I bought the New Balance Rebel v4 with my own hard earned money. Not so much for the purpose of review, more as a training shoe. However, with New Balance I agreed to write and publish this review. I will try to do the best and give you my honest opinion of the shoe.
Before I will write about the shoe a few facts about me, that are important for the review. I’m currently training for a half marathon and a relay race, both in just over a month. My fitness is in a good place but I struggle a bit with my body weight, so I’m not able to run as fast as I want. However, there are still a few weeks left to the races and I’m quite confident, that if I will be more strict about my diet also the paces will get faster.
For now my easy run pace is somewhere between 5.40 min/km and 5.55 min/km, the pace I’m doing 1k reps is 4.10 min/km to 4.15 min/km and the tempo pace I’m currently running as half marathon pace is between 4.30 min/km and 4.45 min/km. So now you know at what paces I tested the shoe.
Let’s find out more about the New Balance Rebel v4
Till today I ran more than 120 kilometers in the shoe. Before I write a shoe review, I normally do quite some runs in the shoes, from easy recovery runs up to tempo runs, intervals and a long run. I used the Rebel v4 on almost all of my runs the last two weeks. Did everything in them what was on my training plan. The longest run in the shoe was 24 kilometers and the fastest a track workout with 2 minute repeats at 3.50 min/km pace.
Fit of the shoe
The shoe for me fits true to size. The upper, called Fantomfit hugs the foot nicely and there is no problem with the lockdown. I have normal wide feet but I think that even runners with wider feet will have no problem with the shoe.
The toe box is quite roomy and has enough volume that the feel is comfortable. The heal cup has just the right amount of padding and it hold my foot nicely. I have not used a runners knot and could not feel any heel slippage. All in all a decent lockdown.
The tongue is gusseted with just the right amount of padding. I could not feel any pressure from the laces on top of my feet. It’s a comfortable shoe but those who have narrower feet could get a bit of a problem with the lockdown and heel support. I think that thicker socks can help overcome this issue.
The upper is modern, thin and it provides very good breathability. I have used the shoe in all sorts of weather conditions. When it was raining not much water came into the shoe and while running faster in warmer conditions my feet never overheated.
The shoe has a very wide platform. Probably the widest of all of my running shoes. Therefore the shoe is very stable and I think that even runners who are looking for shoes with additional support should consider the New Balance Rebel v4 as an option.
Performance of the shoe
First a bit about the midsole. For a lot of runner the most important part of a running shoe. The Midsole of the New Balance Rebel v4 is a PEBA / EVA blend. PEBA foams are softer and more responsive while EVA helps with the longevity of the midsole. It’s not a super soft shoe to run in. The drop is 4mm, witch is lower compared to many other running shoes. Therefore a lot of foam is also in the front of the shoe. The midsole stack is not the highest but I felt my legs where still protected from the pounding, even in the later stages of my 24 kilometer run. There is no carbon plate in the midsole of this shoe. As such it is not considered a race shoe but a training shoe.
Personally I like shoes, that have a firmer midsole. From the first run on I felt good running in the shoe. While the shoe can handle slower paces, the midsole comes to life when you put a bit more force into it and start running at faster paces. It’s not snappy but you get back what you put into it. The front has not an aggressive rocker but it rolls through the stride nicely.
Even on those fast 2 minute repeats I felt that I get back quite a lot from the midsole. Had no issue keeping the pace for all the repeats. However I think that the sweetspot of the shoe is somewhere between moderate pace and 10k race pace. Those where the paces I felt best running in the shoe. The midsole did not worked against my stride. I was in control of the shoe, not the other way around.
On the outsole there are stripes of rubber, not a full coverage. It’s a sticky rubber and it performs good in all conditions. I even had no issues with tighter turns on wet roads. One of my runs was on country roads and even there I had no issue with the grip. That said, the New Balance Rebel v4 can also be considered by those of you, who are looking for a running shoe, that can be used on roads and light trails.
How will I use the shoe
Probably on most of my training runs leading towards my half marathon and relay race. Maybe even on the relay race itself, if I will feel that on one of the legs I’m supposed to run I need a lightweight shoe with a lot of grip and comfort.
After 120 kilometers the outsole of the shoe looks almost the same as the day I got the shoe. The midsole is still as it was the first day, also the upper. I would say, that you can easily run at least 500 kilometers in the shoe, if not more. Therefore it will be my go to running shoe, when not opting for a faster carbon plated shoe.
Would I recommend the New Balance Rebel v4
There is an inscription on the tongue of the shoe: “FUELED FOR ANY RUN” and I think that New Balance got it right. Till now I have not mentioned the weight of the shoe: it’s not only the shoe with the widest platform I have but it’s also the lightest training shoe I have. Therefore you can use the shoe not only as a training shoe. The New Balance Rebel v4 is even a great race option. In my opinion for 10k races and half marathons. But since the midsole is very forgiving, I would even consider it as a marathon option.
It’s a modern and lightweight running shoe. A shoe that can do it all. I think that it provides great value for everyone who will buy it. It can be the only shoe you have and will take you through all of your training runs and races.
If you want to find out more about the “big brother” of the Rebel v4, you can also read my review of the New Balance SC Elite v4 or the second race day shoe in the New Balance lineup, the New Balance Pacer v2
And here you can find the comparison between the SC Elite v4 and the Rebel v4
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