New Balance FuelCell RC Elite®

Our verdict
89
Great!
The RC Elite is a top-tier antagonism shoe from New Balance. Abundant like its competition, the shoe uses a carbon bowl calm with a soft, animated midsole. This admixture helps you awning a chase ambit with new acceleration records. Actual ablaze and nimble, the racer can additionally feel ambiguous if you are aboriginal aggravating out this affectionate of shoes.
Pros
Bouncy, bland ride
Soft & protective
Very grippy
Durable
Cons
Warm upper
Unstable centermost side
New Balance FuelCell RC Elite review
The New Balance FuelCell RC Elite is a fun and fast chase antagonism carbon-plated shoe with a huge caveat. If New Balance could accomplish tweaks in the corresponding areas, the shoe will absolutely be one of the best out there.
Areas of improvement
More high anatomy on the centermost side
Wider midfoot on the centermost ancillary or another means to accord added centermost support
Thinner high and added constant sizing
That’s a thicc upper
Synthetic Cobweb Upper
Minimal Overlays for Strategic Support
Thoughts
The high feels thicker on anxiety than it absolutely is. While actuality able-bodied ventilated, it feels a little too blubbery for a antagonism shoe.

The overlays on the cobweb high are appealing generous, but I would accept admired to accept added anatomy on the upper’s centermost side.

There seems to be an overemphasis on the anatomy of the shoe’s crabbed ancillary (both the high overlays and the midsole crabbed flare). Added anatomy on the high on the centermost ancillary would accept fabricated this shoe added ill-fitted for overpronators, whether it be a stiffer actual or added overlays.
The fit is actual subjective. I initially went true-to-size but begin that it was a little short.

My toes were extensive the advanced of the shoe, and it was not a actual adequate experience, abnormally at best distances. I awash my brace and went for bisected a admeasurement up at US 9.5.

Maybe I adopt my racers to be on the ample side. Lengthwise, a US 9.5 RC Elite fit is absolutely the aforementioned as the FuelCell TC in a US 9. Accepting advanced feet, I did not acquisition any issues with the amplitude of the shoe. In fact, I accustomed the ample fit, abnormally so in the midfoot.

Those with a attenuated bottom or a alternative for a close fit should stick to true-to-size, while those who would like a little added allowance in their shoes to go a bisected admeasurement up.

I did not acquaintance heel slippages in both US 9 and 9.5. The abate collar is bedlam abundantly afterwards actuality too bulky.

One affair that I absolutely awful was the insole. It kept scrunching up during my run and was appealing slippery. I switched the insole out for one with agnate thinness, and I admired the shoe actual abundant more.

The argot is agilely bedlam and protective, but it could be automated a little bit added to accord a beneath beefy feel.

FuelCell & carbon bowl ride
FuelCell Midsole Foam
Full-Length Carbon Fiber Plate
Thoughts
I adulation the FuelCell cream in this shoe. The cream in the RC Elite feels softer and bouncier than its added aerial counterpart: FuelCell TC. Maybe it’s a aberration in the outsole, but I adulation the feel here.

It has a actual silky-smooth compression. I like this midsole added so than Pebax materials. This midsole ability feel slower to backlash (though still actual bouncy) than the Pebax counterparts, but it has a added adequate and beneath advancing feel.
Combined with the carbon-fiber plate, bottom transitions are bland but not the fastest. This could be due to the plate’s beneath advancing geometry compared to the affecting forefoot ambit present in the Nike Vaporfly, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro, and the Saucony Endorphin Pro.

The beneath advancing bowl makes active best distances abundant added adequate than the added argent shoes.

For a 5k-10k, I would apparently opt for a added advancing shoe with college pop. However, this shoe can still go actual fast and feels amazing on foot. I abnormally enjoyed it at animation up to 10k paces.

A altered allotment about the FuelCell calendar is a blaze apparent on the crabbed allotment of the midsole. This is not present in any added shoe brand.

It does advance to some complications that will be addressed in the abutting paragraph, but it absolutely has its benefits. I begin the blaze to advice with bottom adherence and smoother transitions back acrimonious up the clip and landing mid-forefoot.

One HUGE CAVEAT afore purchasing this shoe: If you overpronate, don’t. It’sIt’s not account affairs this shoe if your accomplished collapses inwards dramatically.

The acumen why is the architecture of the midsole and high armament your bottom inwards. In simple words, those overpronating will overpronate alike more.

I begin my arches annoyed in added so than in added shoes back I landed. Afterwards a while, fatigue developed in my arches. Carbon argent racers are usually on the ambiguous side, but this aberration appear the acute end.

If you accept able arches and do not overpronate, again maybe this shoe is account a shot.

Outsole & backbone of the RC Elite
Dynaride outsole with two elastic strips accoutrement the heel and centermost midfoot
Thoughts
The absorption is fantastic. The outsole accoutrement the mid and forefoot are agnate to the DSP elastic nubs acclimated on Japanese racers.

These nubs provided accomplished anchor on any surface. Whether it was dry or wet, on concrete, asphalt, or elastic tracks, I did not acquaintance any problems with anchor whatsoever.

Usually, DSP elastic nubs do not action abundant durability, but this is not the case here. The nubs are not assuming any signs of abrasion afterwards 50km. I apprehend this shoe to outlive abounding added carbon argent shoes.

Comparisons
New Balance FuelCell TC
The TC, while soft, feels firmer and has beneath animation compared to the RC Elite. The RC Elite has a added beastly midsole feel and is added fun to run in.

The TC, however, has a added abiding centermost area and a added abiding outsole. That said, the high of the RC Elite has the abeyant to outlive the TC.

If you are application the shoe for circadian runs, go TC. For fast runs, I would absorb the added $30 SGD for the RC Elite.

New Balance FuelCell Prism
I chose to accomplish this allegory as the FuelCell foam, while accepting the aforementioned namesake, feels absolutely different.

The Prism feels duller and lacks the fun and animated ride of the RC Elite. It is absolutely added abiding and costs way beneath but feels not about as acceptable as the RC.

Nike Vaporfly Next%
The RC feels bigger and can handle slower paces abundant bigger than the Vaporfly due to the beneath advancing plate.

Both foams accept agnate softness. I adopt application the Vaporfly for contest due to its added advancing attributes and lighter weight, but the RC Elite feels bigger for runners activity at slower paces.