New Balance is a brand I’ve stuck true to for years and I’m a huge fan from the company’s trainers to super shoes and even spikes.
But the latest FuelCell Rebel v4 has a special place in my heart among the brand’s offerings. I tested a pair during demo run and at first I couldn’t tell what shoe I was trying on due to the Rebel’s updated sleek design. As soon as I put them on my feet I knew I’d love them — which I ultimately did.
The current incarnation of the Rebel brings just the right amount of cushion, mixed with a light and responsive Peba/EVA foam that allows for great turnover on tempo or speed days while also being tame enough for some easy miles. Along with the lightweight FantomFit upper, which was clutch on warm summer days, my feet were cool and the miles were clicking.
Technical highlights aside, the bigger shining point for the Rebel continues to be the price point, at $140. Head-to-head, these shoes outperformed every other shoe this year at its price point. And the Rebel v4 even outshined a decent crop of daily trainers and super trainers in the $160–$180 range. The shoe’s versatility and longevity, for me, is what makes it stand out. The ability to run easily and shift gears into tempo or threshold in what feels like a seamless transition makes the Fuel Cell Rebel v4 my non-carbon-plated pick when it’s time to grab past a full closet of trainers
Changes and Notable Features
The Rebel v3 was solid offering and was the first trainer I can say I fell in love with, but the Rebel v4 has taken everything that was good about the predecessor, made it better, and took what I didn’t think needed to be improved and somehow made it better.
The first big noticeable chance is the FantomFit upper, a sleek upper that is almost see through. Aside from the look, the upper cups your heel a lot better than prior versions, giving added stability in a “tempo” shoe, which is pretty hard to find these days.
While I have narrow feet, a big complaint about the Rebel v3 was that it was too narrow. New Balance apparently heard the feedback and definitely widened the v4, which allows the feel of a more centered stride, smoothing out the ride. This, plus the slight increase in stack height (at 30mm) and new Peba/EVA mixed foam, gives a plush feeling on the hard New York City surfaces I racked up miles on during my testing.
Durability was I knock on the v3, as the tread seemed to wear down pretty quickly and the shoe simply felt flat. And while you could still easily to hit faster paces in the prior model, ground feel was noticeable — and unwelcome in an era of chunky foams keeping us hovering above the pavement.
The Rebel v4 takes a different approach and tread wear anxiety seems to be gone. I’ve logged just over 100 miles on the latest model and the midsole is still comfortably cushioned for a shoe in this segment but is intact as you can expect a smoother transition from the initial break-in period.
Finally the overall look of the shoe has found the sweet spot of balancing performance and design. New Balance has upped thing significantly as the Rebel v4 — and its pricer performance stablemates — sports a super futuristic look, with the prominent “N” on the upper providing a nice touch. The midsole design is a drastic departure from past offerings and the stylistic “cuts” on the outer parts of the foam are shared with the SuperComp Trainer v3 and Elite v4 in varying iterations.
Personal Opinions
It’s a tougher task to pick a podium topper in today’s shoe world partly because of the amount of choice on the table.
The Rebel v4 tops my list as my shoe of the year on sheer versatility alone, among other factory. My mid-distance running regimen is a mixed bag of easy runs, long runs, speed workouts, tempo and threshold workouts — and the Rebel has not only saved me money at a $140 price point but also time and space with its adaptability.
It matters in this instance to have multiple personalities. Bring one shoe to a workout because it has the ability to hit all the paces is a game changer without the build of a second or third footwear option bulking up my bag.
Overall Thoughts
The final thoughts on the Rebel v4 are short and simple. If you’re looking for an all-around shoe at a reasonable price point, the Rebel is the one. It’s super durable and super versatile. This is a model I thought couldn’t be improved much over the v3, and minor tweaks wouldn’t make the grade in today’s shoe. But the sum of the parts of the wholesale changes in the Rebel v4 — upper, midsole, colorways and glaring styling — puts this trainer in the conversation not only for top shoe honors but when its time to get down to business of grabbing miles.
THE BREAKDOWN
Specs for the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4
· Weight: (7.9oz / 224g) and (5.5oz / 156g)
· Stack height and drop: 30mm and 6mm
· Important features: Fantomfit upper upper, PEBA/EVA blend midsole, bold new design
· Price: $140
· Release date: March 2024
How We Tested This Shoe
· Men: Size 11.5 (7.9oz / 224g)
· Women: Size 8 (5.5oz / 156g)
· Running conditions: Daily training, easy runs, tempo runs on asphalt and gravel/dirt paths
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New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 – Men
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 – Women
