Reebok Floatzig 1 Performance Review

Is Reebok the new company you should be looking to for your running needs? Well, to answer that question we’re reviewing the Reebok Floatzig 1, an all new shoe releasing in April 2024 for $130.

There has never been a better time to be a runner, with seemingly every company delivering incredible upgrades on popular models (hello, Asics Novablast 4) or all new models that move the entire brand forward (enter the Brooks Ghost Max).

At 2023’s TRE (The Running Event), Reebok revealed that they have a number of upgraded shoes and new models integrating their Floatride Energy Foam and a new/old geometry (more on this later) to take advantage of the comfortable and responsive proprietary material.

While Reebok did provide the shoes to the WearTesters team for review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence this review. 
It’s also very important that you understand the kind of runners who are reviewing these shoes – Drew is an experienced marathon runner, who also moonlights as a running mentor for folks on the WearTesters Discord. Meanwhile, Arune (that’s me!) is the definition of a mediocre runner who has built up to 30-35 miles of running per week.

What is the Reebok Floatzig 1?

Reebok describes it as:

Be inspired to fall in love with running. The running shoe built for everyone else is designed to run outside convention. Break the norm with high rebound, lightweight Floatride Energy Foam in a geometry that lightens up and boosts cushioning.

Fit

Arune: As I seem to mention in every review, I’ve got a wide forefoot and normal-ish midfoot, so fit is my top complaint with many shoes. For point of comparison, I can go with standard size in Asics but need to go wide in Hoka.

The Reebok Floatzig 1 feels somewhere in between those two shoes, which is to say that it’s debatably wide enough for my foot but somehow feels short. It made me think of Reebok’s former sister company Adidas, where their running shoes are either too wide or too narrow. I feel like I need to go up a quarter size (Editor’s Note: that’s an actual thing with the Atoms Model 000) with adidas running shoes and it feels like the same here too (which isn’t the case with training shoes from either brand).

I think most people would enjoy going TTS (true to size) with the Reebok Floatzig 1 – how’d this fit for you, boss?

Drew: Agreed. TTS is the right move. The length was perfect for me. Going up would create too much dead space at the end of the shoe. 

I’d expect most wide footers will have enough room. If you’re still concerned, I expect the Reebok Floatzig 1 will be readily available for you to try on when it releases, so go in store and give it a shot.

Upper

Arune: Even though the fit of the shoe may be debatable, the upper is an absolute home run.

First of all, the shoe looks fantastic – it passes The Wife Test (AKA does my wonderful wife Michelle look at the shoe and immediately compliment it, or does she say “That’s cool <insert company name> sent you a shoe) and immediately takes me back to the 90s. Something about this colorway makes the shoe feel like something I’d see on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, like an undiscovered Reebok version of the Nike Huarache.

The Reebok Floatzig 1 strengths continue in the upper performance, with a gusseted tongue that stays in place and an incredibly breathable engineered mesh that works just as well in heat as it does in the cold (weather has been weird here in Los Angeles of late).

And, perhaps most important, the laces stay laced.I know that sounds like a punchline, but it drives me nuts when laces need double knots or are too short (Editor’s Note: please DM Arune all your pictures of unkempt, ripped, or sloppy laces).

Drew: Now that we’ve all heard about Arune’s pet peeve, let’s get back to business. The Reebok Floatzig 1 has a great combo of Reebok’s retro styling mixed with a space age looking midsole. They’ll get plenty of casual wear once I finish running in them. Which is always a nice bonus in a world that features many generic running shoes.

The ripstop section at the midfoot offers plenty of containment, the heel locks down nicely, and the breathability (helped by an open mesh inner bootie) is top notch. 

The more open mesh inner bootie is something more running shoe designers should note, So many shoes use booties or gussets that restrict the airflow the outer layers of the upper work so hard to achieve. This is a simple solution that prevents that and creates a higher end summer running experience.

The Reebok Floatzig 1 doesn’t feature plush padding at any place in the shoe but I still found it comfortable all around. It’s minimal but effective.

Midsole/Ride

Arune: Look, there’s no other way to say it:

This shoe is AWESOME.

From the moment you take a step in the Reebok Floatzig 1, you’ll be so thankful for Floatride and want to tell everyone about it (Editor’s Note: like Scrooge on Christmas morning?). The last time I felt this kind of joy trying a new foam was Asics’ awesome FFBlast+, which is about as high of a compliment as I can offer for a running shoe.

That comfort translates to your runs, where you’ll find that all your work – easy, sprints, long – feels so much easier with the energy return from the midsole. The rocker in this shoe makes even a lazy runner like me run with some of the best form I can imagine, really rolling my strides, and getting some excellent toe off without even thinking about the process.

While being a 200 lb+ runner often means that running shoe foams feel dead to me, the Floatride set up really delivered incredible energy return with every run. At the same time, I will note I definitely felt the impact on my joints more in this shoe than something like the Brooks Ghost Max, Asics Gel-Nimbus 25, Asics Superblast, though I also realize max cushion shoes serve a different function than a more standard stack runner.

Like I said at the beginning, this is a wonderful ride and I think the majority of people will find this is the kinda shoe that makes running fun.

Drew: The Zig geometry originated in 2012 with the Reebok Zig Encore. It looked awesome but failed miserably on that shoe due to the plastic sprint frame sitting directly above the Zig and preventing the also too firm EVA from doing much of anything. But it looked freakin’ cool so I’m glad they brought it out of the vault.

Floatride is a great foam and finally lets us see a functional version of the Zig geometry. We only had to wait 12 years (Editor’s Note: our analytics say a solid chunk of our readers weren’t even in elementary school in 2012 so I’m glad you provided them some context)

Like previous shoes in this price band that rely on Floatride Energy Foam, the Reebok Floatzig 1 starts out a little firm but breaks in nicely. It’s not going to be as squishy as a max cushion shoe but it’s a solid cushioning experience. The bounce/energy return is very good for a $130 shoe and the impact protection is good, not great.

The Reebok Floatzig 1 is perfect for high schoolers that need a running shoe as they cross train for their focus sports like basketball and football. It’s also a great option for beginning runners. Something not too expensive that provides a nice all around experience as they dip their toes into the surprisingly complicated world of running shoes. At some point, they may upgrade, but until then the Reebok Floatzig 1 will do an excellent job of meeting their needs.

Traction

Arune: While the aforementioned weird Los Angeles weather has been a challenge, it does mean I got to take the Reebok Floatzig 1 out on a great mix of dry, wet, and dirt paths.

I had zero issues with traction on any of the surfaces and while I don’t trust any running shoe in the rain, this was one of the better experiences I’ve had of late.

The outsole seems like it’ll last better than something with exposed foam like the Brooks Ghost Max and that means the Floatzig 1 will probably get you a lot of miles before you need to replace it.

Drew: Arune’s right, the Reebok Floatzig 1 is going to be durable. My pair hardly shows any wear after an elongated test period and plenty of casual wear (Editor’s Note: I’ve noted your request for more intense deadlines). The oval nubs used have been featured on the Floatride Energy line for a couple years now. The traction is solid but not top-end and delivers what you’d expect from the price point.

Is the Reebok Floatzig 1 worth $130?

Arune: Daily trainers tend to be $140-160 and it feels like prices are just going up.

It’s wonderful to see Reebok launch what seems like a new flagship daily trainer at a relatively affordable $130, something I love even more given the wonderful ride and quality of the shoe.

I think this is the perfect shoe for a new runner or for someone looking for a comfortable shoe to run a few short runs each week.

Drew: The Reebok Floatzig 1 isn’t a deal, but the $130 price point is right on target and delivers the value I expect. It’s not quite in the budget range but if you’re deciding between this and a $110-$120 shoe, the extra $10-$20 you’re forking over will get you more bounce, comfort, and durability. That’s worth it for me.

Reebok Floatzig 1 Final Verdict

Arune: The Reebok Floatzig 1 is an undeniably excellent daily trainer and I think it’s worth any runner trying.

This probably isn’t your race day or long run shoe, but it also doesn’t need to be – if you’re knocking our regular 5K runs like I do, this will get the job done and you’ll have a great time,

Drew: The Reebok Floatzig 1’s target runner is a nice band of people that starts with joggers, encapsulates occasional runners, young people that need a shoe for running those preseason miles, the budget conscious runner, and the casual wear-focused runner. 

From a market perspective, that’s a huge group, and the Reebok Floatzig 1 surprisingly serves all of them well despite not being top of the line in any one aspect. Think of the Floatzig 1 as the ultimate running starter shoe that will appeal to many others based on price and good looks.

Buy at Reebok

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 42, 6’6″ 195lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Arune Singh (age 42, 5’11”, 210lbs): Trains daily with functional fitness programming from Deadboys Fitness, founded by Colby “Seth Rollins” Lopez and Josh Gallegos, along with logging 30-40 miles of running per week. He also has a medical history of Sleep Apnea and Myasthenia Gravis, meaning Arune’s focus is on lean muscle mass.

Disclosure

While Reebok did send us pairs of the Reebok Floatzig 1 to facilitate this review, they had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and have not attempted to influence it.