New Balance FuelCell Rebel 2 Review

Pros	Cons
Soft & Lively Cushioning Great Lockdown	Narrow Upper Outsole Lacks Durability

 

Background

Though I liked the first version of the rebel, I did wish that New Balance used the same fuelcell midsole compound as in the TC and RC Elite. Apparently New Balance has two types of fuelcell foam compounds. One is softer and livelier while the other is comparatively firmer and muted.

Shoes with Softer Fuelcell Foam	Shoes with Firmer Fuelcell Foam
RC Elite 1 & 2 TC Rebel 2 5280	Rebel 1 Prism 1 & 2 Echo Propel 1 & 2 Speedrift

After testing the RC Elite 1, I was highly anticipating the release of the rebel 2, which utilizes the same foam compound.

Upper

The upper is made of a mesh material that locks down the foot really well. With my narrow ankles, this is one of the rare shoes that I did not have to tie a “lace lock”. Heel slippage was completely absent. Padding in this shoe is minimal but sufficient in providing a comfortable experience without being overly plush or stripped down.

The tongue, while thin, managed to prevent any lace pressure. The overall lockdown could have also contributed to this as I did not need to clinch the laces down as much as in other shoes.

I do have a major gripe about the upper though. Having a wide foot, going true to size was not that advisable for longer runs. At the point of purchase, the 2E width was not out yet. The upper tapered sharply at the lateral portion of the foot, squishing my toes together. I did not encounter any problems during runs of less than 10km. However, once I passed the 12km mark, I started to feel some discomfort and rubbing of my toes. If you do have wide feet, I do advise you to opt for the 2E width or go up half a size in the standard D width.

Midsole & Ride

Did I mention that fuelcell foam is my favourite? I’m so glad that New Balance decided to align their fuelcell foam compound to that of the RC Elite and TC. This version of fuelcell foam is a blast to run in! Despite the lower stack (the rebel was made for up-tempo runs), I particularly enjoyed the shoe on easy and steady runs. The rebel was soft and bouncy without being mushy while also maintaining a highly flexible ride.

I took the rebel out on a variety of runs of different paces, including long up-tempos, fartlek’s, intervals and easy runs. While the rebel is more than capable for track intervals, I do prefer the more directed feel of carbon plated or stiffer shoes.  The rebel performed the best on longer fartlek’s.

If you feel that your runs are dull and lacking the “wow factor”, I highly recommend you to try this shoe. The fuelcell foam brings so much fun to my runs, even when my legs are feeling sluggish.

 

Outsole & Durability

New Balance uses ‘NDurance’ rubber for its outsole, which claims to provide “superior durability in high-wear areas”. Ironically, the outsole is the main drawback. The rubber shreds incredibly fast. The only other shoe’s outsole I’ve seen with this kind of durability is the Nike Alphafly. I started to see some major wear areas with only 50km in, and it got worse at 100km. The shoes in the picture below were taken about 50km in.

Being a performance trainer, its understandable that the rebel should not last as long as a daily trainer. However, New Balance should have kept the outsole on the first rebel instead of what we have now in the v2.

Traction, while decent, is not the best. The traction struggled on wet surfaces and on sharp turns. I really do hope New Balance reviews and updates their outsole.

Areas for Improvement

·       More durable outsole with better traction

·       More accommodating upper fit

·       Slightly thicker tongue (I’m just nit-picking)

 

Comparisons

Nike ZoomX Invincible Run

The Invincible uses Nike’s proprietary foam: ZoomX. This foam used is of a much higher stack as compared to the rebel. The result is a softer and almost mushy feel. While the rebel is less cushioned and protective as compared to the Invincible, it is much more versatile. The invincible is too sluggish when picking up the pace and is best left as a recovery day shoe. The invincible does have a much better outsole durability than the rebel.

New Balance Fuelcell Rebel 1

The upper on the second version is improved over the tight and shallow fit of the first version. The midsole foam is also a much welcome update over the first. While New Balance might have improved in many aspects of the first iteration, they might have gone a step back with the outsole. Don’t let the poor outsole durability deter you though, the ride is too good to miss!

Skechers Razor Excess

Before the Rebel, I loved the Razor 3. The Razor Excess is a more cushioned and durable version of the Razor 3 which serves the same purpose as the Rebel. The Razor Excess’s goodyear rubber is much more durable than that of the Rebel. However, I do prefer the more locked down fit and lively midsole of the rebel. The 8mm drop of the rebel vs 4mm drop of the Excess does make me lean towards the rebel.  I never thought I’d say this but the Skechers Razor is no longer my top pick, all thanks to the rebel!

Final Thoughts

The New Balance Fuelcell Rebel 2 is a versatile performance trainer that excels at most paces. The fuelcell foam is a thrill to run in. It might just be my shoe of the year!