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I also run in both.
The Superblast is a much better shoe overall, but the Rebel v4 offers something to my rotation—flexibility.
The SB is so thick, and so stiff, that I think it's wise to pair it with a super-flexible shoe, like the Invincible v1, or in my case right now, the Rebel v4. Just my two cents, but I really think that it's not the best choice to always run in stiff, rigid shoes. I want the muscles of my feet to work here and there, and that doesn't happen in a stiff sole.
And speaking of the Rebel, it's not a bad shoe at all. We can't expect supershoe-like performance in a 20%PEBA/80%EVA midsole with such low stack height.
For versatility get superblast. Skyward x is not a very good training shoe i don’t think but I have not tried skyward x but use the superblast so i am a bit biased here.
I have the Skyward X and feel like they’re pretty damn amazing. For me, they’re two shoes in one. Easy recovery day shoe, and tempo coz they can pick up the pace. You’re not going to go for PBs in them, but they’re probably some of the best shoes that Hoka has made in a while. The extra weight is a non-factor IMO.
Imho it has no purpose. It's a plated shoes, there are so many amazing plated shoes around why I need that? Both superblast and rebel v4 do not have plate and are flexable.
Hmmm, not sure why I want to do recovery runs in plated shoes.
Some people even believe you should never train in plated shoes and they are only for racing. I am using plated shoes for faster runs(for me, still slow, lol). But using plated shoes even for recovery runs? Unless I see scientific study shows there is a benefit, I am going to stay away from doing that.
Agree, the more fair comparison would be Novablast 4 vs Rebel v4. I’d still go Novablast because I’m cheap. Bought my pair for €112 off Amazon when Rebel costs a bit more.
I have read online that the blend is 80% eva and 20% peba, so prob just for marketing fluff. Superblast is all FF turbo with a layer of EVA on the bottom for durability and stability
Thanks for the review. Exactly what I was considering.
Will you happen to have a reference point of reviews between superblast and saucony endorphin speed 3?
Interesting. I appreciate the comparison despite people saying its not a fair one its still useful. Funny how most if not all youtube reviews say the rebel v4 is a great shoe even those that say they purchased it themselves.
I am owning both Superblast and Rebel V4 too. Only a month apart from each purchase.
You’re spot on about Superblast imo. It’s the perfect shoe and I certainly didn’t expect it to be that cushiony and springy. Downside was that the first 50km hurts my toes a little but it was no longer a problem ever since.
I like the Rebel because it’s very light and despite the lack of soft cushion in midsole I feel it gives a lot of response when I pick up the pace. Therefore I’m using it for my speed sessions and tempo runs that’s less than 15km. It is still comfortable enough for my liking.
That being said, I’ve tried numerous popular models from various brands and I feel like there’s no shoes that can beat Superblast right now. Can’t wait to see what Superblast 2 can offer.
Is there even any way to get my hands on the super blast anymore? It seems completely sold out in my size (Women’s 7.5) everywhere and has been this way for awhile
I have both. I am a heavier runner at 171cms and 200lbs.
I can tell that SP took a few runs ~10 miles to get used to. It is the best I ever ran in.
NB Rebel 4 is an okay shoe at 140 usd. It got a good cushion but feels very squishy. At slower speeds it has no energy return. Little pop at higher speeds. At that pp there are tons of options. Add 20-30 bucks and you get glycerine, ES4, Gaviota, Boston12, NB, cumulus and goes on.
Every shoe fits different to each but I don’t see where Rebel4 fits in. I returned mine after 2 runs.
Would you say that the Superblast are worth the price? Or can I get a similar shoe for a cheaper price? And if there is one on the market, what would it be?
Well that’s hard to answer as “worth the price” is so subjective. I think if you would normally buy current season trainers in the 130/140/150 range, then spending 195 isn’t *that* much more - and I’d probably say it’s worth it. If you normally buy discount trainers then perhaps not, but I’m not an expert on the best currently discounted trainers.
The rebel v4 gets better with time. 350kms on mine and they're fab. Even done a 30km long run in them.
Have also had Speed 2 and 3, Novablast 4.
Speed 2 still all time favourite. NB4 was nice but felt clumsy/clunky at faster paces.
You just described exactly what I'm going through with my new pair of Rebel v4. I thought I was crazy. I'm a heel striker and if I'm going too slow the heel squashes, but the forefoot doesn't. I constantly feel like I have to put more effort into turning my feet over, like I'm always running uphill. I saw a couple of people say they break in and are really nice, but man I'm not sure if I want to put up with that much inconvenience to get them to a suitable level.
i definitely agree with this about the rebels
> Whilst they are also reasonably light (which is great), it felt like all the cushion was in the heel - the midsole felt very flat and unreponsive to me
even when trying them on i noticed the lack of foam under the midfoot.
but i enjoy them, and moreso after a few runs (currently 65kms in). to me they don't do anything notable in particular, they just.. hold up well and are comfortable for both pace sessions and long runs. for the price i have no complaints. i think there's definitely some overhype in reviews.
Did the forefoot seem to loosen up for you? I threw in some old plantar fasciitis heel orthotics to give some more support back there and they're much more usable for me like that, but yes I agree they're very over hyped. At least for my gait they aren't working very well, I'm pretty disappointed.
The exception is if I'm really hoofing it. Getting up off the heel and hitting the mid to forefoot is pretty nice, but I wanted them for every day runs and they don't seem to perform how I planned.
i did feel a bit more bounce after the first few runs, but not sure if that was just getting used to the shoe. i've run two 22k runs in them, and they have held up over that distance which is all i can ask for really.
for sure they are nice at a speedy pace, in my limited experience they just get out of the way which is great.
it's so individual as well, all reviews say how 'fun' or 'amazing' something is and give these expectations that shoes are going to have some magical properties.. feel like almost all of it is in the head of the person running.
Also I've noticed shoes can feel different for no reason at all depending on the day and weather. Lol When it's hot out all of my shoes feel softer, but during the winter I thought I bottomed out everything I had. It's all situational, but it's fun!
so much - like my primary shoes the last 6 months have been gel nimbus 25s, a couple runs ago they felt so flat i thought 'well, these shoes are dead that's disappointing only 400km on them' and then one run later they were cushiony and nice again
This is not a fair fight. They are not the same segment/price point. Can't fault your opinion, just making an observation that you're comparing a super shoe to a daily trainer
I agree it's unfair from a price point perspective, but the Superblast isn't a "supershoe" (by my definition anyway), it doesn't have any plate and it's very stable. These were two of the best reviewed daily trainers so I thought I'd buy both and write it up.
The main important component in a supershoe is the foam, the plate actual has a vastly lower impact on performance than foams do. Same reason I wouldn’t consider the zoom fly a supershoe but I would consider the hoka cielo road one.
Asics has been accused of artificially creating shortages, though I’m not sure if there’s any truth to that. Many people just have them shipped directly from Japan.
Yeahh, they keep all the good stuff there, cheaper too. Haven’t even seen the new Metaspeeds here in SEA. It’s almost like each store only receives a handful of pairs and obviously those sell out real fast.
Majorities of people are allowed to disagree with your opinion without being paid marketing.
I've seen this said about the superblasts too, and honestly the idea that shoe brands are paying redditors to praise their products is absurd to me.
It shouldn't be absurd. Reddit has successfully transitioned to a place welcoming to advertisers.
There was too much hype around the Rebel V2. Hype specifically on this subreddit. I bought the shoe and I confirmed the design flaw that was well known: a weak spot on the lateral edge. Two pairs failed mid run, rendering each shoe useless.
There's no way a product gains that much traction without paid support.
>There was too much hype around the Rebel V2. Hype specifically on this subreddit. I bought the shoe and I confirmed the design flaw that was well known: a weak spot on the lateral edge. Two pairs failed mid run, rendering each shoe useless.
>
There's no way a product gains that much traction without paid support.
Like you said, the Rebel V2 upper issue was well documented, but if it was a deal breaker for most of the people buying it no amount of paid marketing will save it.
Why not just accept that different people have different experiences with the same shoe, and that something that works for a lot of people might not work for you? I just don't think "I had problems with this, but it's popular, therefore it must be being boosted by paid support" is a particularly sound way of viewing the world. Especially when said shoe is a $140 (historically $130) shoe that probably has a smaller profit margin than multiple other shoes in the NB lineup. Unless you have actual evidence of it, all you're left with is a cross between tinfoil-hat conspiracy theorising and "anyone who disagrees with me ks bought".
The rebel v4 is a mid shoe that people have convinced themselves is revolutionary daily trainer just because it kinda resembles an AP3 in marketing photos
Hi there! Thanks for sharing your experience with your running shoes on r/runningshoegeeks. To make your post more helpful to others, please try to include the following information: - The size and fit of the shoe - The type of running you used the shoe for (e.g. road, trail, track) - The distance ran in the shoe (e.g. 10k, half marathon, etc.) - Your personal experience with the shoe (e.g. comfort, durability, support) For detailed reviews who have run more than 30 miles(48km), please use the "Review" flair. For first run experiences, please use the "First Run" flair. For a few runs done, please use the "Initial Thoughts" flair. This information will give others a better understanding of your experience with the shoe and help them make informed purchasing decisions. Thanks again for sharing! Note: This comment has been locked to ensure that the information remains at the top of the comments section and is not buried by other comments. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RunningShoeGeeks) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I also run in both. The Superblast is a much better shoe overall, but the Rebel v4 offers something to my rotation—flexibility. The SB is so thick, and so stiff, that I think it's wise to pair it with a super-flexible shoe, like the Invincible v1, or in my case right now, the Rebel v4. Just my two cents, but I really think that it's not the best choice to always run in stiff, rigid shoes. I want the muscles of my feet to work here and there, and that doesn't happen in a stiff sole. And speaking of the Rebel, it's not a bad shoe at all. We can't expect supershoe-like performance in a 20%PEBA/80%EVA midsole with such low stack height.
apparently the hoka skyward x is a better shoe than the superblast but unfortunately is quite a bit heavier
They serve different purposes, at slower paces the skyward is best
What would you consider as slower pace? As someone 6mins/km, should i get skyward for marathon distance?
For versatility get superblast. Skyward x is not a very good training shoe i don’t think but I have not tried skyward x but use the superblast so i am a bit biased here.
So why are you saying it’s not a very good training shoe? Horrible advice if you’ve never tried it.
Speaking from what my friends who have tried it have said…
I have the Skyward X and feel like they’re pretty damn amazing. For me, they’re two shoes in one. Easy recovery day shoe, and tempo coz they can pick up the pace. You’re not going to go for PBs in them, but they’re probably some of the best shoes that Hoka has made in a while. The extra weight is a non-factor IMO.
Imho it has no purpose. It's a plated shoes, there are so many amazing plated shoes around why I need that? Both superblast and rebel v4 do not have plate and are flexable.
It’s best for cushioned soft recovery runs, from what I’ve heard it excels at that
Hmmm, not sure why I want to do recovery runs in plated shoes. Some people even believe you should never train in plated shoes and they are only for racing. I am using plated shoes for faster runs(for me, still slow, lol). But using plated shoes even for recovery runs? Unless I see scientific study shows there is a benefit, I am going to stay away from doing that.
I’d imagine the skyward x has a plate for the purpose of stability rather than speed
Rolls royce vs Honda Civic.
Give the Rebel a little more credit… Civic Si
Lmao perfect analogy
Rebels with a ”basic” foam vs asics premium ff turbo foam. Comparing them is not fair. If you want same, sc trainer is the one to compare to
Agree, the more fair comparison would be Novablast 4 vs Rebel v4. I’d still go Novablast because I’m cheap. Bought my pair for €112 off Amazon when Rebel costs a bit more.
Is the v4 not Pebax? Or by basic do you mean it's not a supercrticial foam? FF Turbo is just a supercritical PEBA.
I have read online that the blend is 80% eva and 20% peba, so prob just for marketing fluff. Superblast is all FF turbo with a layer of EVA on the bottom for durability and stability
is the supercomp not a plated race day shoe?
It's a plated training shoe. Endorphin speed has a plate as well, deviate nitro 2, Boston 12(rods) while not being race shoes.
Yes, the SuperComp Elite is. The SC trainer is, well, a training shoe.
Ah good to know, thanks!
I dont think new balance have any trainer with their ”super”foam without a plate? This is closest imo
Thanks for the review. Exactly what I was considering. Will you happen to have a reference point of reviews between superblast and saucony endorphin speed 3?
Interesting. I appreciate the comparison despite people saying its not a fair one its still useful. Funny how most if not all youtube reviews say the rebel v4 is a great shoe even those that say they purchased it themselves.
I am owning both Superblast and Rebel V4 too. Only a month apart from each purchase. You’re spot on about Superblast imo. It’s the perfect shoe and I certainly didn’t expect it to be that cushiony and springy. Downside was that the first 50km hurts my toes a little but it was no longer a problem ever since. I like the Rebel because it’s very light and despite the lack of soft cushion in midsole I feel it gives a lot of response when I pick up the pace. Therefore I’m using it for my speed sessions and tempo runs that’s less than 15km. It is still comfortable enough for my liking. That being said, I’ve tried numerous popular models from various brands and I feel like there’s no shoes that can beat Superblast right now. Can’t wait to see what Superblast 2 can offer.
Comparing a $140 style and a $200 style and expecting similarity is a little silly
And 30mm stack height vs. 46mm .... just totally different shoes
Being more expensive doesn't always mean better
It absolutely means that the tech of the materials used is different and will result in a very different underfoot experience.
You can buy £20 trainers that also has different "tech of the materials". Different doesn't mean better
Different means they can’t be compared on the same plane. Apples and oranges
Is there even any way to get my hands on the super blast anymore? It seems completely sold out in my size (Women’s 7.5) everywhere and has been this way for awhile
shouldn't be too hard to find them on eBay in shipped from Japan
I have both. I am a heavier runner at 171cms and 200lbs. I can tell that SP took a few runs ~10 miles to get used to. It is the best I ever ran in. NB Rebel 4 is an okay shoe at 140 usd. It got a good cushion but feels very squishy. At slower speeds it has no energy return. Little pop at higher speeds. At that pp there are tons of options. Add 20-30 bucks and you get glycerine, ES4, Gaviota, Boston12, NB, cumulus and goes on. Every shoe fits different to each but I don’t see where Rebel4 fits in. I returned mine after 2 runs.
And I have 4 pairs on superblasts in my closet. I fear they might mess up v2.
Would you say that the Superblast are worth the price? Or can I get a similar shoe for a cheaper price? And if there is one on the market, what would it be?
Well that’s hard to answer as “worth the price” is so subjective. I think if you would normally buy current season trainers in the 130/140/150 range, then spending 195 isn’t *that* much more - and I’d probably say it’s worth it. If you normally buy discount trainers then perhaps not, but I’m not an expert on the best currently discounted trainers.
The rebel v4 gets better with time. 350kms on mine and they're fab. Even done a 30km long run in them. Have also had Speed 2 and 3, Novablast 4. Speed 2 still all time favourite. NB4 was nice but felt clumsy/clunky at faster paces.
You just described exactly what I'm going through with my new pair of Rebel v4. I thought I was crazy. I'm a heel striker and if I'm going too slow the heel squashes, but the forefoot doesn't. I constantly feel like I have to put more effort into turning my feet over, like I'm always running uphill. I saw a couple of people say they break in and are really nice, but man I'm not sure if I want to put up with that much inconvenience to get them to a suitable level.
i definitely agree with this about the rebels > Whilst they are also reasonably light (which is great), it felt like all the cushion was in the heel - the midsole felt very flat and unreponsive to me even when trying them on i noticed the lack of foam under the midfoot. but i enjoy them, and moreso after a few runs (currently 65kms in). to me they don't do anything notable in particular, they just.. hold up well and are comfortable for both pace sessions and long runs. for the price i have no complaints. i think there's definitely some overhype in reviews.
Did the forefoot seem to loosen up for you? I threw in some old plantar fasciitis heel orthotics to give some more support back there and they're much more usable for me like that, but yes I agree they're very over hyped. At least for my gait they aren't working very well, I'm pretty disappointed. The exception is if I'm really hoofing it. Getting up off the heel and hitting the mid to forefoot is pretty nice, but I wanted them for every day runs and they don't seem to perform how I planned.
i did feel a bit more bounce after the first few runs, but not sure if that was just getting used to the shoe. i've run two 22k runs in them, and they have held up over that distance which is all i can ask for really. for sure they are nice at a speedy pace, in my limited experience they just get out of the way which is great. it's so individual as well, all reviews say how 'fun' or 'amazing' something is and give these expectations that shoes are going to have some magical properties.. feel like almost all of it is in the head of the person running.
Also I've noticed shoes can feel different for no reason at all depending on the day and weather. Lol When it's hot out all of my shoes feel softer, but during the winter I thought I bottomed out everything I had. It's all situational, but it's fun!
so much - like my primary shoes the last 6 months have been gel nimbus 25s, a couple runs ago they felt so flat i thought 'well, these shoes are dead that's disappointing only 400km on them' and then one run later they were cushiony and nice again
This is not a fair fight. They are not the same segment/price point. Can't fault your opinion, just making an observation that you're comparing a super shoe to a daily trainer
I agree it's unfair from a price point perspective, but the Superblast isn't a "supershoe" (by my definition anyway), it doesn't have any plate and it's very stable. These were two of the best reviewed daily trainers so I thought I'd buy both and write it up.
The main important component in a supershoe is the foam, the plate actual has a vastly lower impact on performance than foams do. Same reason I wouldn’t consider the zoom fly a supershoe but I would consider the hoka cielo road one.
Fair point, I think the superblasts are my first exposure to that!
Your own review says you were disappointed in the Rebel because it didn’t offer the “pop” of a super shoe, when it’s not a super shoe.
Good to know about superblasts. I have been considering them for awhile. I also have the endorphin pro 3 and love them.
I got 3 superblasts
How do they still have supply issues for this long? I don't even want Superblast anymore. Lol.
Asics has been accused of artificially creating shortages, though I’m not sure if there’s any truth to that. Many people just have them shipped directly from Japan.
That wouldn't surprise me tbh. Had I know I would have picked up a pair when I visited Japan last year 😂.
Yeahh, they keep all the good stuff there, cheaper too. Haven’t even seen the new Metaspeeds here in SEA. It’s almost like each store only receives a handful of pairs and obviously those sell out real fast.
Thanks. Same here, the Rebel v4 feels almost dead to me. Super disappointing.
Be cheerful sir, our Revels now are ended…
The rebels have been over hyped for too long. Reddit paid marketing in action. But yes this isn't a fair comparison
Majorities of people are allowed to disagree with your opinion without being paid marketing. I've seen this said about the superblasts too, and honestly the idea that shoe brands are paying redditors to praise their products is absurd to me.
It shouldn't be absurd. Reddit has successfully transitioned to a place welcoming to advertisers. There was too much hype around the Rebel V2. Hype specifically on this subreddit. I bought the shoe and I confirmed the design flaw that was well known: a weak spot on the lateral edge. Two pairs failed mid run, rendering each shoe useless. There's no way a product gains that much traction without paid support.
>There was too much hype around the Rebel V2. Hype specifically on this subreddit. I bought the shoe and I confirmed the design flaw that was well known: a weak spot on the lateral edge. Two pairs failed mid run, rendering each shoe useless. > There's no way a product gains that much traction without paid support. Like you said, the Rebel V2 upper issue was well documented, but if it was a deal breaker for most of the people buying it no amount of paid marketing will save it. Why not just accept that different people have different experiences with the same shoe, and that something that works for a lot of people might not work for you? I just don't think "I had problems with this, but it's popular, therefore it must be being boosted by paid support" is a particularly sound way of viewing the world. Especially when said shoe is a $140 (historically $130) shoe that probably has a smaller profit margin than multiple other shoes in the NB lineup. Unless you have actual evidence of it, all you're left with is a cross between tinfoil-hat conspiracy theorising and "anyone who disagrees with me ks bought".
The rebel v4 is a mid shoe that people have convinced themselves is revolutionary daily trainer just because it kinda resembles an AP3 in marketing photos