Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 vs New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3: Comparing Tempo Trainers
The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 and New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 are two of the top fast training shoes on the market today. Here's how they compare.
The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 is king of the plated training shoes, while the New Balance Rebel v3 serves up minimalist, no-frills speed. With the market moving in the direction of the Endorphin Speed, we think there's still a place in the rotation for a shoe like the Rebel. Here's how they compare.
Overview: Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 vs New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3
The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 is a training shoe designed for faster efforts. Part of the Endorphin series, it brings some of the race-day speedy elements into a shoe that's comfortable for everyday running. It uses a responsive PEBA-based foam, nylon plate and pronounced rocker platform to create a bouncy and pleasant ride experience. The Speed 3 was released in July 2022 and has an MSRP of $170.
The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 is a lightweight training shoe designed for uptempo running. It uses the same foam as New Balance's marathon racer, but with a lower stack and no plate. It has a connected ride that allows some ground feel while providing a decent amount of cushion underfoot for impact absorption. It comes in at $130 and was released in September 2022.
The Speed 3 and Rebel have a shared ethos: to provide speed for fast training days. Their approach to that challenge is different: the Saucony does it with a bouncy foam, rocker and a plate, while the New Balance provides a minimalist, lightweight package.
Midsole: Saucony PWRRUN PB vs New Balance FuelCell
The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 uses the brand's PEBA-based PWRRUN PB compound. It's soft, bouncy and has great energy return, providing a lively feel across the range of paces. The Speed 3 also has a nylon plate in the midsole to add rigidity and snap to the platform.
The New Balance Rebel v3 uses FuelCell foam, which is also found in shoes like the SC Pacer, SC Trainer v2 and SC Elite v3. FuelCell is a supercritical TPU/EVA blend that doesn't have the same energy return as PEBA but it also bouncy and soft. New Balance uses slightly different formulations of the foam across their different models.
Despite being built with different compounds, Saucony's PWRRUN PB and New Balance's FuelCell have a fairly similar feel. They're both soft and cushioned at relaxed paces and responsive at faster efforts. The key difference between the midsoles of the Rebel and Speed comes down to the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3's nylon plate, which gives the shoe a snappier feel. The difference in stack height between the two shoes also has an impact on the ride.
The Ride: Bouncy & Cushioned Endorphin Speed 3 vs Responsive and Ground Feel Rebel v3
The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 has a bouncy and cushioned feel that's great for long runs, fast everyday efforts and speedwork. It has a heel stack of 36mm and forefoot stack of 28mm for an 8mm drop. Combined with the rocker, the high stack of cushioning provides a pampered run experience that makes it easy to get on the toes and push the pace. The nylon plate isn't as rigid and harsh as a carbon plate, but it adds a degree of stability to the shoe on landing and toe-off.
The New Balance Rebel v3 has a minimal and snappy feel that's great for building lower leg strength. The Rebel has a heel stack of 27.5 and forefoot stack of 21.5 for a 6mm drop. Because it doesn't have a plate or high stack of cushion, the platform is more flexible than many other tempo shoes on the market. When picking up the pace, the FuelCell foam is highly responsive while keeping a comfortable feel.
There's not as much isolation from the ground in the Rebel v3 compared to the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3. Where the Speed 3 has a rocker, higher stack of foam and nylon plate, the Rebel v3 relies more on good mechanics to do the work of running. For some runners, the Rebel v3 may require an adjustment period from running in more heavily cushioned shoes.
Upper & Fit
The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 has an engineered mesh upper that's airy and breathable. The fit is comfortable through the heel and midfoot, though the toe-box is a bit snug, as is typical for many Saucony models. Runners with wide feet may want to consider a different shoe or, at the very least, size a half size up.
The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 also has an engineered mesh upper that has a plasticky coating. The platform is well-fitting through the heel and midfoot and generous in the toe-box, which should help accommodate a variety of footshapes. One thing to note is that the interior of the shoe does heat up when pushing the pace on hot summer days, and we could feel sweat pooling in the bottom of the shoe during a particularly tough workout.
While both shoes are comfortable, the fit and feel of the Saucony Endoprhin Speed 3 feels more refined than the New Balance. The mesh of the Speed 3 is airier, softer and more breathable, and the laces are stretchier, which provides a more dialed in fit straight out of the box. The Speed 3 does have a $40 price premium over the Rebel, and that price difference is noted in the upper and fit experience.
Who They're Best For
The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 is best for the runner who wants a cushioned platform for speedy training. For runners targeting a 3 hour to 4 hour marathon finish time, the Speed 3 is also a viable racing option that offers an alternative to a carbon-fiber plated shoe. The Speed 3 is great for long runs and tempo work, so it can also function as the bellcow shoe to handle the bulk of miles during marathon training while keeping the legs fresh.
Saucony Endorphin Speed 3
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The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 is a great training option for runners who want to build leg strength on their fast training days. It offers a lower stack than the Speed 3, which provides a more connected-to-the-ground feeling. The FuelCell foam is highly responsive without doing the work of running for you, making it an excellent companion for competitive runners who want to build fitness. With an MSRP $40 cheaper than the Speed 3, the Rebel v3 not as versatile but plays the important role of simplicity and speed in a lightweight package.
Final Thoughts
The Rebel v3 and Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 are two of the best uptempo training shoes on the market today. If you'd like to see other options based on your goals and preferences, head to our running shoe matcher tool, where we'll pair you with a shoe based on your answers to a few short questions. You can also evaluate all the top running shoes on the market today in our running shoe database.
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