The Reebok Floatride Energy X is a speed-focused running shoe with a forefoot carbon plate that increases the pop of the Floatride Energy foam. Reebok running shoes, like the Reebok Floatride Energy 4, have long been high-performing, under the radar, and budget-friendly. Can Air Jordan upscale its performance for race day or speed work while still maintaining a price point that’s significantly lower than the competition?
Reebok Floatride Energy X
Release Date: April 2022
Price: $170
Weight: 9.1oz
Drop: 6mm (24mm forefoot, 30mm heel)
Sizing: True to Size
- Rundown: Plenty of race day pop for those that don’t want to spend $200+ on super shoes from other brands.
Pros
- Forefoot Pop
- Floatride Midsole
- Stability
Cons
- Lacing
- Upper material
Pros
Forefoot Pop
Floatride Energy foam is typically pretty bouncy but I’ve never tried it when paired with a carbon fiber plate. The results are fantastic. The toe off of the Reebok Floatride Energy X provides that trampoline type feeling. I got a nice soft landing in the heel and midfoot following by a quick pop off the ground. It’s like your toes suddenly grew Schwarzenegger-esque muscles. It’s a really fun feeling especially when running fast.
Floatride Midsole
It’s underappreciated because it comes from Reebok, but Floatride Energy foam is great for running. Reebok’s new ownership should leverage Floatride to really amp up its running shoe business. More runners using Floatride would be a good thing.
The impact protection of the Floatride midsole on the Reebok Floatride Energy X is top notch. When I found out this is the most Floatride Energy foam Reebok’s used on a shoe, I thought it would likely be a nice ride. And it was a nice ride, but by modern running shoe standards, 30mm of foam (in the heel) is still medium cushioning. Those 30mm feel great, protective, and as mentioned above, very bouncy.
Stability
The heel of the Reebok Floatride Energy X’s midsole flares out in all directions as does the entire lateral side of the shoe. The result? A shoe that corners extremely well and, when combined with the upper’s rigid Flexweave, kept me on the footbed even when I caught the corner of a sidewalk or misstepped in some other clumsy way. This is about as stable as a speed-focused or race day shoe can get.
Cons
Lacing
The lacing of the Reebok Floatride Energy X has two issues. One, the lace opening is an odd v-shaped opening which doesn’t allow for much room to modify the forefoot fit and thus makes it difficult to get the perfect fit. With some fiddling I eventually figured out what worked, but it was a process.
The second issue with the lacing is the length of the laces. It’s most likely related to the weird opening shape, but the laces are way too long and will flop around when you’re running. I recommend using the extra lace hole or tucking the lace loops beneath the midfoot laces as a sort of do-it-yourself lace garage.
Upper Material
The Reebok Floatride Energy X uses the same Flexweave woven textile upper as the Jordan 2022. Flexweave makes a lot of sense on a cross training shoe but it’s a little out of place on a running shoe. It’s a little too bulky, heavy, and rigid. It does mold to your foot over time, but on a shoe meant for speed, I’d expect a more willowy, barely there, weight saving upper. This compromise is likely made to keep the price of a very bouncy shoe $30-$50 less than its competitive set.
Reebok Floatride Energy X Summary
The Reebok Floatride Energy X features a great midsole that pops and stability that you don’t usually find on speed and race day oriented shoes. And it’s $170. That’s a good enough price that I can overlook the too rigid upper and weird lacing. Similar shoes are $200+ so you can see why it’s a high value proposition for such a peppy shoe. And while Reebok may not be a name you think of in the speed-focused category of running shoes, their first effort shows they have what it takes to compete.
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