Two-minute review
The Reebok Floatride Energy 3 Adventure is not a path shoe, however a bolstered highway working shoe with just a little path DNA for routes that take you onto gravel paths or wooden chippings. The miniature lugs on the only will not assist in inch-thick mud, however present some priceless further buy on free or gritty surfaces the place smoother footwear could slide.
Other design tweaks embrace a toughened heel and toe to shrug off scuffs, and a brand new water resistant plastic mesh higher that does an admirable job of deflecting splashes. It's not totally waterproof, however will assist stop the disagreeable chilly feeling of rainwater seeping into your socks the second you by accident step in a puddle on an unpaved footpath.
Just take care if you're again on the highway; we discovered that the soles lacked grip on easy moist city surfaces.
You'll additionally need to be sure that you simply lock down the laces correctly. They're designed to provide a cosy match, nevertheless it's notably essential right here as a consequence of a excessive collar with minimal padding, which tends to rub in case your foot has sufficient room to maneuver. We strongly suggest taking your time to get the match simply so earlier than heading out in your first mixed-terrain run.
If your traditional coaching routes take you alongside a river or by way of a wooden, this hybrid shoe could possibly be an excellent addition to your shoe assortment – notably for such an affordable worth.
Price and launch date
The Reebok Floatride Energy 3 Adventure went on sale in on July 8, 2021. It's priced at $110 / £85 / AU$160 for each males’s and ladies’s sizes, and is out there direct from Reebok.
Design
The Reebok Floatride Energy 3 Adventure is a great-looking shoe. It’s primarily a impartial highway shoe with a 9mm heel-toe drop, however with just a little path shoe DNA thrown in to deal with just a little off-roading when the flamboyant takes you.
It sticks to the identical fundamental look as the usual Floatride Energy 3, however provides further touches like small lugs on the only for just a little further traction if you determine to stray off the crushed path onto looser surfaces.
The higher has been redesigned too, with a brand new water-resistant mesh materials to deal with puddles, plus bolstered areas on each the heel and toe to keep away from your new footwear being scuffed and scraped on grit and rocks.
Thin, spherical laces give the Floatride Energy 3 Adventure a extra trail-style look, but in addition have a sensible use, permitting you to lock the shoe down tight for a cosy match. That's notably essential right here as a result of the ankle collar is comparatively excessive and minimally padded, so has the potential to rub if the match is not fairly proper.
There’s ample room within the toebox, even for our comparatively vast toes, however with the brand new lacing system we had been in a position to fasten the shoe securely sufficient to stop slipping. The tongue, in the meantime, has a small gusset, which holds it securely in place.
More environmentally-minded runners can even be happy to be taught that the Floatride Energy 3 Adventure is constituted of no less than 30% recycled materials – a part of Reebok’s push in the direction of sustainability, which is especially essential for trainers, which have a comparatively quick life (even when bolstered).
Performance
The Reebok Floatride Energy 3 Adventure works nicely as a regular highway shoe, with its midsole cushioning offering a easy, however not bouncy experience. It would not be our primary alternative if our route was totally paved although, largely as a result of its rubber lugs are surprisingly slippery on some moist city surfaces like drain covers.
It actually comes into its personal if you wander onto rougher floor, although. It's not meant for tackling severely greasy mud, however if you wish to hit a canal path or a woodland path, it is perfect for the job.
The redesigned sole supplies just a little further traction on free surfaces, and the bolstered toe meant we weren't frightened about damaging the higher when issues acquired bumpy.
The spotlight for us, nonetheless, was the water-resistant higher. Trails aren't recognized for good drainage, and if you happen to head out after a bathe of rain, it is often solely a matter of time earlier than you step in a puddle and really feel chilly water seeping into your sock.
Not so with the Floatride Energy 3 Adventure, which saved our toes surprisingly cosy and dry. We would not wade although a stream in them, however they're actually able to shrugging off the occasional splash.
We additionally appreciated the pull tag on the heel, which is helpful for eradicating a mud-coated shoe with minimal mess.
It's price allowing for, nonetheless, that the minimally padded collar could rub the again of your ankle until you get the laces locked down securely. We'd positively advise taking the Floatride Energy 3 Adventure for just a little take a look at run (or perhaps a stroll) and adjusting the match accordingly earlier than heading out to place in some miles.
This positively isn’t an alternative to a path shoe, nevertheless it’s not designed to be – it’s extra of a troublesome on a regular basis runner for these classes the place you recognize splashes and grit are on the menu.
Buy it if
You run on free terrain
This is mainly the working equal of a gravel bike, and is hard sufficient to handle free surfaces with aplomb, offering further traction and shrugging off scuffs.
You hate moist socks
The water-resistant higher is a game-changer on the subject of puddles, that are an unavoidable a part of working alongside tow-paths and different unpaved routes. The ankle tab means minimal mess when eradicating the shoe on the finish of a moist run, too.
Don't purchase it if
You need to get severely muddy
This is not any substitute for a real path shoe, and the little lugs will not provide the buy you want for greasy mud.
You're solely an city runner
Similarly, if you happen to solely run on asphalt, you may be higher served by a standard highway shoe that provides a springier experience and has a lighter, extra breathable higher.
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