Reebok Floatride Run Panthea Multiple Tester Review
Designed for performance like fit and feel over a piece of Floatride foam, the Reebok Panthea does a great job of creating the performance trainer that can also log in daily mileage. The shoe is lightweight, responsive, and carries enough cushion for any distance. The Reebok Panthea joins the marketplace of high quality "do it all" trainers.
Weight: 8.0 oz men's (size 9), 7.3 oz women's (size 7)
Stack Height: Not provided
Drop: 8mm
Classification: Lightweight Trainer
HIGHLIGHTS
David: The Reebok Panthea is a lightweight performance trainer that is quick, nimble, and sturdy enough for daily mileage. The Floatride PEBAX based foam is wonderful for creating the responsive ride with just enough cushion. The fit is very locked in and contributes to the versatility of this shoe.
Matt: The Reebok Panthea is a bouncy and versatile lightweight trainer featuring a comfortable upper, a smooth toe off and plenty of cushioning for mileage. The Floatride foam provides plenty of responsive cushioning when the pace picks up but plenty of protection for long miles. A do-it-all trainer that has flown under the radar, this shoe be on your try on list for those interested in a Reebok shoe.
Nathan: Reebok has struck gold with their current midsole foams. My shoe of the year last year ended up being the Forever Floatride Energy, which has their Forever Energy Foam, but the Panthea (as well as the beloved Run Fast and a few other models) sport the Floatride + Foam, which is a PEBAX blend that makes for a cushioned and responsive ride at any pace. Versatility is the name of the game for the Panthea, an exciting new Reebok debut.
FIT
David: The fit of the Reebok Panthea is locked in and does fit true to size. It is snug and performance like all around and virtually wastes no space. The heel is snug with semi rigid heel counter and a good amount of padding, also with the retrocurve along the achilles to keep pressure off of it. The midfoot is a little narrow with the snug reinforced upper holding it. The forefoot is normal width also with the locked down upper. The upper is a little on the thick side, but does breathe well enough for all runs. I potentially would like to see it a little thinner though.
Matt: The Reebok Panthea fairly true to size with a little extra length in my normal size 10 (men's). The fit is fairly normal, yet fits secure due to additional reinforcement in the engineered mesh from the midfoot forward on the medial and lateral sides. The forefoot is normal to snug, the midfoot is fairly normal and the heel fits normal to slightly wide. The laces and upper interact very well. If you tighten them down, the upper snugs up quickly. The heel has a little extra room, but fits securely thanks to additional reinforcements around the outside of the mesh. There is an internal heel counter, but the heel collar is cushioned enough that I did not notice it.
Nathan: The Panthea fit is mostly true to size, with some extra length which has become a bit expected with Reebok shoes. I wear a men's size 9 and have a typical foot width and would not want to size down. A couple things I want to touch on. First is the upper around the toe box. This thing is relatively unique. It has a very comfortable mesh underlay that almost feels foam-like to the touch. This inner surface is soft and adaptable to the foot while still being breathable. It feels like it is hugging the foot to lock it in, but is very flexible. It then has a more durable outer surface that gives some stability and rigidity in the right areas. The combination gives a locked in sensation while still allowing for plenty of splaying and swelling on long runs. It is a unique looking upper that I think is a highlight of the shoe. The one drawback is that it was a bit warm at times, but no blister issues or anything notable. The tongue is very thin and has a slightly "roughed" surface to keep it from moving without irritating the foot. The lacing system does a great job of locking the foot, even with a heel that is slightly wider. There is also an internal heel counter, but padding is adequate to avoid irritation.
RIDE
David: The ride of the Panthea is relatively firm with just enough cushion for daily mileage. The shoe features an 8mm drop but actually feels a little lower with the responsiveness of the foam. The thin layer of PEBAX Floatride foam is plush yet responsive with a topsole that is more rigid and firm that creates the unique ride. The shoe is fluid and snappy at the same time. The shoe does have a little bit of a heel flare, that might make the landing a little early for people. It isn't a problem for me, but could be more noticeable for heel strikers. The transition of the shoe is definitely has a light propulsive feel coming from the midfoot into toe off.
Matt: The ride of the Panthea for me is a blend of soft floatride foam and a firm topsole, which provides a very balanced ride. The Panthea features an 8 mm drop (per the insole, although our tech sheet says 10mm) which with the soft foam feels very subtle. The sole is decently flexible, especially at the forefoot which provides a very smooth toe off. There is some heel flare, which does cause a little early initial contact, but the foam is soft enough that it isn't too much of an issue. The soft foam and flexibility allow for a very smooth ride from heel to toe.
Nathan: The ride of the Panthea was beautiful. The Floatride + PEBAX foam gives a great balance of cushion and responsiveness. Similar to the Reebok Run Fast, there is also a more firm topsole, which adds a bit of snap to the toe off and also stability throughout the shoe (more on that later). The 8mm drop combined with the slight bevel in the heel and toe spring in the front makes for a very smooth ride at all paces. The stack is moderate (we don't have exact specs for this) and you do get some ground feel through the forefoot.
STABILITY
David: For being a lightweight performance trainer, the shoe is relatively stable. The firm topsole makes the shoe a little more rigid and doesn't allow for much alteration of the shoe upon landing. The outsole has a grid like pattern that holds great traction and ground feel even in wet conditions. The upper is snug and secure without allowing any foot translation. The heel flare might decrease the stability just a little with the early landing and potentially a "slapping" of the foot from some. Overall a stable shoe for a neutral performance shoe.
Matt: The Reebok Floatride Run is a neutral lightweight performance trainer. There are no traditional methods of stability. The forefoot is a little wider and combined with the topsole provides a balanced forefoot. The midfoot is a bit narrow and makes for a little bit of instability if you don't transition forward fast enough (feels better at fasters speeds). The heel is more stable due to lateral and medial sole flare despite also being a bit narrow.
Nathan: One issue I sometimes see with PEBAX foams is that they are so bouncy and soft that they are unstable. Thankfully Reebok added the more firm topsole, which adds stability to heel strike, through the midfoot, and during toe off. In addition to the topsole, there is medial and lateral flaring to the outsole to give more ground contact and overall stability to the ride. It is a neutral trainer, so there are no formal stability mechanisms, and the performance fit does make the heel through midfoot a bit more narrow, but by no means unstable.
SPEED
David: The Reebok Panthea is a very versatile trainer that can hit many paces comfortably. I have run everything between 7:45 and 5:20 mile pace in these shoes with relative comfort. The Floatride foam mixed with the topsole makes for a responsive yet smooth ride. I can definitely see this is as a do it all trainer for sub elite and elite runners and a long distance racer for some recreational runners.
Matt: The Reebok Panthea has handled every kind of workout. I have used these for recovery runs, long +16 mile runs, tempo runs and intervals. While not the fastest shoe out there, the Panthea handled all these runs. The faster stuff requires a little more push from the sole (which also may just be me getting used to carbon fiber plated shoes), but the versatility in speed is there. The topsole stabilizes the bouncy Floatride foam very well and the ride gets faster the harder you push. I could easily see this being a marathon racing shoe for many people used to more cushioned or structured shoes as the lightweight, responsiveness and cushioning would make for a great distance racing shoe.
Nathan: This is a shoe that I could grab for, truly, any run that I would want to go out for during training (keep in mind I am not an elite runner). The Floatride + foam responds so well to picking up the pace and the upper secures the foot well, so it can handle tempo days and some interval workouts. I also utilized this shoe during the final leg of my 30 mile ultra challenge, and the foam felt great under my tired legs and beat up feet. Long runs, tempos, and workouts...the Panthea can be your shoe.
DURABILITY
David: The Reebok Floatride Run Panthea is decently durable. The ride has maintained very well and the foam and topsole should have not lessened with mileage. The outsole shows normal wear for a trainer, with a little bit of excessive wear in the posterior lateral heel. There is a decent amount of outsole to burn through, so I see this lasting at least 300 miles.
Matt: Like most Floatride shoes, the durability of the outsole and foam has been great. The ride has remained very consistent, the upper is very durable (no seams loose) and after 50 miles I have barely made a dent in the outsole. My nickname among the DOR group is "the destroyer" for what I do to the posterior-lateral heel of most shoes. There is some very mild abrasion there, but barely any for what I am normally used to. I expect a very high number of miles out of this shoe, potentially beyond the normal industry standard of 300-500 (I still usually change my shoes out at 300 miles), The grip is also phenomenal in this shoe as we have had a great deal of rain in Southern California recently and I did not lose any traction going around corners at close to 5 min mile pace!
Nathan: Reebok's outsoles have impressed me for a while now. They not only feel like a squeaky basketball shoe on the court with incredible traction, but the rubber just doesn't wear out. I have no signs of wear at 45 miles to the outsole and I've ran on road and crushed gravel trails in them. Midsole durability is likely to last beyond the industry standard, and my pair has not lost any bounce in the PEBAX or topsole.
THOUGHTS AS A DPT
Matt: I really like the Reebok Run Panthea, but want to talk about the positive and negatives of sole flare. Sole flare is defined as the extension of the midsole beyond where the foot sits. Most commonly it will extend posteriorly behind the shoe from the heel, medially or laterally partially or in full along the sides of the sole. It has some benefit being used laterally and/or medially as it creates a wider based for the sole and thus more inherent stability. This is a great way to add stability to a shoe without the additional weight of a post. However, there are a few places you have to be careful adding this. The heel and the lateral portion of the shoe are such areas. For those that land at the heel, having posterior heel flare may predispose the individual to hitting the ground early. Muscles of the lower extremity are tuned to activate at a certain time BEFORE landing to prepare to absorb the shock of landing. This will vary depending on landing pattern, but the glute and quad muscles will fire in most individuals (or at least they should) during terminal swing (just before they land). For a heel striker, the anterior tibialis muscle will also fire in preparation. Your anterior tibialis is the muscle most commonly involved in "Shin Splits" (more appropriately called Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome). The more posterior the heel of the shoe, the longer the arc of motion the front of the foot has to travel to achieve full ground contact. The Anterior Tibialis controls this motion, so the longer the arc, the more strain on that muscle. So not only are you making certain muscles work harder, you are also hitting the ground just before they are ready. Lateral flare does this to a similar degree. For heel strikers, lateral flare at the heel will do the same thing and may put even more strain on the anterior tibialis as it introduces a longer arc in another plane of motion (now frontal plane, ie side to side). Lateral flare in the forefoot is great for heel strikers as it tends to create a stable forefoot to push off from. For the forefoot strikers that typically land on the lateral forefoot, again same concept as above. Fortunately this is not excessively prominent in the Reebok Run Panthea and is mostly present in the heel. It is offset by a heel bevel a little and should be less of an issue for most. Those who land farther forward in the Panthea will not notice this at all. Overall, sole flare is something that those with difficulty of those muscles and injury issues in the past or those looking for additional stability should be aware of.
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: I am very impressed with Reebok Floatride Run Panthea and have minimal recommendations. The upper is snug in a lot of great ways, but I would like to see the transition point between the midfoot and forefoot widened just a hair (small blister, not a deal breaker though). I would also like to see the heel flare either reduced in length or beveled slightly to allow for a smoother heel transition. The upper could also be thinned out a hair as well.
Matt: My only two critiques of the Reebok Floatride Run Panthea are the heel flare and the narrow midfoot. I would like to see the heel flare reduced without changing the medial or lateral flare just to allow for a smoother heel initial contact. I would also like to see the midfoot widened to improve stability of the midfoot transition. Other than that I really like this shoe!
Nathan: Some minor tweak recommendations here, as I really liked this shoe. First, and really minor thing...the heel tab is basically unusable as is. I'd vote for ridding the shoe of the little tab, or better yet, making it a full blown loop. Second, although I love the upper, it would be nice if it was thinned out just a bit to make it cooler on warm days. Finally, as Matt has alluded to, it would be great to see all of Reebok's shoes move away from the posterior heel flare or add a bit more bevel to mitigate some of those negative effects.
CONCLUSION
David: The Reebok Floatride Run Panthea is one of the top of the line versatile do it all trainers on the market. It is responsive with just enough cushion to hit daily mileage. I am able to do workout paces in it and I am very happy with its utility. This is a shoe for a runner looking for a performance fitting trainer that they can do easy days in and also turn the legs over at any time if they want to as well. Overall this is in the running for my potential shoe of the year or daily trainer of the year.
Matt: The Reebok Floatride Run Panthea is a great lightweight trainer that provides the cushioning of a max trainer and the responsiveness of a marathon racer. This is a versatile do-it-all shoe that will work as a mileage trainer and workout shoe for some and a cushioned distance racers for others. The foam is responsive enough for a variety of workouts but cushioned enough for long mileage. The upper has plenty of room to accommodate the normal swelling with long mileage but is still secure enough to pick up the pace. Although a little heel flare and a narrow midfoot keep this shoe from being perfect, it is a pretty solid choice that should definitely be on the top of the list for anyone looking for what a lightweight trainer should feel like!
Nathan: The Reebok Floatride Run Panthea is a wonderfully versatile trainer that can handle milage and speed. For those who are looking for a great balance of cushion while still have a bit of ground feel, this is a great option. Thanks to the topsole, this is a neutral performance trainer that has some stability for the long haul and when you get tired. For those who haven't dipped into the Reebok market for running, this is a great one to choose. You'd get a smooth, bouncy, and snappy ride that can accommodate many of your training runs.
GRADING
David
Fit/Upper 9.25/10 (-.5 for thick upper, -.25 narrow mid/forefoot, great fit overall)
Ride/Midsole 9.5/10 (-.5 for heel flare/lack of bevel that effects heel transition)
Stability 9.5/10 (-.5 for heel flare/midfoot transition instability, overall very stable)
Speed 9.75/10 (can do just about everything but 10k pacing, great speed overall)
Durability 9/10 (-.75 for posterior lateral heel wear, -.25 mild foam abrasion early)
Matt
Fit/Upper 8.5 /10 (Very comfortable yet secure fit. -1.5 for thick upper)
Ride/Midsole 9 /10 (Super smooth sole and ride. -1 for posterior heel flare)
Stability 8 /10 (Solid forefoot, however narrow midfoot and posterior heel flare a bit jarring)
Speed 9.5 /10 (High level of speed when pushed. Versatile at a variety of speeds)
Durability 9.5 /10 (Very durable. Mild wear at posterior lateral heel)
Fit/Upper 9/10 (-.5 for thick upper, -.5 for being a bit long)
Ride/Midsole 9.5/10 (-.5 for heel flare, high marks for fun, bouncy, and responsive ride)
Stability 9/10 (high marks for firm topsole and lateral flaring, -1 for narrow midfoot)
Speed 10/10 (rare shoe that is just as smooth at recovery and tempo paces)
Durability 10/10 (no wear on the shoe yet)
TOTAL (%): 94% D, 89% M, 95% N
TESTER PROFILES
Dr.
Klein is a 140 lb male with notable PRs of 14:45 5k, 31L36 10k, 1:11:11
half marathon and 2:32:44 for the full marathon. He typically runs
70-100 miles per week and trains at a variety of paces from 8min per
mile recovery runs to 4:40 per mile 1k repeats. He prefers firmer and
responsive shoes with snug heels and medium to wide toe boxes. He is
particular to less cushioned and close to the ground shoes, but can
handle a little cushion when he gets beat up. IG handle: @kleinrunsdpt
Dr. Salas is a 135 lb male with notable PRs of 3:54 1500m, 14:56 5k, 31:06 10k, 1:08 for half marathon. He typically runs 40 to 50 miles per week and trains from about 7:30 recovery runs to fast shorter efforts at 4:30 pace. He normally prefers neutral shoes with a firmer ride, but is completely open to other types of shoes. He is a footwear enthusiast at heart and will always appreciate a high quality shoe when it comes around. For updates on training or testing, IG handle: @docsofrundavid
Dr. Brown is a 155 lb male with notable PRs of 19:18 5K, 39:25 10K, 1:33 half marathon, and 3:54 marathon. He typically runs between 20-40 miles per week at a variety of paces from 8-8:30 min/mile for recovery runs to 6-6:45 min/mile for tempo runs. He typically prefers shoes that provide some cushioning underfoot but still maintain a more firm and responsive feel. Current goals for 2020 are to break the 1.5 hour half marathon and 3:30 marathon. IG handle: @nate.docsofrunning
Dr. Salas is a 135 lb male with notable PRs of 3:54 1500m, 14:56 5k, 31:06 10k, 1:08 for half marathon. He typically runs 40 to 50 miles per week and trains from about 7:30 recovery runs to fast shorter efforts at 4:30 pace. He normally prefers neutral shoes with a firmer ride, but is completely open to other types of shoes. He is a footwear enthusiast at heart and will always appreciate a high quality shoe when it comes around. For updates on training or testing, IG handle: @docsofrundavid
Dr. Brown is a 155 lb male with notable PRs of 19:18 5K, 39:25 10K, 1:33 half marathon, and 3:54 marathon. He typically runs between 20-40 miles per week at a variety of paces from 8-8:30 min/mile for recovery runs to 6-6:45 min/mile for tempo runs. He typically prefers shoes that provide some cushioning underfoot but still maintain a more firm and responsive feel. Current goals for 2020 are to break the 1.5 hour half marathon and 3:30 marathon. IG handle: @nate.docsofrunning
Thanks for reading!
Editor's Note: As always, the views presented on this website belong to myself or the selected few who contribute to these posts. This website should not and does not serve as a replacement for seeking medical care. If you are currently injured or concerned about an injury, please see your local running physical therapist. If you are in the Los Angeles area, I am currently taking clients for running evaluations.
Matthew Klein, PT DPT OCS FAAOMPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist
Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists
Nathan Brown PT DPT MS
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Masters in Anatomy and Clinical Health Science
Movement Performance Institute Certified in Advanced Functional Biomechanics
David Salas PT DPT CSCS
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
***Disclaimer:
These shoes were provided free of charge in exchange for a review. We
thank the people at Reebok for sending us a pair. This in no way affected
the honesty of this review. We put at least 35-75 miles on trainers and 10-25 miles on racing flats prior to reviewing them. Currently we have 36 (David), 41 (Nathan), and 51 (Matt) miles on our pairs. My views are based on my extensive history in the footwear industry and years testing and developing footwear. If you are a footwear rep looking for footwear reviews or consultations on development, we are currently looking to partner with companies to assist, discuss and promote footwear models. Partnership will not affect the honesty of our reviews.
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