New Balance Rebel V5 Review: A Strong Start That Falls Flat Too Soon
- FORDY RUNS
- Nov 26
- 3 min read
I really liked the New Balance Rebel V4. It was lightweight, fun, and one of those shoes I kept reaching for. So naturally, I was excited about the Rebel V5. But after spending some time with it — around 60 miles, to be precise — I’ve run into a problem that’s hard to ignore.
I originally wasn’t even planning to do a review on this shoe. I bought them a bit late, and with so many other models arriving, the V5 wasn’t something I rushed to test. Usually, I aim for at least a week of running and about 40 miles before reviewing anything, but it took me longer to get those miles in with the Rebel. Still, now that I’m at roughly 60 miles, I’ve noticed something worth reporting back.
Specs & Features
For anyone unfamiliar with the Rebel V5, here’s a quick rundown:
Price: £140 at New Balance (though widely discounted elsewhere, especially for members)
Stack: 35 mm heel / 29 mm forefoot — 5 mm more than the V4
Drop: 6 mm
Weight: 240 g in my UK size 10
Upper: PhantomFit engineered mesh
Midsole: FuelCell blend (PEBA/EVA style mix)
Category: Uptempo daily trainer
Outsole: Blown rubber with some exposed midsole
The shoe is softer and feels less “racy” than previous Rebels, largely because of the added foam in the heel and the boosted overall stack. It also has a wider toe box, a more stable ride, and an improved step-in feel thanks to the padded heel collar. Durability-wise, the outsole has held up impressively well. Even with some gravel sections mixed into my typical routes, the blown rubber looks strong at the 60-mile mark.
Fit & Ride Impressions
In my UK 10, the fit is spot on — comfortable, secure, and breathable. The ride early on was smooth and versatile. I used the V5 for various types of runs:
Daily mileage
A couple 8–12 mile efforts
Treadmill work
Shorter, uptempo efforts
The shoe handled all of that reasonably well at first.
The Problem: Forefoot Foam Breakdown
Here’s where things get concerning. Around the 60-mile (≈100 km) point, I started noticing a loss of softness and bounce under the forefoot. The midsole is flattening or “bottoming out” noticeably — and much sooner than it did in the Rebel V4.
This isn’t an isolated case, either. I’ve experienced something similar in:
New Balance SC Trainer v2
New Balance SC Elite (some earlier iterations)
Those shoes also lost their spring early under the forefoot. Oddly enough, the SC Trainer v3 did not have this issue and held up beautifully through heavy marathon training.
So it makes me wonder whether this Rebel V5 uses a similar foam blend to the SC Trainer v2 — the version known for early compression. The way the cushioning has collapsed feels very similar. Regardless of what’s causing it, the bottom line is this: 60 miles is far too early for a performance-oriented daily trainer to lose its pop.
Value & Recommendations
With the Rebel V5 now discounted in many places, it’s tempting to scoop up a pair. But given what I’ve experienced, I’d honestly recommend looking elsewhere.
Styles that make more sense than the Rebel V5 right now:
All of these offer better long-term resilience in the forefoot and feel more reliable for daily and uptempo work. It’s disappointing because I genuinely love a lot of New Balance shoes — the SC Elite series, the 1080, and more. But the Rebel V5’s early midsole fatigue really undermines what could have been a great update.
Final Thoughts
I still enjoy the Rebel V5 in many ways: the fit, the softness, the ride — at least early on. But with the forefoot flattening so early, the shoe simply doesn’t hold its performance long enough to recommend confidently.
If you already have the Rebel V5, I’d love to know:
How many miles do you have in yours?
Are you seeing the same midsole compression?
