The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 is an approachable racing shoe that incorporates many of the standard super shoe elements (including a carbon plate and full PEBA midsole) into a relatively accommodating shoe that maintains the brand's focus on comfort. New Balance has significantly streamlined the design of its predecessor, the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4, shaving off over 30g and dramatically narrowing the outsole platform. Where the v4 offered more "safety net" stability, the v5's firmer midsole reduces some of the ankle instability common in higher-stacked shoes. While the narrower platform makes the Elite v5 somewhat less accommodating of wider feet than its predecessor, it is still one of the few racing shoes that is available in both standard and wide versions.
Our Verdict
The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 is an impressive marathon shoe, with its PEBA-based midsole providing excellent energy return and enough cushioning to go the distance. The geometry is sufficiently rockered to assist with turnover on tired legs, but gentle enough to comply with normal biomechanics.
Nice bounce from PEBA-based midsole.
The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 is a great shoe for shorter races. With its excellent energy return and firm forefoot, the Elite v5 has the necessary pop and snap to maintain an aggressive pace.
Nice bounce from PEBA-based midsole.
Firm forefoot, especially at higher force levels.
The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 has excellent energy return. The full PEBA-based midsole pops back nicely in both the heel and the forefoot, rewarding harder efforts with a strong, smooth bounce back.
Nice bounce from PEBA-based midsole.
Energy return is very even from heel to forefoot.
The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 has good cushioning, although it is comparatively less absorbent at higher paces, an unfortunate characteristic for a race shoe. The cushioning under the heel is not as protective as the forefoot, but the overall cushioning is still in line with similar racing shoes.
Overall good cushioning.
The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 has okay lateral stability. The narrower outsole platform means a less solid foundation for take-off and landing. The now semi-gusseted tongue does improve lockdown, though, and the carbon plate adds stiffness to the midsole.
Firm forefoot, especially at higher force levels.
Narrower platform means less stable foundation.
The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 delivers an excellent fit for a super shoe, with a true-to-size length and a toe box that feels refreshingly accommodating for the category. Up front, there's plenty of room in both width and vertical space, so it stays comfortable as your feet swell on longer efforts without losing that race-ready security. The one real caveat is the arch, which runs noticeably narrower than average and can feel a bit pinched for runners with a wider midfoot.
True to size in length.
Great amount of room in the forefoot.
Tighter around the arch.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Feb 16, 2026:
We updated the review to include text for the full set of new fit tests and the corresponding usage box, which were recently added to our test bench.
- Updated Feb 16, 2026: We've converted this review to Test Bench 0.10, adding a new set of fit tests to the Design section and an overall fit performance usage. Check out the details in our changelog.
- Updated Oct 30, 2025: Review published.
- Updated Oct 06, 2025: Early access published.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 in men's U.S. size 9, as noted on the label for our pair. The color shown here is Urgent Red with White and Black. Other color options for this shoe are limited, but depending on the region, you can also find it in colorways like Linen with White and Gold Metallic for women and Linen with Sea Salt and Shipyard for men. Wide versions are available for both men (2E) and women (D). The design section applies only to the exact model we tested, but we expect other size and gender variants to perform similarly.
Popular Running Shoe Comparisons
The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 is an approachable racing shoe, despite being much more streamlined and aggressive than its predecessor, the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4. As super shoe technology has rapidly proliferated in recent years, a space has opened for middle-of-the-pack super shoes that are not on the cutting edge of innovation, but still incorporate many high-performance elements that were cutting-edge only a few years ago. The SuperComp Elite series has thus far hung with this class of comfortable racers like the Brooks Hyperion Elite 5, On Cloudboom Strike, and HOKA Rocket X 3; these shoes all have carbon plates in PEBA-based midsoles that deliver great energy return, but they sit behind feather-light, ultra-streamlined super shoes like the ASICS METASPEED SKY TOKYO, ASICS METASPEED RAY, or PUMA Fast-R NITRO Elite 3. With the fifth iteration of the SuperComp Elite series, New Balance appears to be making a move away from the middle pack of approachable super shoes toward the leading group, but without fully committing, leaving the v5 in an awkward middle ground.
The SuperComp Elite v5 sits at the top of New Balance's lineup as its premium race-day shoe. The similarly named New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v3 is a plated trainer that's positioned as a companion shoe to the SuperComp Elite v5. Further down the line is the New Balance FuelCell Propel v5, a versatile trainer featuring a plastic plate that provides more stability than propulsion. And rounding out the FuelCell family is the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5, a lightweight trainer that still manages to pack a decent amount of cushioning.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best running shoes, as well as the best running shoes for men and the best running shoes for women.
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 and New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 are two racing shoes that are in the same literal weight class (both tipping the scales at around 200g), but the Adios Pro 4 outclasses the Elite v5 in almost all performance metrics, from cushioning to energy return to stability. That said, the New Balance shoe has a slightly more accommodating fit and is also available in a wide version, making it accessible to a wider range of runners.
The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 is the successor to the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4, yet in many ways, it marks a significant departure. While still a relatively accommodating race shoe, the v5 has a considerably narrower platform, making it a less stable option. But by whittling down the platform, New Balance managed to trim off nearly 40g of weight, resulting in a much nimbler and livelier shoe than the v4.
The Nike Alphafly 3 and New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 are two popular racing shoes built around different principles. The Alphafly 3 is purpose-built for the marathon, featuring cushioning that holds up better over long distances and a broader platform that provides more stability when form breaks down late in the marathon. Whereas Nike has three different racing shoes, each built for different distances, the Elite v5 is New Balance's only super shoe, meant to be a do-it-all racer for everything from 5ks up to marathons. As such, it has lots of tradeoffs: its cushioning isn't as protective over long distances, but its firmness helps maintain higher turnover in shorter races. It returns energy more efficiently than the Alphafly 3, but is less stable, meaning that stabiliser muscles will be recruited earlier in the race.
The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 and HOKA Rocket X 3 are two race shoes that deliver some high-performance elements while maintaining their respective brand's comfort-forward designs. The shoes are very similar in weight and energy return, but the HOKA shoe has better cushioning, especially over long distances.
We buy and test running shoes with a very data-oriented approach. While we're just getting started, our methodology already has dozens of tests to help you make the right purchasing decision for your needs. Not only do we use high-end equipment to gather objective data, but we also order multiple sizes of the same shoes so team members can log in miles. This real-world testing is conducted at various paces and conditions, across different types of workouts, to cover all the bases. This allows us to verify our results and ensure they align with what you might feel with a specific pair.
Test Results
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