New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2

Name: New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2
Brand: New Balance
Rating: 4.6 (5 reviews)

Speed shoe · Neutral · Road · 6.6 oz · 26/20mm stack · 6mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 replaced it

How it ranks

The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2 is one of the strongest running shoes in our data. Value and looks are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 9 runner reviews and 4 other rated shoes in the FuelCell Rebel product line.

Good

Overall

Good 87

Value

Excellent 94

Appearance

Good 89

Comfort

Good 87

Cushioning

Decent 76

Durability

Below average 65

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

86 High

High 86

External retailer ratings

We break apart ratings from mass-market retailers and specialty running shops since they serve different audiences.

The middle of the bar marks the typical shoe at each type of retailer. The dot shows where this shoe ranks in comparison.

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Product line track record
Our ratings
External ratings

What runners say

“Lightweight and minimal, allows you to feel the ground, but also has surprising amount of 'pop' and responsiveness.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon

“Started showing visible wear on the upper after only a couple months of training.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Supernova 2

“A nice race day shoe on the road up to marathon distance without the cost of expensive plated shoes.”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance Fuelcell Rebel v1

“Light and springy. Fits like a sock.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Lunaracer+ 3

“Looks fast and feels fast compared to many other daily trainers.”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance Fuelcell Rebel v1

“Nothing beats the feel and comfort of the Rebel.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon

“Value is unbeatable.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon

Prefer this shoe over another

56% 5/9

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Reviewers call it light and springy, usable for easy runs and racing.
Comfort averages 4.8 out of 5, and one reviewer says it fits like a sock.
It lists at $130, and two reviewers call it a cheap alternative to a plated racing shoe.

Cons

Durability is the weakest dimension at 3.8 out of 5, and two reviewers see the upper wear out within a couple of months.
Cushioning averages 4.0 out of 5.

FuelCell Rebel v2 rates 87. This shoe has high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the New Balance FuelCell Rebel

Each dot is one version of the FuelCell Rebel, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

76 2019 87 2021 88 2022 98 2024 92 2025

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

FuelCell Rebel v5

2025 · 7 reviews

92 Very good

79 Confidence
FuelCell Rebel v4

2024 · 38 reviews

98 Exceptional

96 Confidence
FuelCell Rebel v3

2022 · 45 reviews

88 Good

97 Confidence
FuelCell Rebel v2 This shoe

2021 · 9 reviews

87 Good

86 Confidence
Fuelcell Rebel v1

2019 · 13 reviews

76 Decent

92 Confidence

Runner Ratings

9 ratings

5/5 7

4/5 2

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 6.6 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 7.3 oz · Women's 5.8 oz
Release: 2021 Q1
MSRP: $130
Stack: 26/20mm
Drop: 6mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Great for training, but wears out quickly

5/5

Overall

I love my New Balance Rebels, but they started showing visible wear on the upper after only a couple months of training. I’ve had them about a year but only ran in them for about 5 months. I wish I had only worn them for running and hadn’t walked in them or worn them to work as much.

Anonymous runner · Jun 23, 2024

25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Supernova 2

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

4/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jul 23, 2023

Comfort: 3/5
Cushioning: 3/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Cannot beat the overall value of this shoe

5/5

Overall

I use this shoe for everything from easy training runs to racing. I will also race in Adios Pro or other carbon plated super shoes, but nothing beats the feel and comfort of the Rebel for me. So lightweight and minimal compared to super shoes, which allows you to feel the ground me, but it also has a surprising amount of "pop" and responsiveness. You can find the previous model for under $100 online. Value is unbeatable.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2023

20 mpw training for a half marathon

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Daily Trainer and Inexpensive Marathon Race Day Shoe

4/5

Overall

The NB Rebel V2 looks fast and feels fast compared to many other daily trainers. The upside is it's also a nice race day shoe on the road up to the marathon distance for those not interested in a 2nd mortgage to buy expensive plated shoes when not being paid to race.

Anonymous runner · Jun 9, 2023

60 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance Fuelcell Rebel v1