The Rebel family has always been known for offering lightweight, agile, and fun shoes. With the new New Balance SuperComp Rebel v1 , the brand takes the concept a step further by incorporating technologies that we previously associated more with its SuperComp range.
New Infinion foam , 40mm midsole, Energy Arc system , propulsion plate, and a rocker geometry. All with a clear intention: to achieve a fast and responsive feel without creating a radical shoe that we have to reserve exclusively for competition.
On paper, we have many ingredients of a fast shoe. But what's really interesting about the SC Rebel v1 is its versatility: can it become a shoe for practically everything?
Also read: Saucony Endorphin Elite 3: Saucony's most comfortable and explosive super shoe for racing
New Balance SuperComp Rebel v1: technical sheet
- Weight: 222 gr
- Drop: 4 mm
- Level: 40 mm heel / 36 mm forefoot
- Foam: Infinion Foam
- Board: Carbon-reinforced Pebax
- Upper: FANTOMFIT
- Use: daily training, tempo, quality sessions and competition
- Profile: Runners looking for lightness, responsiveness and versatility
Infinion Foam: Responsive cushioning
One of the biggest innovations of the New Balance SuperComp Rebel v1 is in the midsole. New Balance introduces Infinion Foam , a supercritical ATPU foam designed to combine cushioning, durability, and high energy return.
And here's one of the key features of the shoe: it's not simply trying to be soft.
We have enough protection to rack up the miles, but the foam responds when we start to pick up the pace. The midsole compresses during impact and quickly recovers its shape to maintain a dynamic feel underfoot.
With 40mm in the heel and 36mm in the forefoot , it's surprising to maintain a drop of only 4mm. There's plenty of foam underfoot, but the geometry is designed so that this height doesn't translate into a heavy or clumsy shoe.
Energy Arc and plate: reactivity without excessive rigidity
The other main protagonist is Energy Arc.
This system combines the geometry of the plate with a hollow channel strategically placed in the midsole. During the foot strike, the assembly can deform and store energy, later releasing it during the transition to toe-off.
But there is an important detail: this is not your typical extremely rigid carbon plate from a super racing shoe.
The SC Rebel v1 uses a carbon-reinforced Pebax plate with increased flexibility. Its function is not only to generate propulsion, but also to provide structure and stability and help make the transition smoother.
Together with the shoe's rocker , it makes the movement from support to takeoff quick and natural.
And we believe that's one of the great successes of this model: having a plate without necessarily feeling like a racing shoe.
FANTOMFIT: Secure fit without adding weight
In the upper, New Balance maintains the same philosophy: reducing weight without sacrificing support.
FANTOMFIT technology aims to secure the midfoot and heel in a lightweight construction, accompanied by a breathable upper and an integrated tongue.
This becomes especially important when we increase the pace. It's not enough to have a responsive midsole: we need the foot to remain correctly positioned on it.
The result is an upper that prioritizes lightness, ventilation and safety without resorting to large reinforcements.
What are the New Balance SuperComp Rebel v1 shoes used for?
This is probably their greatest strength: it is difficult to categorize them into a single type of training.
On daily runs , the Infinion provides ample cushioning and protection for racking up the miles. But as you gradually increase the pace, the foam, plate, and rocker begin to reveal the shoe's more dynamic side.
In tempo, fartlek or interval sessions , its lightness and responsiveness allow you to run fast without conveying the demands of a specific competition super shoe.
They also have arguments for long runs , especially those in which we introduce fast blocks or kilometers at target pace.
And for competing? Yes, that too.
They don't offer the aggressiveness of a shoe created exclusively to seek a personal best, but that's precisely what can be interesting for runners who want to compete with a light and responsive shoe without resorting to an extremely rigid carbon plate.
One shoe for practically everything?
After analyzing the set, we believe this is one of the best ways to define the New Balance SC Rebel v1.
Daily filming.
Progressive.
Time.
Series.
Long runs.
And even competition.
We can always find a more specialized shoe for every situation. A daily trainer might offer more comfort for recovery, while a high-performance shoe might be more aggressive when the sole objective is competition.
But the question changes when we look for a single model capable of performing well in virtually all of those scenarios.
That's where the SuperComp Rebel v1 makes perfect sense.
Furthermore, they can be a particularly interesting option for runners who want to start using shoes with a plate . Their more flexible construction allows them to experiment with a plate-assisted geometry without immediately making the leap to a much stiffer and more demanding super shoe.
Which runner would we recommend the New Balance SuperComp Rebel v1 for?
We recommend them mainly to runners who are looking for a fast shoe without having to always be running fast.
They are a particularly good fit if you alternate normal runs with quality training, do long runs with changes of pace, or simply want to reduce your rotation and have a shoe that you can use for a good part of the week.
We also find them particularly interesting for that training session that starts off calmly, your legs respond better than expected and, almost without realizing it, you end up running much faster than you planned.
The SC Rebel v1 has resources precisely to accompany you when that happens.
Conclusions: New Balance shoes suitable for almost any workout
The New Balance SuperComp Rebel v1 takes the Rebel philosophy into a much more complete realm.
They maintain lightness, agility and ease of running fast, but now add Infinion Foam, Energy Arc, carbon-reinforced Pebax plate, 40/36 mm midsole and a marked rocker geometry.
And the most interesting thing is that New Balance hasn't used all these ingredients simply to create another radical super shoe.
The result is something possibly more useful for many runners: shoes comfortable enough to rack up miles, fast enough for quality training, and with enough features to pin on a race number.
A shoe for those days when we know how we're going to start running, but not necessarily how we're going to finish.
The New Balance SuperComp Rebel v1 will be available at 365Rider starting August 20th . Get ready to discover a completely different Rebel.