Reebok Floatzig 1 Review: Classic Meets Modern
By Andrea Myers
Reebok Floatzig 1Price: $130 at Reebok
Weight: 9.8oz, 277g (men's size 9). Women's shoe weight not provided.
Stack Height: 31mm heel/25mm forefoot
Drop: 6mm
Shoe Purpose: Daily trainer
Pros: Feels lighter than stated weight, midsole provides sufficient underfoot protection without being soft
Cons: Narrow midfoot platform
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Reebok Floatzig 1 is a new neutral daily trainer that features Reebok's Floatride Energy foam in a "zig" cutout pattern. The shoe feels lighter on foot that its stated 9.8oz for a men's 9 and feels like a throwback to a classic daily trainer, before superfoams, aggressive rockers, and plates changed the industry. With a nearly unnoticeable forefoot rocker and firmer Floatride Energy foam, this shoe feels like it adequately protects my feet from the pavement, but does not force forward motion like more heavily rockered shoes. Some runners may have issues with the narrow midfoot, but this shoe could be a home run for those with neutral mechanics looking for a shoe that gets out of your way and just lets you enjoy the run.
SIMILAR SHOES: Reebok Floatride Energy 5
PAST MODEL: New Model
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
The Reebok Floatzig 1 fit true to size in my usual women's 9.5. I had sufficient length and width in the toe box, but I found the midfoot to be a little narrow. I typically do not have issues with midfoot width in shoes, but I was aware of the upper rubbing on my medial midfoot because the midfoot platform is narrower than my foot. The Ortholite insole also extends further up the medial longitudinal arch as compared to other shoes, which further narrows the fit of the upper in the midfoot. The rearfoot is also normal width, but it extends up my rearfoot further than most shoes, which caused rubbing on my lateral malleolus (outer ankle bone). I didn't experience any blisters from this, but this plus the midfoot width definitely limited me to shorter runs in the shoe. The gusseted tongue is moderately padded and extends further up the front of my ankle as compared to most shoes. The flat laces further secure the tongue via a lace loop and I had no issues achieving sufficient lockdown in the shoe.
Andrea's Typical Size: Women's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit Andrea well: New Balance Beacon v3, Brooks Hyperion Max, Topo Cyclone 2, Nike Vaporfly 3, Altra Via Olympus 2
Shoes that have fit snug: Saucony Kinvara 14 (length and toe box width), Altra FWD Experience (length and width), Hoka Cielo Road (toe box width), Saucony Endorphin Speed and Pro 1-3 (length)
Shoes that have fit large: Adidas Boston 12 (length), Adidas Adios 8 (length)
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Mildly
How Flexible is the Shoe: Mildly
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: No
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
The Reebok Floatzig 1 feels like a classic lower stack, lower drop daily trainer. The Floatride Energy foam provides sufficient underfoot protection without feeling soft or unstable. Outside of the midfoot being too narrow and causing some irritation, the geometry and midsole properties really make the shoe disappear while running. The 6mm drop makes midfoot landings feel natural and the later forefoot rocker is not particularly noticeable, resulting in a protective, relatively natural feeling ride. Despite the significant posterior sole flare, the rearfoot of the shoe did not get in the way of midfoot landings due to the 6mm drop and small heel bevel. Rearfoot strikers may experience a completely different ride in the shoe due to the large sole flare, which may result in early initial contact. The platform is quite stiff in the rearfoot and midfoot with mild flexibility in the forefoot. The flexibility in the forefoot likely contributes to the later forefoot rocker being less noticeable.
Due to the midfoot fit issues, I was limited to shorter easy runs in the shoe, but I think this could be a workout shoe for those who prefer a shoe with minimal guidance features. It feels lighter on foot than its stated weight, and the firmer Floatride Energy foam should perform well at a range of paces. Thanks to the multi directional lugged outsole, the shoe has excellent traction on wet roads and also performs well on grass or dirt. I would not recommend using the shoe on gravel because of the central cutout in the rearfoot, which would likely collect rocks. I think the outsole will have greater than average durability based on the near total rubber coverage.
STABILITY
The Reebok Floatzig 1 is a neutral shoe with minimal guidance features. The small heel bevel and later forefoot rocker do not provide noticeable guidance to forward motion. The relatively narrow rearfoot platform and very narrow midfoot platform could cause instability issues for some. The significant posterior sole flare in the rearfoot may result in early initial contact for rearfoot strikers. There is a small amount of sole flare in the forefoot that is balance medially and laterally, but it is not large enough to provide any noticeable stability. This is not a shoe for those with stability needs.
Thoughts as a DPT: Who Can Benefit from a Later Forefoot Rocker?
By Andrea Myers
One of the features of the Reebok Floatzig 1 that contributes to its natural feeling ride is its later forefoot rocker. A forefoot rocker refers to the upward curvature of the front of a shoe. Some shoes, like the ASICS Magic Speed line, have a very early/aggressive forefoot rocker, where the upward curve begins closer to the midfoot of the shoe. The forefoot rocker of the Floatzig 1 starts closer to the IP joint of my big toe (joint near the toenail) as opposed to the 1st MTP joint (ball of foot). The later forefoot rocker in combination with the mild forefoot flexibility results in the shoe providing minimal assistance or guidance into push off, as opposed to the Magic Speed, where the aggressive rocker feels like it forces me into push off too early.
Some people, particularly those with reduced mobility in their 1st MTP joint, can benefit from a more aggressive forefoot rocker because it reduces the amount of work and motion required at the 1st MTP joint. The stress is then shifted to the knee and the hip joint, so runners who use shoes with aggressive forefoot rockers need sufficient strength and mobility at the hip in particular to be able to handle the shift in forces. Conversely, some runners who experience hip pain from running in shoes with aggressive forefoot rockers may benefit from switching to a shoe like the Floatzig 1, with a mild forefoot rocker. The Floatzig 1 will require more work and mobility at the 1st MTP joint as well as the ankle and gastrocsoleus, but it is less likely to stress the hip and knee musculature. The Floatzig 1 will be a good option for runners with neutral mechanics who need a shoe with a later forefoot rocker.
RECOMMENDATIONS
I would really like the ride of the Reebok Floatzig 1 if it weren't for the narrow midfoot causing medial foot irritation. I do not have a wide midfoot and rarely have issues with midfoot width of a shoe, so I suspect that many runners with a normal width midfoot will have a similar issue. I would recommend that Reebok both widen the midfoot platform and pare down the midfoot wrap of the Ortholite sock liner, which further narrows the midfoot. If they cleaned up the fit, this would probably be one of my favorite shoes based on the geometry and midsole properties.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
The Reebok Floatzig 1 is a neutral daily trainer that will work best for runners with a narrow midfoot and minimal to no stability needs. Runners who are tired of heavily rockered, soft shoes will find a lot to like in the Floatzig 1. At $130, it is also a good value compared to the typical $140-160 price point of most daily trainers, especially with its more durable rubber outsole. I hope that Reebok will improve the midfoot fit in Version 2, which will make it work for a greater number of runners.
GRADES
Andrea
Fit: B- (Extremely narrow midfoot made worse by sockliner shape caused midfoot irritation. Upper extends very high at rearfoot, resulting in pressure on lateral malleolus. The shoe does fit true size in length and provides sufficient width in the toe box.)
Performance: B (Performance limited primarily by fit issues, so I was only able to test it on short easy runs. If fit was improved, I could see this shoe being a favorite general daily trainer for me due to its natural ride and lower drop.)
Stability: (stable neutral) C (Truly a neutral shoe with almost no guidance features.)
Value: B+/A- (Outside of fit issues, the shoe is a great value at $130.)
Personal: B- (Narrow midfoot severely limited use of the shoe. I will cross my fingers that v2 is wider, because otherwise I really liked the midsole properties and geometry of the shoe.)
Overall Design: B+ (Narrow midfoot will limit the number of runners this shoe works for, but otherwise Reebok has made a shoe that is a great value and is reminiscent of classic daily trainers of previous years.)
SHOP | SUPPORT DORReebok Floatzig 1Price: $130 at Reebok (coming soon)
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FURTHER READING
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