"Rebel rebel put on your dress" sings Bowie in his 1974 hit about his infatuation with a contrarian lover. He is magnetised, perhaps uncertain of why, but enough to make a declaration of his affection at the end of the chorus. The fifth in the lineage of New Balance's FuelCell Rebel range feels inspired by Mr. Bowie's lyricism, taking the v4 and dressing it up in a neater looking package.

But is it "Your face is a mess" or "I love you so” for the Rebel? Ahead of their release later this week, New Balance hooked Luca up with an early pair of their latest. Here is a collection of his thoughts in what could be called a [p]Review.

Starting at face value, kudos to New Balance for the improved aesthetics here. The catchily named “Angora with earth shadow and sea salt” colourway has been leading their marketing campaigns, touted as a shoe that can go from tempo run to coffee shop. The previous edition wasn’t a bad looking shoe by any stretch, but the v5 is even better.

"If my legs feel tired but I am doing a faster session, this is my go-to option in my lineup currently… when I want something faster but soft without being super aggressive”. This can be put partially down to the increase in overall cushioning with 5mm extra under-foot vs. the v4. A minor (~10g) weight-increase is expected but, at under 230g, you’d be mad to call this heavy.

The drop remains at 6mm according to NB, keeping things “light, snappy, bouncy, getting the mental benefit of feeling quick, with the softness to be comfy”

“I have a wider mid-foot where I sometimes am struggling to find a shoe with a nice fit” says Luca “but the v5 feels great. I’ve gone a half-size up from my regular running-shoe size, but feel like I have no restriction or tightness”. This can also be helped by a light weight upper which gave no signs of hot foot on hot runs, or any sense that there may be blister-points or hotspots.

“Since getting my pair, I’ve been using them for Tempo runs, longer efforts and shorter easy runs. I prefer something more secure and supportive for a long run because I have a mild pronation and feel the need for a little more protection for this.  Up to 15km felt great, potentially I wanted more support for longer than this but didn't feel bad”

Given the style, they would suit multi-use-cases like casual wear as well as running, but “Too soft for the gym” was what Luca told me, almost with sadness. But “other than that, the perfect holiday shoe”.

The New Balance Rebel v5 will launch 1st July. Sign up for our Rebel Hangout events including Tuesday Block Race and Rebel Sundays Long Run here.

Great for:

A do-it-all shoe for everything from speed to easy via the coffee-shop for runners who are seeking a lightweight option for the shorter and faster elements of their running.

Verdict:

Snappy and versatile,

£140

Available in: Angora with Earth shadow and sea salt

Weight: 227g*

Drop: 6mm

Support: Neutral

Available in-store and online at runlimited.co/ from 1st july

*Weight based on a UK size 8.