Are the Reebok Floatride Energy shoes the best low budget running shoes for outdoor activities?
Our verdict:
The Reebok Forever Floatride Energy running shoes have been designed to provide high performance in a simple and affordable package. The new Floatride Energy Foam midsole are built with a responsive cushioning that gives them a lightweight feel while the Flexweave mesh upper is engineered to support the foot with minimal overlays that aid in comfort and breathability. Despite its low weight, this shoe features a full-length carbon rubber outsole for added durability and traction.
But that’s not all. Read our review below to see exactly why we love these low budget running shoes and what are their disadvantages.
Why we loved about the Reebok Floatride Energy
For your daily running needs and long-distance runs, the Forever Floatride Energy works very well. The midsole has plenty of cushioning throughout the midsole no matter where you land.0
Unlike Reebok’s more expensive models which are based on the Pebax foam, the Forever Energy use an expanded Polyurethane material which is somewhat similar to what adidas previously brought us with their Boost line.
But the new model feels and looks different from the adidas ones; the sidewalls have a shinier surface and the midsole is packed with smaller e-TPU globules. Its grid-like surface design makes it easy to confuse it with the Pebax based Floatride material.
Another big difference from the adidas Boost is that the Floatride Energy aren’t as soft and their density is somewhere between the Saucony Everun and Boost, which means that the midsole softness is just right. And that’s one of the many things runners will appreciate about this shoe.
Long-distance runs of over 10 miles are a comfortable affair, and it becomes obvious that the midsole uses a superior cushioning material.
The inner side of the midfoot midsole is filled up nicely and that’s something that offers you a great sense of under-arch support. The midsole is made of Polyurethane so there’s no loss in cushioning – we’ve seen that pattern across Saucony Everun and adidas Boost based shoes.
In complete honesty, these running/outdoor activities shoes are so nicely built that you won’t even feel that they’re not on the pricier side of the spectrum. The Forever Energy offers great value for its price, a trend which we hope other brands would emulate.
Overall, if you’re truly passionate about running, jogging and any sort of outdoor activity, but don’t have a big budget for your shoes, then these are probably the best pick for 2019.
What are the downsides of the Reeboks Forever Energy?
On the flip side, the relative lack of structural rigidity limits the Forever Energy’s pace range. Though the shoe feels great for a wide variety of runs and speeds, you end up wishing for a ‘faster’ shoe once your speed exceeds 4’30” per km.
This shoe is light, and one of the ways that Reebok kept it that way is taking away some stability aspects that can accompany neutral shoes. It has a softer heel cup, a more narrow forefoot platform that the foot sits on (tried to show that in the picture above), a thin rubber outsole, and no reinforcement to the midsole. Over longer runs I could feel the increase in the give of the foam and it became a bit less responsive, leading to feelings of instability primarily during toe off.
Conclusion
You can use the Forever Energy as a daily trainer without worry, but if you want a slightly more supportive ride, you’re going to have to climb higher on the price point scale.
It\’s no wonder that our testers are calling the Reebok Forever Floatride Energy one of the best $100 shoes of the year.
So, even if you’re fully satisfied with what the Reeboks offer you in terms of comfort and efficiency, why not make things even better by getting your hands on (and feet in 🙂 ) a product like the Hush Socks that are going to offer your some extra foot support.