Bounce there obviously but yeah not Quite enough to make this issue that Feels really compelling and exciting to Pull on so overall the run test was just Okay for me like I think it's reasonably Versatile shoe but not that exciting and Thrilling to pull on for just general Trailer training it's just okay and then Not that good for Speed sessions which I Do think a plated train like this should Be able to handle pretty well okay so I've done about 70k in this shoe now and I have done used it for a variety of Runs so I've done a half marathon Um run at uh consistent Pace I've done Interval sessions in this shoe I have Done park run in this shoe and I've done Some easy 10ks Um and what I've found about it is that It it doesn't quite deliver what I Wanted to deliver the original Um SC Trainer I like that shoe but it Wasn't didn't quite work for me it felt
A bit clunky it was very fun it was very Bouncy the midsole had a nice bit of Energy return in it and but it did feel Like a quite a big clunky shoe and I Found that when I was using for longer Runs when I'd get over maybe 20K it just Felt like it became a bit cumbersome Um and I just didn't enjoy it For Those Runs until about that point it was a Very enjoyable shoe nice little bit of Bounce in it the SC Trainer V2 is like a Completely different shoe it's sort of Like a combination of the original SC Trainer and um the SC Elite Um and as a result it sort of loses Still from both of those shoes I think It basically for me uh when I'm running Shorter distances in this shoe it feels Fine Um it feels like you can pick up a nice Pace in it it feels relatively versatile For short distances Um and I've also found that for Intervals and things like that it's fine It's fine it's not it's not the best Versatile shoe out there I definitely Don't think it's well designed for Intervals Um and sadly I don't think it's Particularly good for longer runs either What I found about this midsole foam I Think it's all about this midsole foam Is it it's very soft Um but it it when you're doing longer
Runs it almost feels like it's Collapsing a bit you can really feel That it's squishing quite a bit but not Giving you anything back Um and I think that that is quite a Noticeable problem when you're doing Longer distance sessions it just feels Like you're it it's deadening the fall Quite a bit and not really bouncing you Back with that energy Um and for that reason I'm not really Enjoyed it for longer runs which is sort Of why I'd want to get this shoe I think Um because it it's it's designed as sort Of a training partner to the um SC Elite But yeah it doesn't really do it for me It um it just feels like it's a bit a Bit dead Um and I don't really get a lot out of It the Heel To Toe transition on it is Fine uh short distances you just feel Like you've got a nice rolling motion Out of it it's not that noticeable it Doesn't feel like there's a really nice Bounce and energy return from it over Those runs it feels comfortable it feels Like you can do those things but for the Price it just for me feels like it just Doesn't deliver on any area particularly Well so I think there's a lot of shoes Out there that are similar to this or Doing something that this is designed to Do and they're doing it better and I Think it really comes down to that
Midsole foam I think the midst of foam Is just a little bit too Um compressive uh and I just don't think It works very well with that that plate Um so other than that I think that it is It's a comfortable shoe it's solid but I Just it just misses something for me With this mid cell phone I did find that The outsole on it was completely fine Um seemed to grip pretty well in the Conditions we've been having pretty wet Conditions at the moment and when I'm Doing intervals and faster sessions in The park the outsole is perfectly Competent does a good job I didn't feel Like it was in any way Um losing any grip or anything like that Also Um because of the uh well in the Original Um SC Trainer it was quite high shoe and Because it was a bit of a Um bouncier foam in it it did it was a Little bit unstable Um I think this this is gained a little Bit of stability by the updates that Have been made to this midsole foam Um but it hasn't gained any anything in Terms of speed or um acceleration or Bounce or engine return or things like That but it's definitely a bit more of a Stable shoe than the original So my verdict on the fuel cell SC Trainer V2 is that
It's just lacking something for me it's Just a shoe that is on paper it sounds Good it it is a progression of the Original trainer um it looks like it Should work it's meant to be a little Bit faster a little bit less bulky Um but it's it's just lost a lot of Enjoyment in that midsole foam it just Feels a bit collapsible and it just Doesn't have a lot of energy return I Don't mind running in the shoe I've done Some quite nice runs in it but for the Price and it is a very pricey shoe for What you're what you're getting out of It I just feel like you're not really Getting a shoe that delivers in any sort Of super trainer way Um and I definitely wouldn't use it up Against something like the soccer Endorphin Um speed speed three Um maybe even some that hook and Mac X I Just think I still go for those shoes Over this for uh versatile longer Training and all those sorts of sorts of Runs Um so and I think it's all down to that Mid cell phone so I was really excited For the SC Trainer V2 on paper but the Actual performance of the shoe is left Me wanting a little bit more from it all Round I think it is a reasonably Versatile shoe can pick it up and do all Your easy runs in it long runs and it
Will be okay for Speed sessions but There's just a lot of competition in This area and I think there are lots of Shoes that do its job a fair bit better I think the best kind of all rounder Play to choose beta across every kind of Run things like the second indoor for Speed three the AES Boston tour which Has rods instead of a plate but Otherwise very similar setup Asics magic Speed 3 is a lot more speed focused than This and isn't as comfortable for easy Runs but it is I think a more effective Super trainer in that it is such a good Chew for fast sessions our as a racing Alternative I never want to line up for A race in the SD trainer P2 it's really Issue that is built I think for the Easier end of those training runs in Similar vein to some of the other super Trainers on the market things like the Canvara probe Mac X they have plates but They're really big stable comfortable Shoes they can do a lot I prefer those Other two I think the Mac X and the Converter Pro are both just a little bit More enjoyable for easy runs but also Actually have a little bit more when it Comes to running at pace which surprises Me definitely with of our Prime Ticket Because I didn't think that was a Particularly impressive shoe for Speedier runs but I didn't find that the FC trainer really excelled on that front
Either despite the setup of the shoe Which I think looks really good it looks Like it really should be exciting and Impressive and repulsive but just didn't Really work for me that way when I ran In it it kind of shows the difference Things like geometry and phone densities Make with shoes because like I say There's a lot of the same ingredients Here as the SC Elite V3 from New Balance But that's much lighter got a really Aggressive Heel To Toe rocker big Aggressive feel which is what you expect From a racing shoe obviously you Wouldn't necessarily want the exact same Thing from the SC Trainer but I want a Little bit more of that in a shoe that I Would like to be able to handle a wide Variety of runs because you look at the Price it's very expensive you look at The competition on the market and there Are shoes that are better for every kind Of run for less things like the door for Speed and the Boston 12 even the super Blast holiday is also a very expensive Shoe obviously so yeah I think it's an Okay issue I didn't dislike running in It apart from that Tempo 10K I didn't Enjoy it at all but um yeah it's one That you can pick up and it'll probably Do preferred a fair job of all of your Different kinds of runs but there's Certainly better options in the market Whether you're looking for a slighter
All-rounder likely double speed or a big Stable plated daily trainer something Like the Hoka Mac X but actually if You're looking at this forward as an Easy day shoe for using long runs you Could go and pay a lot less and just get A normal cushion shoot around 100 110 Pound market and I think you'd get just As much from it that's it from us on This review of the SC train at V2 thanks A lot for watching don't forget to like Subscribe click that little bell check The channel for all the other videos We've got also if you're going to Catching below you can find a link to Our podcast which comes out at the end Of each month which you could listen to When you're out on the Run thanks for Watching catch you next time
