ShoeGeometry

New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail v2 vs VJ Ultra 3

Two shoes compared on measured geometry. Each cell carries a provenance badge; open a shoe for sources.

heel boneNew Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail v2: heel 39 mm, forefoot 31 mm (drop 8 mm); toe rocker 38 % of length, radius 51 % of length; heel bevel 12 % of length, 21 mm high at the back, ending about under the heel bone.New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail v2: toe rocker 38 % of lengthVJ Ultra 3: heel 38 mm, forefoot 30 mm (drop 8 mm); toe rocker not measured, typical shape drawn; heel bevel 12 % of length, 20 mm high at the back, ending about under the heel bone.
  • New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail v239/31 mm · toe rocker 38 % · heel bevel 12 %
  • VJ Ultra 338/30 mm · toe rocker not measured · heel bevel 12 %
Illustrative profiles, not photographs: drawn from published stack heights and photo estimates of the unloaded shoes on a common length (300 mm), heels aligned, toe to the left; dots mark where each toe rocker starts; the dotted vertical line is under the heel bone (12 % of length), so a heel curve reaching past it is a bevel in front of the heel bone. Dotted lines use typical values where a shoe has no measurement. Exact values are in the table below.

Which suits you

If you wantPickBecause
More cushioning under the heelAbout the same39 vs 38 mm heel stack
More under the forefootAbout the same31 vs 30 mm forefoot stack
A lower dropAbout the same8 vs 8 mm drop

From the values below, with differences inside measurement noise shown as about the same. This describes the shoes, not what is right for your feet; comfort in the first few runs decides.

MetricNew Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail v2
Trail · Trail
VJ Ultra 3
Trail · Trail
Heel-to-toe drop8 mmStated8 mmDerived
Heel stack39 mmStated38 mmStated
Forefoot stack31 mmStated30 mmStated
Weight278 gStated265 gStated
Toe rocker38 %est.—
Rocker radius51 %est.—
Rocker rise angle27 degest.—
Rocker angle at toe68 degest.—
Toe tip over ground36 mm*est.41 mmest.
Visible rocker lift onset71.7 %est.—
Toe spring (relative)20.3 %est.18.4 %est.
Heel bevel length12.5 %est.12.1 %est.
Heel bevel height21 mm*est.20 mmest.
PlateCarbon plateRock plate
Primary foamFuelCell (PEBA blend)SuperFOAMance (nitrogen-infused supercritical EVA)
List price$220$190

Key differences

  • Heel-to-toe drop is about the same: 8 mm for New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail v2, 8 mm for VJ Ultra 3.
  • New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail v2's heel stack is 39 mm, 1 mm thicker than VJ Ultra 3's 38 mm.
  • New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail v2's forefoot stack is 31 mm, 1 mm thicker than VJ Ultra 3's 30 mm.
  • New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail v2's weight is 278 g, 13 g heavier than VJ Ultra 3's 265 g.

Read more about both shoes

We measure the shape. For how they feel over many miles, and for lab tests of cushioning, grip and fit:

New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail v2

VJ Ultra 3

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New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail v2 details · VJ Ultra 3 details · Add more shoes