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Kit

New release shoes

ESSENTIAL KIT

NEW RELEASE SHOES

Putting your next trainers through their paces

|| They’re incredibly comfortable, they fit like a glove and they just make me enjoy my runs more than usual||

BEST IN TEST

NEW RELEASE SHOES

NEW BALANCE FuelCell SuperComp Elitev5

£260 | Weight 170g | Drop 8mm | Stack height 40/32mm | Foam FuelCell midsole Tech Carbon fibre plate, FantomFit | newbalance.co.uk| Tester Esther

Esther is after a new pair of bells-and-whistles race-day demons, but will she find her Cinderella shoe in these new New Balance shoes?

The fit Absolutely spot on, having gone my usual half size up for running shoes. Space for wriggle room, but I feel comfortably locked in.

The comfort To begin with, I wasn’t 100% sure about these. Underfoot, they felt incredible; bouncy, firm, raring to go, with a vast stack. The upper felt flexible, breathable and secure. However, at the start

I must say I felt the heel cushion nudged against the inside of my ankle bones on both feet, so I was concerned about rubbing. Turns out, within about half a mile, that feeling had completely disappeared and never came back.

Who and what is this shoe for?

These are your race-day specials, as you can tell by the price! They are packed with tech to help you smile through every mile of that half or full road marathon. They look absolutely gorgeous too; they are probably the best-looking shoes I’ve ever worn, and I include my wedding shoes in that.

On the run Loved them. I am not a fast runner by any means, but that doesn’t mean carbon isn’t for me (make that a note-to-self for you, too). That plate, and the foam, really helps propel you forward, so that speed sessions feel palpably less bothersome. They’re incredibly comfortable, they fit like a glove, and – I didn’t believe this was even a thing before testing these – they just make me enjoy my runs more than usual. I wear them for shorter sessions on the treadmill and out on the towpath, and they make everything feel easier. I’ve seen there are mixed reviews out there in the online ne space, but I wonder if that’s because e these are more democratic; a carbon plate for normal people. Total winner in my book.

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Women’s Running
Dec 2025
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