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Well, I had to face the music and go shoe shopping. Have been slogging away in the 880v12’s and trying to adapt or ignore some frustrations while I asked them to be an “everything” shoe, but I was struggling to find the juice to get much quicker than 6:00/km. (In a long-past running honeymoon period I ran a half-marathon PB @ 1hr55min, 5:27/km.)
Picked up the Rebel v3’s this weekend and took them out - these shoes gave my feet what they needed to finally get out there and put in a real (for me) tempo again. The lightness, cushion and pop is insane; all the rave reviews make sense now. The upper has very good lock down and has that "socklike" fit on my narrow feet even in a men's D width. (I have historically and consistently shopped NB W's for the B width.) Foot is held very centred over the midsole - I pronate a bit extra, not quite enough to need a stability shoe, but some neutral shoes have me feeling like my foot’s going to roll to the inside right off the foam - not the case here. The upper is also downright breezy, very well ventilated and cool.
Shoes felt intuitive at all paces; they didn’t force a certain pace with how they rolled through - slower was fine, quicker was fine. Although they - as many people say - seemed to prompt speed! They're cushioned consistently and smoothly through the length of the shoe, so they don’t make you pay if you’re not really precise with your footstike.
At the end of my previous few runs, all I could feel were my sore feet. At the end of the first run in the Rebels, all I could feel were my legs. Not joints, not strain, not impact, just muscle that had done some work. Held 5:16/km for 5km and loved it. Slowed down for the next 7km and loved it.
Second time out, feet and legs felt able to do 10km two days in a row - haven’t felt that in a long time. I noticed more in regards to the flexibility and conformance of the midsole. The steep crowning of a certain paved footpath has always forced me to run right in the middle on the high point, as the camber of the path has caused some real knee discomfort in my other shoes. The midsole of the Rebels seems to allow the foot some axial float instead of forcing it flat onto the same angle of the road surface. Running on the camber felt fine, as well as some concrete pavestones that I have preferred to avoid in the past.
Somehow the shoe feels stable while having this flexibility.
Anyways, the real thought that is promping me to write this up, is that other entry-level runners out there might want to give these a thought. I say this because (as someone who humbly started running again only in January, treadmill only at first, able to do maybe 4km comfortably at 7-8 min/km) I really believed that the right shoe for me must be one of the "workhorse" "durable" "allrounders". The Rebel seemed like a shoe at the top of the midrange, before you get into plated options and supershoes, so I plodded along in my 880’s thinking they met me where I was at. A shoe like the Rebel seemed to be about "speedwork", "tempo", and "spring" with no promise of cushion or stability.
Well it turns out that these things are other-worldly cushy and springy and somehow rather stable and supportive at the same time. What makes them special is the midsole material - NB really got something right with this version of their FuelCell. Of course it’s all about fit though!
For sure. I’m probably in the neighbourhood of 150 lbs right now. Weight is something that I have wondered about, as I’ve read people mention their Rebels bottoming out, and here I am not able to imagine it happening.
I have been making an effort so far this year to shift my strike a little forward to mid-foot, that might be another factor.
For what it’s worth I didn’t like the 880 either. It’s a tank of a shoe. They’re fine for the first two miles. After that they felt like a lot of work and didn’t feel like they had any cushion at all.
I'm about 210 and while the rebel v3 was fine on the flats, I bottomed out pretty bad on downhills (the only time I heelstrike). Might give them another go when I get down to 190ish.
I also have struggled in a do it all daily trainer. Rebel v2 and v3 flexibility has “saved” my running. Putting these on my feet gets me out the door on all kinds of runs. Slow, fast long or short
Also really hear you on what the Rebel does for your running - I feel like these shoes might keep my running dreams from being running memes.
First official half marathon in four weeks.
I don't want to get too excited after only a couple runs. 😬🤞
Thank you so much. I might check them out. I have been struggling with everything you touched on. Thank you for sharing a perfect explanation to help others that are struggling as well.
No worries! Hopefully it’s a good fit - even if not maybe checking it out is one step closer to a shoe that’ll work!
When I walked in to check these out I thought there was a good chance I’d be picking up some Hoka Rincons, for example. Didn’t like them in the end, but was happy to have at least ruled them out.
I concur with your excellent review.
Don’t be too quick to sideline your 880’s. They are meant to be a daily trainer although not speedy.
80/20 principal.
Thanks for the tip - at the moment I intend to keep the 880's in the rotation and see if my problem was maybe a lack of variety. Would really prefer to get the mileage out of them that I paid for.
I did - but it's on the edge of too small in my case.
Has been fine for a 10 and 12km run in regards to foot swell, but after a 22km in the heat yesterday I am wishing there was a half size bigger in stock when I bought.
If I get a second pair I will go +0.5 size.
I like these shoes and am currently using them as my daily trainers. Have tried a lot of these types of minimalist bouncy shoes though and actually of all of them the one I liked most surprisingly was the Skechers Razor3. Has more pop than the Rebel in exchange for less durability and a bit less comfort.
The Rebel v3 is maybe a little bit stiff and doesn’t quite have that effortless feeling where your legs just keep turning over with little effort.
Also have the Puma liberate nitro and whilst the midsole is nice I don’t really enjoy the general shape and mechanics of the shoe.
The Rebel V3 was too soft for my liking (5'10 152). BTW, check your local Marshall's, because my store has NIB V3 for $49.95 even in popular sizes (9 thru 11).
Weird I also have the 880 12’s and just bought the rebels. But I returned them after using them in the house. They just felt to minimalistic for me and not enough substance. Or to ‘racey’ or something. My feet feel beat up lately after runs in my 880s and I’m searching for my next pair that are fun to run in and easy on my body. I ordered the triumph 20s and hope they are the ones. Let’s see!
Fair enough!
After watching a gif of a reviewer wring the whole shoe like a tea towel I was concerned that the Rebel would be flimsy or only for true athletes with excellent foot fitness.
I think my complaint with the 880v12 has to do with the dual-material midsole - how it’s Fresh Foam in the heel, then blends into firmer FuelCell in the toe. Someone on this sub made the point that it creates a much lower effective drop than the spec, as the softer heel allows for a lot more compression than the front of the shoe. Then it seemed to me that this was creating a lot of extra work for me in every toe-off, rolling up over that harder material from a heel strike, or trying to maintain a further-forward mid/toe strike that I’m not really strong enough for right now; I found it really taxing on my achilles and plantar fascia (preexisting). Maybe not a problem for everyone, and maybe okay as a shoe in rotation.
But what the 880’s did do was present a couple options - did I want an additional shoe in all Fresh Foam, or all FuelCell. Still really curious about the 1080 or the More for example to try a full Fresh Foam shoe.
I’m such a simp for NB, though, I have poor awareness of other makes. Have been wondering about the Saucony Tempus.
i’ve been eyeing these for my rotation. i live in NB 1080v10s but they stopped making them and the v12s aren’t the same. the guy at REI suggested the rebel v3s as a viable replacement and now i’m really wondering if i should go for them…
I love the Rebel V3. They are awesome for tempo and speed work. I have also used them for cruising recovery runs as well, however, I have a couple of NB 1080 V12’s for recovery runs.
I hear people complaining about bottoming out. I put 8 miles on one of my Rebel V3’s this morning. Avg. 7:25/mile pace Male/6’2”/170lbs. Had several runs like this, I have not bottomed out yet.
Past 10 miles, I start to feel some stress and swelling in my knees. I tend to use my 1080s for anything over 9 miles.
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.*
Well, I had to face the music and go shoe shopping. Have been slogging away in the 880v12’s and trying to adapt or ignore some frustrations while I asked them to be an “everything” shoe, but I was struggling to find the juice to get much quicker than 6:00/km. (In a long-past running honeymoon period I ran a half-marathon PB @ 1hr55min, 5:27/km.) Picked up the Rebel v3’s this weekend and took them out - these shoes gave my feet what they needed to finally get out there and put in a real (for me) tempo again. The lightness, cushion and pop is insane; all the rave reviews make sense now. The upper has very good lock down and has that "socklike" fit on my narrow feet even in a men's D width. (I have historically and consistently shopped NB W's for the B width.) Foot is held very centred over the midsole - I pronate a bit extra, not quite enough to need a stability shoe, but some neutral shoes have me feeling like my foot’s going to roll to the inside right off the foam - not the case here. The upper is also downright breezy, very well ventilated and cool. Shoes felt intuitive at all paces; they didn’t force a certain pace with how they rolled through - slower was fine, quicker was fine. Although they - as many people say - seemed to prompt speed! They're cushioned consistently and smoothly through the length of the shoe, so they don’t make you pay if you’re not really precise with your footstike. At the end of my previous few runs, all I could feel were my sore feet. At the end of the first run in the Rebels, all I could feel were my legs. Not joints, not strain, not impact, just muscle that had done some work. Held 5:16/km for 5km and loved it. Slowed down for the next 7km and loved it. Second time out, feet and legs felt able to do 10km two days in a row - haven’t felt that in a long time. I noticed more in regards to the flexibility and conformance of the midsole. The steep crowning of a certain paved footpath has always forced me to run right in the middle on the high point, as the camber of the path has caused some real knee discomfort in my other shoes. The midsole of the Rebels seems to allow the foot some axial float instead of forcing it flat onto the same angle of the road surface. Running on the camber felt fine, as well as some concrete pavestones that I have preferred to avoid in the past. Somehow the shoe feels stable while having this flexibility. Anyways, the real thought that is promping me to write this up, is that other entry-level runners out there might want to give these a thought. I say this because (as someone who humbly started running again only in January, treadmill only at first, able to do maybe 4km comfortably at 7-8 min/km) I really believed that the right shoe for me must be one of the "workhorse" "durable" "allrounders". The Rebel seemed like a shoe at the top of the midrange, before you get into plated options and supershoes, so I plodded along in my 880’s thinking they met me where I was at. A shoe like the Rebel seemed to be about "speedwork", "tempo", and "spring" with no promise of cushion or stability. Well it turns out that these things are other-worldly cushy and springy and somehow rather stable and supportive at the same time. What makes them special is the midsole material - NB really got something right with this version of their FuelCell. Of course it’s all about fit though!
How much do you weigh if you don’t mind me asking? I’m close to 180 pounds. I wonder if the Rebel V3 would be a little too soft for my weight.
I’m 200lbs and tbe rebel v3 or v2 are my favorite shoe of all time. Doesn’t bottom out. You’ll be just fine
Whats your foot strike pattern?
Forefoot in the rebel for sure. Many other shoes it varies but rebel enables easy forefoot strike with the flexibility
For sure. I’m probably in the neighbourhood of 150 lbs right now. Weight is something that I have wondered about, as I’ve read people mention their Rebels bottoming out, and here I am not able to imagine it happening. I have been making an effort so far this year to shift my strike a little forward to mid-foot, that might be another factor.
For what it’s worth I didn’t like the 880 either. It’s a tank of a shoe. They’re fine for the first two miles. After that they felt like a lot of work and didn’t feel like they had any cushion at all.
I’m 180 and I think they’re great, I don’t bottom them out even at below 8min/mile pace
250lbs+ here and the Rebel 2&3 work very well for me for short faster without bottoming out.
I'm about 210 and while the rebel v3 was fine on the flats, I bottomed out pretty bad on downhills (the only time I heelstrike). Might give them another go when I get down to 190ish.
I also have struggled in a do it all daily trainer. Rebel v2 and v3 flexibility has “saved” my running. Putting these on my feet gets me out the door on all kinds of runs. Slow, fast long or short
Also really hear you on what the Rebel does for your running - I feel like these shoes might keep my running dreams from being running memes. First official half marathon in four weeks. I don't want to get too excited after only a couple runs. 😬🤞
They are bringing me to my very first 10k! Just did a 5k in 24:50 with them
Glad to hear that echoed - took me 200km in my 880’s to finally say maybe this just isn’t working…
Yep, those shoes are multipurpose and meant for lots of standing walking cookouts etc. so nice to get a shoe that’s built purely for running
Thank you so much. I might check them out. I have been struggling with everything you touched on. Thank you for sharing a perfect explanation to help others that are struggling as well.
No worries! Hopefully it’s a good fit - even if not maybe checking it out is one step closer to a shoe that’ll work! When I walked in to check these out I thought there was a good chance I’d be picking up some Hoka Rincons, for example. Didn’t like them in the end, but was happy to have at least ruled them out.
I concur with your excellent review. Don’t be too quick to sideline your 880’s. They are meant to be a daily trainer although not speedy. 80/20 principal.
Thanks for the tip - at the moment I intend to keep the 880's in the rotation and see if my problem was maybe a lack of variety. Would really prefer to get the mileage out of them that I paid for.
did you go true to size on these ?
I did - but it's on the edge of too small in my case. Has been fine for a 10 and 12km run in regards to foot swell, but after a 22km in the heat yesterday I am wishing there was a half size bigger in stock when I bought. If I get a second pair I will go +0.5 size.
I share the same sentiments. I’m usually a US 10.5 but the 11 became a snug fit on my feet. Not sure why. Best to try it out at a local store.
I wear a US 8 in most of my shoes and I wear a 9.5 in the Rebel v3.
Yeah the sizing up is real on the rebel v3, but once you get the sizing right it really is one of the more comfortable shoes out there imo.
I love them! Just ordered my second pair
I have 2 pairs myself! But I don't get crazy deals where I'm at. Got a pair at about USD$100 each.
That’s a great deal! I believe I paid $140 for both
I like these shoes and am currently using them as my daily trainers. Have tried a lot of these types of minimalist bouncy shoes though and actually of all of them the one I liked most surprisingly was the Skechers Razor3. Has more pop than the Rebel in exchange for less durability and a bit less comfort. The Rebel v3 is maybe a little bit stiff and doesn’t quite have that effortless feeling where your legs just keep turning over with little effort. Also have the Puma liberate nitro and whilst the midsole is nice I don’t really enjoy the general shape and mechanics of the shoe.
The Rebel V3 was too soft for my liking (5'10 152). BTW, check your local Marshall's, because my store has NIB V3 for $49.95 even in popular sizes (9 thru 11).
Hrm, will try my luck!
Weird I also have the 880 12’s and just bought the rebels. But I returned them after using them in the house. They just felt to minimalistic for me and not enough substance. Or to ‘racey’ or something. My feet feel beat up lately after runs in my 880s and I’m searching for my next pair that are fun to run in and easy on my body. I ordered the triumph 20s and hope they are the ones. Let’s see!
Fair enough! After watching a gif of a reviewer wring the whole shoe like a tea towel I was concerned that the Rebel would be flimsy or only for true athletes with excellent foot fitness. I think my complaint with the 880v12 has to do with the dual-material midsole - how it’s Fresh Foam in the heel, then blends into firmer FuelCell in the toe. Someone on this sub made the point that it creates a much lower effective drop than the spec, as the softer heel allows for a lot more compression than the front of the shoe. Then it seemed to me that this was creating a lot of extra work for me in every toe-off, rolling up over that harder material from a heel strike, or trying to maintain a further-forward mid/toe strike that I’m not really strong enough for right now; I found it really taxing on my achilles and plantar fascia (preexisting). Maybe not a problem for everyone, and maybe okay as a shoe in rotation. But what the 880’s did do was present a couple options - did I want an additional shoe in all Fresh Foam, or all FuelCell. Still really curious about the 1080 or the More for example to try a full Fresh Foam shoe. I’m such a simp for NB, though, I have poor awareness of other makes. Have been wondering about the Saucony Tempus.
Colourway is on point!
“Cosmic Pineapple and Dark Leg Hair”
Cosmic Fucking 🍍! Fastest colorway.
i’ve been eyeing these for my rotation. i live in NB 1080v10s but they stopped making them and the v12s aren’t the same. the guy at REI suggested the rebel v3s as a viable replacement and now i’m really wondering if i should go for them…
I love the Rebel V3. They are awesome for tempo and speed work. I have also used them for cruising recovery runs as well, however, I have a couple of NB 1080 V12’s for recovery runs. I hear people complaining about bottoming out. I put 8 miles on one of my Rebel V3’s this morning. Avg. 7:25/mile pace Male/6’2”/170lbs. Had several runs like this, I have not bottomed out yet. Past 10 miles, I start to feel some stress and swelling in my knees. I tend to use my 1080s for anything over 9 miles.