New Balance FuelCell Propel v5 Review
Our Verdict
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This Product
New Balance FuelCell Propel v5 | |||||
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Awards | Best Overall Men's Running Shoes | Excellent Performance without a Plate | Best Bang for Your Buck | ||
Price | $119.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods Compare at 2 sellers | $109.95 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $140.00 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $135 List $94.50 at Amazon | $124.95 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Bottom Line | Plush cushioning and a bit of pace in a budget shoe | A daily trainer that can handle most runs, the Novablast 4 is fun and extremely comfortable | Bouncy, responsive and well-cushioned, this shoe is performance-oriented but still versatile | A daily trainer that blends comfort and versatility at a reasonable price | A great combination of responsiveness and plush comfort |
Rating Categories | New Balance FuelCel... | Asics Novablast 4 | New Balance FuelCel... | Puma Velocity Nitro 3 | Puma Deviate Nitro 2 |
Landing Comfort (30%) | |||||
Responsiveness (20%) | |||||
Stability (15%) | |||||
Upper Comfort (15%) | |||||
Weight (15%) | |||||
Traction (5.0%) | |||||
Specs | New Balance FuelCel... | Asics Novablast 4 | New Balance FuelCel... | Puma Velocity Nitro 3 | Puma Deviate Nitro 2 |
Measured Weight | 10.52 oz | 9.76 oz | 7.98 oz | 10.07 oz | 9.58 oz |
Measured Heel Stack Height | 38 mm | 43 mm | 30 mm | 38 mm | 36 mm |
Measured Heel-to-Toe Drop | 7 mm | 7 mm | 7 mm | 11 mm | 8 mm |
Plate Type | Full Length Plastic | None | None | None | Carbon |
Rocker Angle | 19.0 deg | 22.5 deg | 19.5 deg | 18.0 deg | 19.5 deg |
Rocker Apex Location | 68.3% | 66.5% | 62.2% | 66.7% | 69.2% |
Style | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer |
Upper | Engineered mesh | Engineered woven/knit | FantomFit | Engineered knit | Engineered mesh |
Midsole | FuelCell | FF Blast + Eco | FuelCell | NITROFOAM | NITRO/NITRO Elite |
Outsole | Rubber | AHAR Lo | Rubber | PumaGrip | PumaGrip ATR |
Heel Tab Type | None | Finger loop | None | None | None |
Sizes Available | 7-18 US, regular & wide | 6 - 15 US, regular | 7-16 US, regular & wide | 7 - 14 US, regular | 7 - 15 US, regular |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Propel v5 is a solid lower-cost option. It gets some trickle-down tech from higher-end shoes — like the TPU plate and FuelCell midsole. For the right runner, this is a great budget purchase.
Performance Comparison
Landing Comfort
The Propel continues to remain a soft shoe in this iteration. New Balance's FuelCell formulations tend to be very plush yet reasonably resilient, and this one is no different. We don't think it's as soft and bouncy as the FuelCell in the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4, but it's close. We measured 38 mm of foam at the heel. As we mentioned, it's a soft foam, making this a pleasant option for long runs, including efforts with a pace pickup in the middle or at the end.
Responsiveness
The Propel v5 is about average in terms of responsiveness for a daily trainer. The softness of the foam paired with the general size of the shoe makes this a shoe that is best used for day-to-day mileage. Thanks to the additional stiffness from the TPU plate, this shoe moves decently well at moderate efforts. We found it adequate for threshold workouts, but once we pushed faster, it felt a little lifeless.
Stability
When running on pavement, the TPU plate provides a little stability and direction to the otherwise soft slab of FuelCell foam. On the other hand, we found the plate actually made running on off-camber roads or loose surfaces difficult. This is a neutral trainer and not one we would recommend to runners looking for support.
Upper Comfort
The upper, along with the overall fit and finish, is nicely improved from the previous version. The materials that touch your ankle feel softer, and the mesh is also slightly less rough. The rigid heel cup does a much better job of providing heel retention when compared to the v4. We also found the lacing to be easier and didn't experience any sliding when running in this shoe. For a more budget-friendly shoe, the upper is well-executed.
Weight
The Propel v5 is no lightweight, coming in at 10.52 ounces per shoe (size 10.5). That's heavier average within our lineup, even among equivalently cushioned shoes. That heft is another limiting factor in the overall versatility of the trainer. Because of the weight, it doesn't feel particularly comfortable when running faster than threshold.
Traction
The rubber outsole on the Propel is tacky and utilizes New Balance's diamond pattern to create grip on a wide range of surfaces. We found it to be solid in wet conditions, and it handles loose gravel reasonably well, although the cutout that exposes the plate towards the midfoot and heel can be a bit of a rock magnet.
Should You Buy the New Balance Propel v5?
This shoe is a solid, wallet-friendly, well-cushioned daily trainer. It's not a shoe we'd recommend if you only have one shoe in your rotation due to the TPU plate and the lack of top-end comfort. But if you're looking for a comfortable shoe to knock out a lot of your weekly mileage without breaking the bank, the Propel v5 is a pretty good option.
What Other Running Shoes Should You Consider?
The Puma Velocity Nitro 3 is a significantly better shoe for a similar price. If you're a New Balance fan, we think the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 is an excellent option for most runners, although a bit more expensive.