adidas Adizero Evo SL EXO vs New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5
These two get cross-shopped more than any other pair in the plateless super trainer category, and for good reason. Both are light, bouncy daily trainers that make you want to run faster than you planned to. Neither has a carbon plate. Both sit in the same slot in a rotation. adidas even names the Rebel directly in its own Evo SL product copy, which tells you how close the two are.
Here is the honest comparison, with measured numbers rather than brand claims.
The numbers
Both sets of figures below were measured by Running Warehouse using the same method on men's pairs, so they are directly comparable to each other. That matters more than it sounds, because most spec comparisons online mix brand-stated numbers with independently measured ones and end up comparing nothing.
| adidas Adizero Evo SL EXO | New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 8.3 oz / 235 g | 7.9 oz / 224 g |
| Heel stack | 37 mm | 38 mm |
| Forefoot stack | 30 mm | 32 mm |
| Drop | 7 mm | 6 mm |
| Midsole foam | Lightstrike Pro, full length | FuelCell |
| Plate | None | None |
| Widths | D only | D and 2E |
Width is the real decision
Start here, because for a lot of runners it ends here too. New Balance sells the Rebel v5 in a 2E wide. adidas does not offer a wide anywhere in the Evo SL line, including the EXO. It is a single D width on a last that tapers to a mildly narrow forefoot.
If your feet are genuinely wide, that settles it. Going half a size up in the EXO buys you some length and a little room, and plenty of wide-footed runners do exactly that and get on fine. It is still a workaround rather than a wide last. The Rebel gives you the actual thing.
If your feet are narrow to average, width stops being a factor and the rest of the comparison opens up.
How the ride differs
The Rebel is lighter by about half an ounce and sits 1 mm taller at the heel and 2 mm taller at the forefoot. Its lower drop of 6 mm against the EXO's 7 mm puts a little more load toward the forefoot.
On foot, the EXO reads lower and more connected to the road. It is the shoe you want if you like feeling the surface and changing direction quickly. The Rebel reads a touch softer and springier underfoot, helped by the extra forefoot stack.
The bigger difference is up top, and it is the whole reason the EXO exists. The standard Evo SL drew one consistent complaint, which was that the soft mesh upper felt loose when you pushed the pace. The EXOSKELETON cage across the midfoot fixes that. If you have run in a Rebel and wanted more lockdown through the middle of the shoe, the EXO is the more secure upper of the two. Our EXO explainer goes deeper on what the cage actually does.
Where the EXO loses
Outsole durability. Independent lab testing at RunRepeat measured the Evo SL's outsole rubber at roughly half the category average thickness and softer than average, which means it wears faster than a normal daily trainer. If you log high mileage and you judge a shoe by how long it lasts, weigh that seriously.
Stability is the other one. The EXO has a narrow midsole and almost no built-in guidance. It is a neutral shoe for neutral runners. The Rebel is also neutral, so neither is a support shoe, though the Rebel's wider platform gives a little more underfoot.
Do the Evo SL EXO run true to size?
Yes for narrow to average feet. Wide feet and longer runs are the two reasons to go half a size up, which is the same advice the standard Evo SL gets. The cage tightens the midfoot and does not take room from the toes. The EXO sizing guide has the size-by-size breakdown and the EXO review covers the ride.
So which one?
Take the Rebel v5 if you have wide feet, if you want the lighter shoe, or if you prefer a slightly softer forefoot.
Take the Evo SL EXO if your feet are narrow to average, if you want the lower and more connected ride, or if lockdown at speed is what you have been missing. It is also the one to take if you want Lightstrike Pro specifically, since that foam is the same compound adidas uses in its elite racing shoes and there is no equivalent on the New Balance side.
For the women's pair on the same platform:
The full lineup is in the Adizero Evo SL collection and the wider category in Running Shoes. For how the EXO stacks up against the rest of the field, see Evo SL EXO vs the competition, and the complete Evo SL guide maps every version of the model.
Verified in Portland
Every pair is authentic, authenticated in-house, and shipped the next business day from Portland, Oregon. Verified & Shipped.
— Anthony from West Coast Deals