By Paul Freary
The fourth generation of the brand’s carbon-plated road racing shoe, the FuelCell SuperComp Elite V4 aims to be the most advanced and fastest yet.
Like with any new release from any brand, New Balance tells us this is the culmination of many years of development and while that sounds a little like some kind of marketing spin, the Elite V4 does feel like a new shoe and has improvements over the previous model, which, being honest, I didn’t think we needed.
It’s a little like the latest smartphone, when upgrading you initially think the new model has everything. But then a year later the update does something better which you really didn’t think could be improved.
I really like the Elite V3 and even ran in it twice this week before pulling on the new V4. It is still giving me a great, responsive and propulsive feel that I love for faster-paced tempo runs and interval sessions. The new model has updates to the upper and midsole for a faster feel and, come race day improved performance.
Fit / Tech
The most obvious difference with the Elite V4 is the new midsole. Its striking geometrically styled design uses the brand’s FuelCell midsole which here uses a PEBA foam combined with a carbon plate.
FuelCell is the brand’s umbrella term for foams found in the performance line of shoes, similar to the FreshFoam X used in their daily training models it can vary from model to model.
Here the FuelCell foam has a highly responsive feel to the point of being springy. It’s soft and light and combined with the carbon plate provides a propulsive feel that we have now come to expect of high-performance road racing models.
The Energy Arc carbon fibre plate is a thinner, lighter and curved plate that increases propulsion and with the use of midsole voids helps to provide an improved ‘energy-return’ and toe-off.
The midsole voids in the base of the shoe allow the plate to ‘sink’ into them, allowing the plate to load energy ready for toe-off. It’s an effective design and does give a highly propulsive feel.
In this, the later version of the Elite, the plate sits a little higher, being more centrally sandwiched in the midsole. In the previous model, it sat close to the ground in the forefoot, being covered by just a slither of rubber. Being more centrally placed as it is now gives a smoother toe-off and improved long-term comfort over longer distances.
The whole of the midsole has a more obvious rocker geometry, from heel to toe, this creates a smoother landing and transition through to toe-off. Regardless of where you strike the ground the overall sensation is smooth and efficient with a propulsive ride.
A solid rubber outsole provides excellent coverage. I say excellent here specifically as many brands leave large areas of their foams exposed and open to scuffing from the ground. Here, the vast majority of the sole that will come into contact with the ground is covered, so we should see great durability.
A Fantomfit upper is used in the latest version over the knitted design of the previous model. This is a thin, single-layer mesh that’s highly breathable and reduces weight. Further weight reductions come from the minimally padded heel collar and single-layer tongue.
Stats
New Balance | SuperComp Elite V4 |
|---|---|
Best for | Race day |
Support | Neutral |
Cushion | Max, responsive cushioning with carbon plate |
Stack Height | 40mm heel / 36mm forefoot |
Drop | 4mm |
Weight | Mens 8.40z (237g) Women 6.6oz (188g) |
Suggested Retail Price | $250 / £260 |
Fit | True to size |
Rating | 9/ 10 |
Performance
The first thing I noticed about the Elite V4 as I pulled it on was the difference in the upper construction. Whereas the V3 had a stretch-fit upper that you had to wriggle your feet into, here we have a more conventional lace and tongue design.
When pulling on the shoe the lack of padding around the heel and tongue is evident but, that said, the shoe fits well, it’s true to size (compared to other New Balance models, i.e. go a half larger than Nike, Brooks, Mizuno etc) and has a sock-like fit and feel around the foot.
The tongue is thin, a single layer, suede-like fabric that sits neatly across the bridge of the foot ,but after carefully fastening the shoes (we always take a little extra care fastening our race shoes don’t we?) you get a neat, locked-in feeling.
As is sometimes the case with single-layer mesh uppers like that used here, there is a tiny amount of bunching in the forefoot. It’s not an issue and nowhere near like what I’ve experienced in some of the adidas and Nike models, so overall the upper is among the better ones around.
The cushioning feels very soft and with just a 4mm drop from the heel, my feet feel like they sink lower into the shoe in the heel almost flattening out any drop present.
Once on the move this sensation disappears and the initial feeling is that of a smooth ride, even as I set off at what is just an easy pace.
I cover the opening 4 miles of what will be a longer run incorporating some marathon pace effort at a relatively easy 7 minute 30 seconds per mile. At this kind of speed, I feel some carbon-plated racers can feel a little unstable and even ungainly. The Elite V4 handles the slower pace well and to my surprise feels relatively stable. I think the overall rocker from heel to forefoot, combined with the carbon plate is contributing to this stability.
NB SuperComp Elite V4
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After the steady opening 4 miles, I reach the start of what will be 11 miles at marathon pace effort. The first mile is gradually downhill, so makes it easy to pick up my pace and get into a relaxed stride for the next hour or so of running.
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The cushioning of the shoe is welcome as I heel strike a little more on the descent and again, I notice the stability. The ‘energy return’ from the shoe is also evident and somewhat smoother than that of the previous version of the shoe. That’s the difference in the placement of the carbon plate in relation to the cushioning.
In the V3, the plate sat close to the ground in the forefoot, here it’s between layers of the PEBA foam, so isn’t as harsh or indeed as loud, gone is any contact sound of the plate on the tarmac!
As I tick the miles off at anywhere between 6 minutes and 6 minutes 30 seconds per mile the shoe provides a very enjoyable experience. It disappears around my feet and even being just a little heavier than some other race day models the weight difference is negligible when on the move.
Again, it’s a smooth, soft and responsive ride with a good, almost snappy feel to the toe-off.
It’s towards the softer side of the scale in a line-up of all carbon-plated racers, so I’d say more suitable for longer distances, half-marathon and above but some runners will find this model fine at anything from 5k. As always, the choice will come down to personal preference. I like a slightly firm ride for shorter events with a softer feel as the distance increases.
Comparisons
As we’ve seen several new racing shoes launched already in 2024, my initial comparisons will be with those models I’ve also been fortunate enough to try.
The Mizuno Rebellion Pro 2 is perhaps the most strikingly different-looking racing shoe on the market. With its ultra-high stack midsole in the midfoot and ultra-aggressive rocker, it provides what I find to be the most obviously propulsive feel of a racing shoe.
It certainly won’t be for everyone but for me, over shorter distances (5 to 10k) it provides a simply amazingly propulsive running experience. Compared to the Elite V4 the differences are striking and I’d go Mizuno over 5k and New Balance over 10k and longer.
The HOKA Cielo X1 is another very striking-looking shoe. It has a deep cushioning stack, aggressive rocker design and full-length carbon plate. I’ve enjoyed running in the Cielo X1 very much and even reached for it on easy days, such is its accommodating feel.
It is a race day model, but it is a little heavier and that’s where it loses out against the New Balance. The HOKA makes a very versatile and durable fast-running racer/trainer but for outright speed on race day, others are better.
The other 2024 model I’ve tried is the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 and it’s this model that provides the closest match to the Elite V4. Both shoes offer soft, smooth cushioning and full-length plates and both, to me offer a very similar running experience. They are so close in fact that I feel they are too close to call right now after only around 25 miles in each shoe, so in these two at least, you’ll need to try them both in order to make your choice.
My Verdict
The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite V4 is indeed the best road racing shoe to date from the brand. The combination of PEBA foam, the Energy Arc plate and the midsole void combine for a smooth and energetic ride that is both a great running experience as well as one that can easily be forgotten about, leaving you to focus on the racing.
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