Two shoes built on the same midsole with two different geometries: the Elite v6 for race day, the Rebel v1 for the months that lead up to it.
- The SuperComp Elite v6 weighs 6.7 oz (190 g) in a men’s US 9.5 and 5.5 oz (155 g) in a women’s US 7, with 40 mm of heel stack and a carbon fiber plate.
- The SuperComp Rebel v1 runs the same Infinion foam and a propulsion plate, at 7.7 oz (218 g) for men and 6.1 oz (174 g) for women.
- Same stack at the heel (40 mm), different forefoot: 8 mm of drop on the race shoe, 4 mm on the trainer.
- Elite v6 from August 6 at around €280, Rebel v1 from August 20 at around €210.
Six point seven ounces in a men’s US 9.5, five and a half in a women’s US 7. That’s the claimed weight of the New Balance SuperComp Elite v6, and on a marathon shoe’s spec sheet that number matters more than any other. Underneath it sits 40 mm of foam at the heel — the World Athletics limit — and a carbon fiber plate: the full apparatus of a modern race shoe, packed into something that weighs about as much as an apple.
The Elite v6 landed on August 6, the SuperComp Rebel v1 on the 20th. New Balance introduced them together because they’re built to work as a pair: one for race day, the other for the months that prepare it. They share the foam and the fit construction. Geometry, weight and intended use are where they part ways.
What Works Under the Elite v6
The change that defines this shoe’s character is the midsole. Infinion is the lightest foam New Balance has developed, and it replaces the material used in the v5 while holding onto race-day performance, high durability and more efficient energy return. It’s the main reason the Elite v6 drops under seven ounces without giving up forty millimeters of heel stack.
Above the foam sits a completely redesigned carbon fiber plate, which delivers more stiffness and a more effective push across the marathon distance. Worth remembering that in fast shoes the midsole contributes more than the plate does: the two elements work together, but changing the material is the intervention you feel first. Here New Balance changed both, and chose to start with the foam. That decision is what gives the whole project its solidity.
The translucent mesh upper with FANTOMFIT technology closes the loop on weight: it holds the foot in place while adding the bare minimum of structure over the midsole.
Among the athletes who worked on the v6’s development is Alex Yee, world triathlon champion, who ran the Valencia Marathon in December 2025 in 2:06:38 wearing the v5 — the second-fastest British time ever. He describes himself as excited about the new version, which he says feels even lighter and faster.
The Rebel v1 Brings the Same Foam to Training
7.7 oz in the men’s version, 6.1 in the women’s: about an ounce more per foot than the race shoe. Underneath is the same Infinion midsole, with a propulsion plate optimized in shape, materials and placement, plus the same FANTOMFIT technology wrapping the midfoot and heel.
That material continuity is the most interesting argument in the package. Train for months on one compound and then meet a different one on race day, and you’re dealing with two shoes that answer the same push in different ways. Here the response under the foot stays similar; what changes is mostly how much material there is and how it’s laid out. For anyone already rotating several models across the week, the Rebel v1 slots in as the shoe for quality sessions and steady runs — the one that holds a fast pace without eating into the race shoe.
Drop and Stack Explain Why the Two Shoes Feel Different
These are two separate measurements and worth keeping apart. Stack tells you how much material is under your foot; drop tells you how much higher the heel sits than the forefoot. The two SuperComps start from the same number at the back, 40 mm, and diverge up front: 32 mm on the Elite v6, 36 mm on the Rebel v1. That works out to 8 mm of drop on the race shoe and 4 mm on the trainer.
Picture two shoes that are the same height at the heel. The 8 mm one sets you on a gentle ramp that carries the body forward; the 4 mm one keeps you flatter, with four extra millimeters of foam under the forefoot. You feel the difference in the first mile, and it has a practical consequence: a lower drop asks a little more from the calf and Achilles tendon. It also lets you build a more efficient footstrike and stride. In four words: it sharpens your form.
The Specs
- weight: 6.7 oz / 190 g men’s (US 9.5) — 5.5 oz / 155 g women’s (US 7)
- stack: 40 mm at the heel, 32 mm at the forefoot
- drop: 8 mm (approximate value, may vary with manufacturing processes)
- midsole: Infinion foam with carbon fiber plate
- upper: translucent mesh with FANTOMFIT
- price: around €280, available from August 6
- weight: 7.7 oz / 218 g men’s (US 9.5) — 6.1 oz / 174 g women’s (US 7)
- stack: 40 mm at the heel, 36 mm at the forefoot
- drop: 4 mm (approximate value, may vary with manufacturing processes)
- midsole: Infinion foam with propulsion plate
- upper: FANTOMFIT construction over midfoot and heel
- price: around €210, available from August 20
Both are available at New Balance stores, on NewBalance.com and through selected retailers. Forty millimeters at the heel and the same foam under both: New Balance built the package around a continuity of feel, leaving geometry to separate the two moments. For anyone with a fall goal on the calendar, it’s the most direct way to get there with legs that already know what to expect.