It feels like many moons ago, but the first version of the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer arrived in late 2022 with an arsenal of features that were an exciting combo of hype and performance. And it’s likely that design and research teams at other brands were crashing into one another to cook up their own responses.
Sporting a super chunky 47mm stack, carbon plate, relatively light (for it’s size) mass on the scale — and being stylishly eye-catching — the OG SuperComp Trainer felt like the $180 price tag was justified.
And the strategy worked.
The 47mm stack was technically “illegal” in race applications but a godsend for us mortals who wanted to run long, feel light, rack up a ton of miles and cruise in a shoe that performed right out of the box. Fears of feeling too tall in the shoe evaporated for most users and in exchange, the bouncy (and snappy) ride earned the shoe a permanent slot in my rotation. And it made me want to stockpile additional pairs in the event New Balance drastically changed future models of the shoe — which ultimately happened.
The third version arrives with a few things in common as the second coming, namely the reduced stack (40mm, down from the original 47mm). And this shoe continues to follow a new design trend at New Balance that makes a clean breaks from what shoes hang with the more performance-oriented shoes and which ones are down with the cruisers like the 1080.
Changes and Notable Features
Right out of the box, the most obvious change in the SC Trainer v3 is the styling. The shoe sports a massive design overhaul that separates it from the first two iterations. The midsole is a function geometric slab of a new PEBA-blend midsole that we wish was full PEBA to stay evenly with something like the ASICS SuperBlast 2. If you want full PEBA, step up to the SuperComp Elite v4. Visually, the SC Trainer v3 looks partially like a second cousin of some of Adidas’ premium offerings.
And these design cues have trickled up and down the New Balance performance family tree with the Rebel 4 and SuperComp Elite v4 both sporting similar midsole and upper treatments. This is clearly the direction the folks at New Balance plan to stick with for some time and we are on board with the bold design pivot.
The SC Trainer v3 sits on a 40mm stack like it’s predecessor and it’s safe to say we won’t be headed back to the super chunky 47mm days of the first version of this shoe. So hold on to whatever pairs you’ve managed to scrape from the various regions of online shopping (and searches). The stack in the current shoe is appropriate for what is a hotly contested segment of the shoe universe and something like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 is a worthy rival.
Propelled by a generous rocker and carbon plate (dubbed the Energy Arc), the SC Trainer v3 continues to be a shoe that convinces you it can do it all especially when the the mission is high volume, quality mileage without feeling beat up after a long run. Still, while the mission of the shoe is evident, the changes are prominent. A new upper, redesigned midsole are the things you can see but the carbon fiber plate gets a facelift as well and is now forked to help shed weight.
Personal Opinions
The SC Trainer v3 should be a no-braider right out of the box but isn’t, so expect a fair break-in period as you ramp those miles up. That’s a departure from the prior version of this shoes, but this update to the SC Trainer feels like it’s helping head the way for New Balance’s SuperComp (plus the Rebel) lineup that is proficient enough to get you through a week of workouts.
Even at 40mm and down from the stack of the first version of this show, the SC Trainer v3 feels ample even if it lacks some of the bounce from it’s brothers from the past two years.
This shoe is an easy pick when it’s time to go on a voyage of miles and you’ll know that your feet won’t suffer along along the way. But I hope the changes (for now) are done with this particular model unless New Balance boosts the PEBA formula up from the 20 percent in this blend but not to a point where it encroaches on the SuperComp Elite v4. At 9.6oz (271g) for a sized 11.5 shoe (7.5oz / 212g for a size 8 women’s shoe), this shoe isn’t a heavy proposition considering how much mass is in the midsole.
Overall Thoughts
Despite the changes inside and out, I’m glad that New Balance is taking a dominant approach toward positioning its 2024 shoe lineup away from a “face in the crowd” stance and more towards the podium of what buyers will pick when they grab a shoe. At $180, the SC Trainer v3 is a solid value for the money like the prior versions and you’ll feel confident that the shoe is growing up to being a reliable workhorse.
THE BREAKDOWN
Specs for the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v3
· Weight: (9.6oz / 271g) and (7.5oz / 212g)
· Stack height and drop: 40mm and 6mm
· Important features: FuelCell midsole foam, Energy Arc carbon fiber plate, mesh upper
· Price: $180
· Release date: July 2024
How We Tested This Shoe
· Men: Size 11.5 (9.6oz / 271g)
· Women: Size 8 (7.5oz / 212g)
· Running conditions: Tempo runs, long runs and speedwork on the track, asphalt and gravel/dirt paths
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New Balance FuelCell SC Trainer v3 – Men
New Balance FuelCell SC Trainer v3 – Women
