The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 features several notable updates on the Rebel v3, with the biggest change being the new midsole, which is now higher, wider and made from a blend of PEBA and EVA foams. Nick has been out for a first run in the Rebel v4, tackling a track session running one mile and 400m reps, here’s what he made of it.
Check out our review of the Rebel v3:
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 Review:https://youtu.be/tL3uWc1Tcqo?
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Design & Key Stats
02:24 – How’s The Fit?
03:52 – First Run
06:24 – Early Verdict
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Hello and welcome to the Run testers my Name is Nick and this is our first run Review of the New Balance fuel cell Rebel V4 so the rebel has always been a Lightweight fairly low stack and Plateless training shoe that's built Mainly for Speedy runs Tempo runs that Kind of thing but has the versatility to Do a fair bit of other training as well Obviously we're now on the fourth Edition of the shoe which sees Significant changes compared to the Rebel version 3 the price has gone up a Little bit it's now $140 which is $10 up On the previous price don't know the UK Price just at this moment but if I get It in time for the video edit I'll pop It in a caption below where I'm speaking Right now you've got a very lightweight Shoe it's 219 g or 7.7 Oz that's in a UK 9.5 or us 10 got a 6 mm drop from heel To toe and the stack heite is 30 mm at The heel and 24 at the forefoot so Fairly big changes here compared to the Rebel V3 which I have here the weight Hasn't actually changed that much even Though you've now got a higher stack and A wider base for sure with the rebel Version 4 that's quite noticeable when You look at or indeed run in the two Shoes there's also a whole new version Of fuel cell foam in the midso so fuel Cell has been new balance's best phone
For a while but they changed the version Of it constantly and with the latest Generation of it shoes we are seeing pea Foams introduced for the first time so On the New Balance SC Elite V4 it's an Entirely peber based midso with the Rebel B4 what you have is a blend of Eva And peber material so should have a Lighter bouncier feel than the fuel cell Foam you had on the previous versions of The shoe but it's not a full peber Midsole then you've got a lightweight Mesh upper with minimal padding again Like the SC Elite before it's very open And minimally padded at the heel there It has a slightly tighter hold around The aesan heel than the SC Elite V4 but Yeah there's not a lot of padding going On there at all now the out soole you've Got quite a lot of exposed foam in the Middle of the shoe there especially at The back of the shoe but you have got Pretty good layer of rubber at the heel And good for foot coverage it's quite a Thick layer of rubber as well so it Should be pretty good for durability so The rebel could be be seen as the main Training partner to the SC Elite V4 so Far just it's got quite similar geometry With this new angular look that New Balance has gone for and the the peber Foam you have there but there are also Other training partner shoes in the New Balance range like the SCD trainer V2
Which has a carbon plate in it but the Old version of the fuel cell foam but Yeah it's a training shoe that can Handle a nice variety of runs with that Slight tilt towards speedia stuff is how It would be best described on [Music] Paper so with the new bounce Rebel V4 I Have got a uk9 .5 here which is half a Size up on my normal UK size with New Balance in general a uk9 equates to a US 9.5 which has lots of Brands as a US 10 So sometimes their shoes come up a bit Short but also I found in the past the Rebel has tended to be quite a short Shoe because I'm generally in between a 9.5 and a 10 in US sizing and actually The rebel has been too short for me in a US 10 before even so I went for the half Size up in the UK so this is a US 10 and It's a good size it's a good fit around The toes there actually don't think it's A particularly cramp shoe at all so Maybe I could have just stuck with my Normal UK size even certainly would Stick with your normal US size don't Think the lock down around the front of The midf is absolutely perfect it feels Quite wide there to me which is a bit Surprising for a shoe that has been very Tight and racy in the past in the fit But it wasn't a major problem today on The Run heel is also not the tightest Hold but actually I had no problems with
Slippage at all I haven't had to heel Lock the shoe like I did with the FC Elite V4 and this quite open design I do Quite like cuz it Doesn't tend to Irritate my achilles had some Achilles Problems last year and the lack of Padding there isn't putting any extra Pressure on that area so quite like the Hill Design overall all in general I was Happy with this Phantom fit upper in What would be my normal US size but a Half size up in the UK so yeah have a Little player probably will go over your Normal New Balance size cuz I don't Think this Rebel is very cramped in the Front like the rebel V1 in particular Like even if you took half a size up was Quite a tight shoe I found but with the Rebel V4 I think it's a pretty normal Size shoe so going with your normal size Will probably be the way to [Music] Go good morning I am about to S to do my First run in the New Balance Rebel Version 4 I've got my track session Today but first I'm going to head out And do a road Loop in the shoes to warm Up and get a feel for them on the road Before I hit the track to do couple of Mile reps at 530 and then 520 and then Uh 8 400 meter reps alternating 80c 75c Pace so it's not really an allout Session today should be hopefully be Feel fairly controlled and it's kind of
Thing I'd want to be able to do in this Shoe if I was using it as an allrounder With some speed training as well because Uh I do that's what I've used the rebel For in the past it's always been a Really good shoe for handling speed Sessions as well as kind of General Running so yeah I'm really looking Forward to getting out in it today and Seeing how the new shoe handles all of [Music] That so that was very enjoyable first Run the New Balance Rebel uh V4 really Felt very good today very controlled in All the paces I was running in it I did Those miles kind of around the 525 Mile And the 56 something like that mile and Then the 400s were very easy to cruise Through you know at sub 80 and 75 second Pace with a little uh 68 for the last One just to turn over a bit faster and Yeah it felt really good it does feel Quite different to the R3 to me on that First showing not necessarily in terms Of the foam so much which maybe it's got A little bit more spring to it but it's More the size of the shoe it feels a lot More grounded and stable I'd say it Feels a lot wider on the foot but hasn't Really lost its pep despite that Obviously is a really good thing cuz the Stability of the around Rebel V3 was Something that some Runners didn't like So much and you got a bit more of a
Stable platform here while it's still Really light and it is like remarkably Uh um it's remarkable to me that the Sack is 30 mil it feels higher than that When you're running in a shoe you are Getting a nice bit of Pop from it the Foam isn't like sinking squishy and very Soft it's not as soft as the full peber Foam on the SC Elite V4 but it does have A nice level of cushioning there it's Certainly a very comfortable shoe I'd I'd like to go go long in it this Weekend potentially and then has a lot Of resiliency gives you a lot of bounce Back so you can turn over your feet nice And fast feels like a really good all Around training Sho so far certainly so That would probably be the the top end Of the speeds I'd run in a shoe like This and it handled that really well and I do think it's got the extra Comfort Stability there that will make it more Effective and more useful for General Easy runs as well than the rebel V3 and V2 which were pretty good for that but Yeah they didn't have the same kind of Um comfort I think you're going to get From this shoe so yeah very exciting First run in it this a sh I was really Looking forward to testing and it's yeah It's met my expectations so [Music] Far only V here is that the new B re V4 Is a great shoe really fun to run really
Lightweight just a lovely option to have For people who don't want to use plated Trains all the time but still want a Fast Speedy shoe and it's just a really Enjoyable shoe to running as well like It's not stupendously bouncy and soft And springy and all that but you do get A little bit of Bounce you get a more Stable platform than you had with the Rebel V3 I'd say though you do lose a Little bit of the nimbleness and Agility Of that shoe like I remember doing very Fast reps in the re V3 where I was Picking my feet up really nicely and the Fact the shoe felt quite narrow and Nimble was great but the slightly more Wide platform here and the stable Platform here will make the R 4 I think A better shoe when it comes to slower Runs and longer runs which I'll get out And do in the shoe going forward and Obviously report back on in the full Review but I do think it's got the pace There I really enjoyed running fast in It today and like I said just after the Run there where that would probably be About as fast as I'd go in it I wouldn't Necessarily use it for a really hard Track session or a really hard long run Where I probably would use a plated Trainer or my super shoe in a rotation But for being able to tick off you know Quite a lot of your speed work as well As those other runs hopefully you'll
Feel really good for does make this a Very versatile option PR well priced Nice and lightweight but still very Comfortable really a lot going for it And I'm yeah really looking forward to Getting out on it I do think it's an Improvement on the rail V3 which I Really liked but I think probably had a Limit to how far I'd go in it I think You're getting a lot more comfort and Stability here that will make it a more Suitable option for longer runs longer Sessions so yeah really strong start to The rebel V4 great new shoe so no realu Negatives have sprung up about it yet We'll see if any do by the time the full Review rolls around when we probably Have a multi test going on with I think At least Mike hoping to get hold of the Shoe in the coming weeks That is our first run review of the New Balance Rebel V4 let us know what you Think in the comments below are you a Fan of these plateless trainers you try And avoid a plate where you can in your Training and in which case are you Looking at the rebel as a speedy day Shoe or a general daily trainer please Do like and subscribe ring the little Bell helps Channel out also will notify You when a new video drops and otherwise Go on and have a lovely rest of your day We'll see you next Time
