- Weight: 272g (M), 208g (W)
- Heel-to-toe drop: 10mm
- Stack height: 36.5But you cant just take a
- Type: Neutral/trail
The shoe
Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network trail versions Tested: Tracksmith Eliot Range trail running shoe Best Garmin deals – and New Balance are the latest to get involved in the action.
Designed for ‘trail runners in need of speed’, the FuelCell SC Trail contains much of the same tech as the rest of New Balance's SuperComp family of trainers, which are categorised by their high energy return midsole foams and carbon fibre plate technology.
But you can't just take a road shoe and slap a few lugs on it. In the SC Trail, you've got a full length carbon fibre plate, sandwiched between two layers of FuelCell cushioning. The bottom part of the foam is firmer than you'll find in the SuperComp road shoes, to give the shoe durability and stability on the trails. There's also a synthetic mesh upper and a Vibram Megagrip outsole for enhanced grip and traction.
What everyone's reading
How does the SC Trail fit?
The shoe is noticeably snug in both the forefoot and toe box (with thicker socks especially) and, as with most of New Balance’s shoes, I found I had to go a whole size up from my regular shoe size, opting for a women's UK 9 (I usually wear a UK 8.5 in running shoes). For this reason it isn't a shoe I'd recommend to wider-footer runners or those tackling longer distances with lots of descents – you'll need a much roomier toe box for this.
The lockdown is excellent, though. There's a nice amount of padding in the heel collar to keep you comfortable, and a very lightly padded tongue with perforations for increased breathability. Absolutely no irritation here. The lacing system, though, is fairly short so if you're struggling with any lateral movement in the forefoot, there's not a great deal of room for adjustability.
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v15 gets softer?
This is a light and nimble shoe, which has a good amount of cushioning and softness underfoot from the FuelCell foam, without sacrificing the ground connection you need to feel stable on the trails. This is helped by the fact that the stack height has been reduced to a more trail-friendly level: 36.5mm in the heel and 26.5mm in the forefoot (the SC Elite v3 road shoe measures 40mm in the heel and 36mm in the forefoot).
It seems to have the same rocker geometry as the SC Elite v3 though, which makes the ride feel fun and snappy, but with a bit more flexibility in the forefoot. This comes from a forked-shaped carbon-fibre plate (road shoes tend to feature spoon-shaped ones), which gives the shoe more horizontal flexibility on uneven surfaces.
At a cruising pace it feels smooth and agile, but, unsurprisingly, it's when you really start to pick up the speed and get up on your toes that you feel the benefit of the carbon plate.
The outsole uses New Balance’s Vibram Megagrip technology. We found this provides excellent grip and traction on woodland paths and more tightly packed trails, but the lugs simply aren't big enough to contend with mud, sludge and anything super technical. If anything, the SC Trail feels slightly more geared towards road-to-trail terrain than technical trail.
It's also worth noting that where the Energy Arc (the midsole void designed to increase stored energy) cuts up through the outsole, there's a gap that can collect stones if you're running on looser trails. This feels like a big design fault, and wouldn't be ideal if you're going all out for a podium finish. It will be interesting to see if and how New Balance rectify this in a later version.
RW Verdict
The SC Trail is a comfortable yet agile trail shoe, suitable for those wanting to race most distances, and capable of tackling most terrains - with the exception of super technical ones.
The fit is really the shoe's main contention point. For ultra-runners and those with wide feet, it will simply be too snug – even if you were to size up.
But there's no denying the impressive energy return of the SC Trail. It's fun, it's fast, and if you're looking to score a top finish – and can justify the £200 price tag – it's worth giving it a try.
