The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 is a buy if you want 1 pair for days you raise the pace, without a plate. Men's 226g, only 4g different from the plated SuperComp Rebel, and JPY 7,040 lower. Released Jul 1, 2025, official price JPY 16,940. The similarly named SuperComp Rebel is not the next generation; the two are sold side by side.
The Shoe Nerd's top pick
Buy the Rebel v5 because it is a "fast-side" shoe where you can choose width. New Balance's plated shoes, even among the 2026 new releases, come in only 1 width each, men's D and women's B. The Rebel v5 goes up to men's 2E and women's D and 2E. Lightness in a shoe whose width does not fit is unusable, so I look at width before the plate.
Key points
- The price rise from the v4 is JPY 440 (about 2.7%). Widths grew from 2 to 5 across men and women
- About JPY 33 lower per gram than the SuperComp Rebel (about JPY 108 − about JPY 75). What is added is the nylon plate and Infinion
- The 6mm drop is per the US official listing. You can choose from up to 3 widths for men and women
There are 2 "Rebels." The newer one is not the successor
On Aug 20, 2026, New Balance released the SuperComp Rebel. From the name alone, it looks like the next generation of the FuelCell Rebel v5. It is not.
The announcement says New Balance Harajuku sells these 2 side by side. The SuperComp Rebel is a separate shoe with a nylon plate, and the Rebel v5 stays current without a plate. Whether to add JPY 7,040 for the 4g-lighter newcomer, or stay with the v5. That is where this article puts its axis.
The relationship with the 2026 new releases is collected in the article on New Balance's 2026 new releases, so here I narrow to what is inside the Rebel v5.
FuelCell Rebel v5 weight and drop? The official numbers
| Item | FuelCell Rebel v5 |
|---|---|
| Release date | Jul 1, 2025 |
| Official price | JPY 16,940 (tax included, men's and women's) |
| Weight (men's) | 226g |
| Drop | 6mm (per the US official listing) |
| Width (men's) | D, 2E |
| Width (women's) | B, D, 2E |
| Plate | None |
| Midsole foam | FuelCell (blend of PEBA and EVA) |
| Product number | Men's MFCX / women's WFCX |
PEBA is a light, highly bouncy resin used in race shoes. The Rebel v5 uses a foam blending it with standard EVA. Drop is the difference in sole thickness between heel and forefoot.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 9,326 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 16,940 depending on the shop. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanRebel v5 vs v4: what changed from the previous generation
I lined up the v4's announcement (Mar 11, 2024) and the v5's announcement side by side.
| Item | Rebel v4 | Rebel v5 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Announcement date | Mar 11, 2024 | Released Jul 1, 2025 | 477 days |
| Official price | JPY 16,500 | JPY 16,940 | +JPY 440 |
| Men's width | D | D, 2E | +1 |
| Women's width | B | B, D, 2E | +2 |
| Foam | FuelCell blended with PEBA | FuelCell blending PEBA and EVA | Same line |
Three calculations.
- Share of the price rise: 440 ÷ 16,500 = about 2.7%
- Number of widths: the v4 has 1 + 1 = 2 across men and women, the v5 has 2 + 3 = 5. That is 2.5 times (5 ÷ 2)
- Upcharge per 1 width: 440 ÷ 3 = about JPY 147 (widths added: 3)
What moved most in this generation change is width, not foam. The v4 had 1 each, men's D and women's B. With the v5, men's gained 2E and women's gained D and 2E.
The 3 places touched in the v5
The changes the announcement lists are 3, from the top.
- Tongue: Changed to a neoprene-like material (stretchy and thick, like a wetsuit). The aim is to reduce pressure when the ankle bends.
- Opening: A gusseted tongue construction. It connects both sides of the tongue to the body so it does not shift. The official explanation says it raises the hold at the midfoot.
- Sole rubber: The contact area with the ground was widened. It says the aim is to raise grip and bring out the foam's rebound.
With a gusseted tongue, the tongue does not slide sideways, so the instep stays put without tightening the laces hard. The faster the shoe, the more it matters that the foot does not move inside it. The v5 fixed the side that holds the foot still before the foam blend.
So what happens? I read the v5 as a generation that tidied the upper that receives the bouncy foam brought in by the v4, and the sole that passes it to the ground. The weight gap cannot be calculated because the announcement has no v4 number.
Siblings compared: SuperComp Rebel and Elite v6
The ones you hesitate over are the similarly named SuperComp Rebel and the race-oriented SuperComp Elite v6 above it.
| FuelCell Rebel v5 | SuperComp Rebel | SuperComp Elite v6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release | Jul 1, 2025 | Aug 20, 2026 | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Plate | None | Nylon | Carbon |
| Foam | FuelCell | Infinion | Infinion |
| Weight (men's) | 226g | 222g | 198g |
| Men's width | D, 2E | D | D |
| Official price | JPY 16,940 | JPY 23,980 | JPY 31,900 |
Difference from the SuperComp Rebel: Weight is 4g (226 − 222) and price JPY 7,040 (23,980 − 16,940). The price is about 42% higher (7,040 ÷ 16,940). As the amount paid to save 1g, it is JPY 1,760 (7,040 ÷ 4).
Let me convert 4g to distance. At a 1.2m stride, 42.195km is about 35,163 steps, so 4 × 35,163 = about 141kg. The 1080's generation change of 38.4g was about 1,350kg, so this is about 1/10 of that. These 2 cannot be chosen on weight.
What the JPY 7,040 adds is the nylon plate and the new foam Infinion. The SuperComp Rebel is built so the cavity inside the sole and the plate work as a pair to store and return the force of landing. Infinion sells on that feel lasting.
Divide the price by weight and the gap becomes clearer.
- Rebel v5: 16,940 ÷ 226 = about JPY 75
- SuperComp Rebel: 23,980 ÷ 222 = about JPY 108
- SuperComp Elite v6: 31,900 ÷ 198 = about JPY 161
With each step from plateless to nylon plate to carbon plate, price per gram climbs a rung: about JPY 33, then about JPY 53 (108 − 75, 161 − 108).
- Want to train at a faster pace without a plate, or need 2E → Rebel v5.
- Plan to wear the Elite v6 in races and want training in the same Infinion → SuperComp Rebel. Better not the Rebel v5.
- Want only the race-day 1 pair → Elite v6. It is 28g lighter than the Rebel v5 (226 − 198), with a gap of JPY 14,960 (31,900 − 16,940).
What I like
A fast-side shoe where you can choose width. The 2 SuperComp shoes of 2026 are 1 each, men's D and women's B. The Rebel v5 has 5 across men and women. If you want to wear New Balance's rebound shoes on wide feet, this is where you end up.
Price per gram is about 70% of the plated one. 75 ÷ 108 = about 0.69. A foam blended with PEBA is in it, and it sits at this position. The 226g is only 4g different from the plated SuperComp Rebel.
The price rise is small. JPY 440 from the v4, about 2.7%. Compared with the 2026 1080 and SuperComp Elite generation changes, each up JPY 2,200, it is one fifth (440 ÷ 2,200). On top of that, it added 3 widths.
It covers a wide range of use. From high-intensity training to people aiming to break 4 hours in the full marathon. It is put in as a race-day candidate too, not left as a training-only shoe.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 9,326 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 16,940 depending on the shop. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanThings to watch
- 2E has limited colors. In the announcement, men's 2E is only 2 of 3 colors (BROWN/CREAM and BLACK). Women's D is 2 colors too. For colors added later, you need to check the width lineup on the product page.
- Men's 2E goes up to 29.0cm. Only the D has 30.0cm.
- The foam is not new. Infinion is not in it. Someone who wants to buy "lasting" is on the SuperComp Rebel's side.
- The names are easy to mix up. There are 2 current shoes with "Rebel" in the name. Product numbers MFCX and WFCX are the Rebel v5; MREBX and WREBX are the SuperComp Rebel.
Who is it for?
Good fit: Someone who owns a jogging shoe and wants to add 1 pair for days they raise the pace. Someone who thinks plateless is enough. Someone with wide feet who had given up on a shoe with rebound. Someone running around 4 hours in the full marathon who wants 1 pair for both race and training.
For soft shoes on slow days, the 1080v15 or the Ellipse fit better. If you want a plate's help in races, there are other ways to choose. If the v4's width fits you, wearing it out first is in time (the same foam line).
Price and where to buy
| Model | Official price | Rakuten price range |
|---|---|---|
| FuelCell Rebel v5 | JPY 16,940 | JPY 9,326–16,940 |
| FuelCell Rebel v4 (previous generation) | JPY 16,500 (at announcement) | JPY 8,490–52,700 |
| SuperComp Rebel | JPY 23,980 | — |
Decide how to buy from width. If D (B for women's) is enough for you, you can choose by price if the v4 remains. If you need 2E or women's D, only the v5.
On Rakuten, look at "v5" or "v4" in the product name and the product number so you do not mix up the generation and the SuperComp.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 (previous generation)
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 8,490 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 52,700 depending on the shop. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanFAQ
How does the FuelCell Rebel v5 fit? Can I choose width?
It is a shoe where you can choose width: men's is D and 2E, women's is B, D and 2E.
Announced sizes: men's D is 25.0 to 29.0cm and 30.0cm, 2E is 25.0 to 29.0cm. Women's B and D are 22.0 to 25.5cm, and 2E is 22.5 to 25.5cm. The upper connects a neoprene-like tongue to the body on both sides, which raises the hold at the midfoot. If you are unsure about width, look first at the width lineup by color.
How do the FuelCell Rebel v5 and v4 differ?
Widths grew, and the upper and sole rubber changed. Widths went from 2 to 5 across men and women, and the price rose JPY 440. The foam line is the same.
How do the FuelCell Rebel v5 and SuperComp Rebel differ?
They are different shoes with a different plate and foam, and the Rebel v5 is not an old generation. The SuperComp Rebel has a nylon plate and Infinion; the Rebel v5 is plateless FuelCell. The announcement says New Balance Harajuku sells the two side by side. The weight differs by only 4g, so it comes down to whether to add JPY 7,040 for a plate and the new foam.
Can the FuelCell Rebel v5 be used on full marathon race day?
For someone aiming for Sub-4, it is within what is assumed. The Rebel v5's target is "from high-intensity training to runners aiming for Sub-4." No plate, and the weight is 226g. The numbers against carbon-plate shoes are lined up in the article on 10 carbon thick-sole shoes, and the split by target time in the article on shoes by pace.
