Admittedly, I’m fairly new to running — I mostly play tennis and pickleball — and yet here I find myself training for a marathon on December 1st. I just recently came back from injury, I’m in close to the worst shape of my life, but the good news is I work for a running store, so I can start by picking the right shoe.
Choosing the right runner is crucial for a number of reasons, but especially if you have a history of injuries. It can be the difference between relapsing and achieving each of your training goals week in and week out.
I’ve narrowed my list down to the New Balance Fresh Foam 880 v14, the FuelCell Rebel v4, the FuelCell Supercomp Trainer v3, and the FuelCell Supercomp Elite v4. I’m sticking to New Balance because their shoes have worked well for me in the past.
Now maybe you’re reading this thinking, “Aren’t you the guy who covers pickleball and tennis? What do you know about runners?” And you’re right. I have a knack for feeling what makes certain sports products perform better than others, but I don’t have much experience reviewing running shoes. Lucky for me, my physical therapist and close store friends at Form Physio recently brought in the cutting-edge Runeasi AI Gait Analysis belt.
Wendy Epp, Jennifer Chew, and Nadine Plotnikoff make up a small but tight-knit team that has made a huge splash in the BC physio game, especially for athletes looking to stay active while recovering. They’re also always looking for ways to innovate, and when Jenn learned of the Runeasi belt, she was set on bringing it in.
This belt straps onto your lower back and analyzes your run data to give you a final efficiency rating based on three metrics: dynamic stability, symmetry, and impact loading. Jennifer is an expert at using the belt to help her patients recover, and after discussing its qualities, an idea sparked in our heads.
The Runeasi belt is a tool that can tell me, to the most precise detail, which shoe I run best in, and why it works better for me.
We’re going to use this belt to analyze my run data with each of the four shoes, to then make a more educated decision as to which I should use for my training, and eventually the marathon. I’m also going to use it to explain how each shoe performed and compare that data to what I was feeling during the test to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the pros and cons of each one.
So one afternoon, I went to Form Physio and embarked on this journey to test the shoes, and the results were conclusive. You can watch the full experience below where I first give the floor to Jenn so that she can explain exactly how the Runeasi belt works its magic, because she knows a lot more than me.
The Breakdown
As you can see, the results are conclusive: the efficiency ratings almost perfectly support what I was feeling during the run, and they also prove that there is a logical tier to these shoes, but also that each one serves a purpose.
The Supercomp Elite may have scored better in both categories, but it was relatively more efficient at higher speeds. It's also important to note that the PEBA foam used in these super shoes loses its spring effect over time so to maximize its performance benefit, you should keep these shoes for PRs or race days.
The Supercomp Trainer costs almost 100 dollars less, and yet its performance is much closer than that. It was really the first super shoe shoe I had run in, so if I had spent more time in it, or even repeated the test, I think I would have scored higher, and much closer to the Elite than the 880 and the Rebel. This performance at that price is impressive, so I don’t think it’s a shoe that’s limited to training. You can certainly race quickly with it, but because it is more stable and comfortable than the Elite, if you do want to train with a super shoe, it's quite a bit better. Also, because its foam is only a partial PEBA blend, it won't lose its initial spring effect as quickly and it has a higher stack which amplifies its durability.
Running with super shoes is a slippery slope. They make everything feel so effortless that once you try them, it’s hard to go back, but that’s not how you should look at running in the 880 and the Rebel. Like I mentioned earlier, super shoes don’t last forever, and in order to keep them as fresh as possible and maximize their energy return, you should use them sparingly. Now the question is, how should you pick between the 880 and the Rebel?
It comes down to preference — some will prefer the springy feel of the blended PEBA FuelCell foam and others the all-day plushness of Fresh Foam. I prefer the Rebel for faster runs because that’s when the springy feel is most efficient, but the 880 is better for longer, slower runs because the its softness leads to more comfort over time.
I’ve decided to use the FuelCell Supercomp Elite for the marathon and a combination of the 880 and Supercomp Trainer for training. I want to run the marathon as fast as I can; the Elite will help me do that, and the 880 will be best for my longer endurance training, and the Trainer better when I up the pace. I really like the carbon plate, especially on my right ankle because the springy sensation relieves pressure by making me more efficient and less stompy.
Trust in your local shoe store
Of course, I used a pretty special tool to analyze which shoes worked best for me, and not everyone will have access to a product like the Runeasi belt. Our goal wasn’t to tell you that this is the best way to test shoes, but rather to explain the differences between these shoes so that you can make a more educated decision once it comes time to pick.
The best way to pick a shoe is by going to a reputable retail store, like Rackets & Runners, because shoe fitters have the expertise needed to help you along the way. Whether it’s to recover from injury, get back to full fitness, or achieve a certain running goal, shoe fitters are there to help, so use them as the precious resource that they are.
Hopefully, this test was able to help shed some light on New Balance’s top-end runners. If you do want to try any of them on, please don’t hesitate to book an in-store shoe fitting, and if you want to buy them, you can find them online.