New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail review

We believe the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail is a strong choice for:

• Runners who love the cloud-soft feel of FuelCell cushioning and want to experience it on trails.
• Ultra-marathoners who heel strike and need a protective, plush-yet-grippy option for racing and training.
• Those who dislike bulky trail shoes and want a lightweight-and-speedy model with a top-tier outsole.

We think the SuperComp Trail isn’t the best choice for midfoot or forefoot strikers due to its steep drop. The cushioning is heavily concentrated in the heel, leaving the forefoot with significantly less protection. If you prefer a racing shoe better suited for a forward landing, we recommend the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra or the Saucony Endorphin Edge.

Additionally, the narrow toebox could be a deal-breaker for many runners. We’ve found that it restricts toe splay, making it a poor match for those with wider feet or anyone who values extra space for comfort. If that’s a concern, we suggest looking at the Nike Ultrafly or the Altra Mont Blanc Carbon, both performance shoes that offer a roomier fit paired with a Vibram outsole.

Runners seeking substantial heel cushioning will appreciate the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail, which boasts a 34.7 mm stack height. This makes it a strong choice for heel strikers needing plush comfort, even for ultra distances.

The forefoot felt much thinner than expected—New Balance listed it at 26.5 mm, but we measured only 21.7 mm. This lean platform results in noticeably lower cushioning, making it a less-than-ideal choice for non-heel-strikers seeking a protective ride.

That leaves us with a real heel-to-toe drop of 13.0 mm—an eye-opening difference that makes this shoe a strong choice for extreme heel strikers. However, we think that most midfoot and forefoot runners won't enjoy this shoe at all, it's too steep.

And why such a big difference? The midsole shape is undeniably unique, and New Balance likely measured the drop wherever it suited them. From our side, we tested it at World Athletics' official points—just like every other shoe we analyze here in our lab—to ensure precise-and-consistent results.

As we detailed in our guide of running shoe foams, FuelCell is known for its ultra-soft feel in most models, but we weren’t sure if New Balance would maintain that plush-and-bouncy sensation in a trail shoe. After testing, we discovered that they absolutely did.

We recorded an incredibly-low reading of 11.5 HA—about half the average! That’s shockingly-soft for a trail shoe, and we’re convinced many runners will feel that, out in the mountains, a firmer-and-stabler platform would provide better balance and security. On the other hand, for those who love ultra-soft running shoes and plan to stay on easy trails or gravel roads, this shoe could be a game-changer.

However, don’t expect top-tier energy return—this is the older TPU-based FuelCell from the FuelCell SC Elite v3, not the PEBA-powered version found in the FuelCell SC Elite v4. That upgrade will have to wait for version 2.

Not being the Pebax version brings another drawback—its performance in cold temperatures. After just 20 minutes in the freezer, it lost 30% of its softness, making it noticeably firmer and less responsive.

The insole in this shoe is similar to those in New Balance’s road supershoes—ultra-thin at just 2.4 mm!

Those expecting a rockered ride will find it here, which aligns with New Balance’s current design approach.

The heel features a slight curvature to ease transitions for heel strikers, while the forefoot has a moderate toe spring. We found that it starts early and rises just 4 cm, avoiding the exaggerated lift seen in some road shoes. This shape works particularly well on easy trails.

New Balance’s effort to create a trail supershoe had to include a carbon plate, and it delivers. The plate follows the usual shape until the forefoot, where it disappears in our video and splits in two—a design choice seen in other high-performance trail shoes.

This forked design enhances torsional flexibility while preserving the plate’s propulsive benefits and added stability.

The SuperComp Trail measures a slim 93.5 mm, favoring a race-ready, locked-in fit rather than a roomy feel. That’s expected for high-performance shoes, so it didn’t come as a surprise here in the lab.

We found that this shoe best suits runners with narrow to average foot widths. Despite being a New Balance (known for offering wide sizes even in niche models) this one is only available in a standard width.

Our second measurement confirmed a fit better suited for those with smaller feet, as the big toe area offers just 71.0 mm of clearance. That’s the complete opposite of the spacious, toe-shaped toebox from Altra or Topo!

We found a striking contrast between the snug forefoot and the average vertical space, which measures 27.4 mm.

This added height is nice especially for runners who tend to lift their big toe while running.

If you need a stable yet fast trail shoe, this isn’t the right pick.

The ride is undeniably exhilarating and fun, but the SC Trail’s narrow-and-unstable build, paired with its ultra-soft foam, makes it risky on moderate and technical terrain. As expected, it’s best suited for neutral runners.

Even with its forked plate and outsole grooves designed to enhance torsional flexibility, the SuperComp Trail still earned a max 5/5 in our test.

The 3/5 heel counter immediately reminded us of those found in road daily trainers, striking a balance between stiffness and comfort. It was an unexpected feature in a shoe designed primarily for competition.

We previously mentioned the shoe’s narrow build, but now we have the numbers to back it up. Measuring 109.3 mm at its widest forefoot point, it’s designed for those who dislike the oversized designs of recent years.

At 88.3 mm, the heel is also narrower than average, though not as extreme as the forefoot. This matters because, with the significant heel-to-toe drop we measured, the shoe is best suited for runners who land rearfoot-first.

This shoe offers little flexibility. In our 90-degree bend test, we applied 38.6N of force to reach the target angle—a result that didn’t surprise us given the SuperComp carbon plate tucked into the midsole.

If there’s one thing that truly impressed us about the SuperComp Trail, it’s how incredibly light it feels underfoot. At just 8.75 oz or 248g, it delivers a barely-there sensation that's amazing at faster paces.

Beyond just weight, we found that its streamlined design amplifies that nimble feel. In our view, this is the standout feature of this shoe.

When unboxing the FuelCell SuperComp Trail, we immediately noticed its design aimed at balancing airflow and durability.

After connecting our smoke machine to the SC Trail, we concluded that it was a 4/5 score for us. This is quite an improvement over many competitors, although, to be fair, at the high price of this shoe, we were expecting top-tier materials throughout.

We moved the upper over a LED light and discovered that, despite sharing the same mesh riddled with ventilation holes, those are only effective in the toebox, as the rest of the shoe has a thicker layer beneath for improved structure and stability.

Another subtle and premium touch comes from the insole. Instead of using a regular one, New Balance inserted a thin, perforated footbed that improves airflow.

Sometimes, trail shoes come without ventilation holes to improve durability, but it was not the case of the SuperComp Trail. We will find pretty soon if that's a good idea or not in terms of wear resistance.

Finally, the upper doesn't come with tons of padding, but we can't forget that this is a shoe made for racing, so it makes sense. What it does feature is the usual Toe Protect design from New Balance to prevent early wear and protect the toes (hence the name) from hard impacts.

In terms of toebox durability, a 3/5 score is an average result. However, for a shoe with numerous ventilation holes and excellent airflow, it’s quite impressive.

The heel padding scored another 3/5 in durability, which we found acceptable. While a higher rating would be ideal, it’s reassuring to know there’s no need to worry about excessive wear here.

The outsole is one of the most intriguing aspects of the SuperComp Trail, as it features Vibram Megagrip Litebase—arguably one of the best high-performance rubbers for trail running. If not the best.

It delivers excellent traction, and despite featuring low-profile lugs that we’ll discuss shortly, we found that it grips remarkably well even on moderate terrain. However, its true strength lies in fast-and-smooth trails. That said, there’s more exposed midsole than we typically see, which could raise concerns for some runners.

For hardness, we measured 86.0 HC—right in the average range. Based on our findings, this should provide solid longevity while maintaining the outstanding grip we experienced on the trails.

Since this is the Litebase version of Megagrip, we knew durability wouldn’t be outstanding—but it’s still acceptable. Our testing showed exactly 1.0 mm of wear from the Dremel, which we believe is reasonable for this type of outsole focused on weight reductions and top-tier grip.

At just 1.0 mm thick, some might assume there’s minimal foot protection—but don’t forget, a carbon plate sits between you and the ground!

This shoe is specifically built for smooth, long-distance ultras on western-states-style terrain, where impact protection and shallow lugs create an ideal combination. However, the lugs incorporate Vibram’s Traction Lug technology, which enhances grip, making them perform like slightly-thicker ones especially taking corners.

Still, with just 2.9 mm of depth and the SC Trail’s unstable platform, we think it’s best suited for easy trails, where it truly excels.

The SuperComp Trail comes at a steep price, but it’s still more affordable than most trail supershoes. However, in our view, it doesn’t fully qualify as one, lacking a premium foam.

Given its features, we believe it’s reasonably priced for today’s market.

The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail has no reflective elements. That's something that should be addressed in a shoe designed for ultra running, where nighttime sections are quite usual.

The New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail is impressively-light on its own—especially for a trail shoe. Therefore, a padded tongue was never an option, as it would have added too much weight, impacting the shoe’s streamlined design.

That’s why we weren’t surprised to measure just 2.5 mm of thickness, which seems reasonable for a performance-driven model. However, based on our findings, runners tackling ultra races should take extra care when tightening the laces to avoid pressure points.

The tongue isn’t fully gusseted, as seen in most top-tier trail shoes, but it’s partially attached to the sides—enough to provide a secure fit in a performance-focused design.

The SuperComp Trail features a finger-loop heel tab at the back, enhancing its trail-ready aesthetic.

The thin insole is removable, but the restricted toebox space makes replacing it with a thicker option highly impractical.