Reebok Floatride Energy 4 Adventure review: a master of all trades

Reebok Floatride Energy 4 Adventure first impressions

The Reebok Floatride Energy a good looking, versatile road-to-trail running shoe that carries a particularly modest price tag in the UK (at the time of writing it's discounted to under £60). It's a great shoe for mixed terrain runs, or for anyone who'd prefer to only invest in a  single pair of shoes (whether for financial or environmental reasons), and in my opinion leans more towards the off-road side of things.

The lugs have a similar to those of the Reebok Nano X2 TR Adventure cross-training shoe, but smaller and more tightly packed down the midline, and with an angled profile to help stop the shoe slipping backward on loose surfaces. The outsole material extends all the way up and over the toe, providing protection from roots and rocks. This is something we rarely see on road-to-trail shoes, and is a valuable addition. Personally I'm willing to sacrifice a few grams to keep my toes unstubbed.

The upper is made from a ripstop material, which is also similar to the Nano X2 TR Adventure, but the toebox feels less rigid, making the shoe more comfortable for longer runs when your feet may tend to swell. The material is also surprisingly breathable for such a tough synthetic, and is easy to clean when it inevitably gets spattered with mud.

I can't say the same for the exposed Floatride Energy Foam, which quickly became stained, but that's not a major issue.

There's plenty of that foam in the midsole, particularly in the heel to provide cushioning when you hit the roads. It's not as springy as a dedicated road shoe, but feels much softer and more responsive than a true trail shoe on manmade surfaces.

Reebok Floatride Energy 4 Adventure on the trails

At 275g each for a US men's size 9, the Reebok Floatride Energy 4 Adventure is around average weight for a road-to-trail shoe, so it's good to see that the additional outsole material curling up over the toe doesn't add too much extra heft.

The laces are flat and slightly textured for grip This allows for nice, snug fastening, and there's plenty of length for creating a heel lock. This isn't a shoe that'll be pulled off your foot if you step in a few inches of mud.

The tongue has scant padding, but I never felt the laces compress the top of my foot uncomfortably. It's also gusseted to help keep out irritating grit, and the top pull tab allow you to quickly get it in the right position before fastening. This is complemented by another pull tab at the ankle, which makes the shoe a breeze to pull on, even when muddy.

You'll find that the Floatride Energy 4 Adventure is much more flexible than a typical trail shoe, so you won't want to run over too many rocks wearing it, but that freedom of movement gives you extra maneuvrability when it comes to hard running surfaces. 

For me, the outsole is what really makes this shoe shine (particularly the extended toe wrap) and I can also see it working well for HIIT training if you don't want to invest in a specific shoe for that purpose. I'm expecting it to last well, too; my regular road shoes are a Floatride Energy model, and that foam can take a lot of beating. The upper is usually the first point of failure for me, but since that's ripstop nylon, I can't see that happening soon here either.

Overall the Floatride Energy 4 Adventure is a superb all-rounder, and one that comes highly recommended.

Finally, a word on sustainability. This upper is made using at least 30% recycled or repurposed material, and although Reebok doesn't elaborate on exactly what this is, but with running shoes this is usually PET plastic from recycled drink bottles. While this might sound good on paper, a running shoe is pretty much impossible to recycle, whereas if that plastic waste had been used to make new bottles, it could continue to be circulated. Would it be better to use virgin or naturally derived materials instead? Sadly there's no easy answer.

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