MEAGHAN: It’s been a hot minute since I’ve laced up a pair of Reeboks. Three years to be exact — back when Reebok first introduced the original Floatride Energy in 2019. I raved about the OG, and it was a pretty exciting new addition at the time. But now we’re on the fourth rendition, and a lot has changed in the shoe world. What hasn’t changed? The price tag. You can purchase the Reebok Floatride Energy 4 for $110. Pretty, pretty good.
THOMAS: As Meg said, we haven’t had a Reebok shoe float across our desks in a little while. It seems like the brand is all over the place from the outside. Adidas sold the Reebok brand to Authentic Brands Group for $2.5 billion in 2021, but nothing seems to have changed so far. Maybe I don’t understand Reebok’s sales strategy. They put out a shoe at $110, but there are readily available discount codes to take its price down to $60 immediately. The only thing I can think of is that instead of paying the $40 to a retailer, they take the hit and sell direct. If you’re paying full price for a Reebok, you might be a sucker. At least the product is a good value.
BRANDON: This is my first experience in a Reebok shoe, and man, I was pretty darn blown away. I didn’t exactly have high expectations going in, but it seems like Reebok found a great foam to work with. The Reebok Floatride Energy 4 is not only a great performer, but at a $110 price point, you can’t go wrong. Not only that, but the shoe looks clean in all white and is easy to wear with several different outfits. Needless to say, I’m digging this shoe so far.
MEAGHAN: Alright, people. This is easily one of the best-looking shoes I’ve ever received. And if you don’t think aesthetics play a role in your feelings towards a shoe, you’re wrong. I was eager to lace this one up and get some miles in it.
The step-in feel of the Floatride Energy 4 is pretty good. It features a translucent mesh upper that’s breathable and provides a decent amount of support. The overlays through the midfoot, paired with the flat laces and gusseted tongue, lock the foot down nicely. Reebok went for a lightly padded collar and heel, and I didn’t have any issues with rubbing or hot spots. Overall, the Floatride Energy 4 fit true to size and accommodated my wide feet well.
Under the foot is a slab of Floatride Energy Foam, the same stuff in all three previous versions of this shoe. It’s got a 26.5mm heel with a 17.5mm forefoot for a 9mm drop. While I wish there was more of this foam, you can’t deny its nice, bouncy, responsive feeling. It also comes with a beveled heel to prevent ‘heel breaking’ and offer a smoother ride, much like a rockered shoe design. You’ve got a full covering of carbon rubber on the outsole for extra traction and durability. At first glance, it looks like a gum sole, but it’s just a light brown rubber. The only way to mess up a gum sole is to fake a damn gum sole. My W7.5 came in at 7.27 oz. (206 grams).
THOMAS: People love this shoe, and it deserves praise. It checks all the boxes. It looks good, feels light, and has quality cushioning and tough, grippy rubber on the outsole. The Reebok Floatride Energy 4 is a well-rounded daily trainer at an affordable price. With a sporty feel, the shoe is snappy but still well-cushioned. In my experience, it works best for sub-double-digit mile runs. Maybe I’ve gone soft, but the shoe firmed up the further I ran. At 8.95 oz. (254 grams), the Floatride Energy 4 is on the lighter side for daily trainers.
BRANDON: Unlike other shoe brands on the market, Reebok has devised a way to develop a soft and responsive foam underfoot. Is it the best foam I’ve ever tried? No. But it solves a lot of problems, especially as a budget daily trainer. The Floatride Energy Foam is well cushioned and lightweight underfoot. Add decent rubber outsole coverage, and voila, a pretty decent trainer. Sometimes simple is better, and Reebok worked its magic to make it happen. I found the upper to be pretty well constructed too. Reebok’s Speedshift mesh is light and airy through the stride. The shoe fits well and is true to size, so no problems there either.
Shop Reebok Floatride Energy 4 – Men Shop Reebok Floatride Energy 4 – Women
MEAGHAN: I know that a 27mm stack isn’t a small amount of cushioning underfoot, but my feet were craving some extra foam. Maybe it’s marathon training, maybe all the max cushioned shoes I’ve become accustomed to, or maybe this foam isn’t what I was expecting. Either way, I wanted some more cush after about an hour in this shoe.
THOMAS: Little details gave away the secret that this is a budget shoe. The outsole tried to be a gum sole, but in reality, it’s just brown rubber, and the materials used in the upper didn’t quite feel like a premium pick. I’d agree with Meg on craving some softer cushioning. As mentioned above, the shoe felt less comfortable as the miles stretched out.
BRANDON: Simple is good, but it often doesn’t mean exciting. Much like Meaghan, I found myself wanting more stack underfoot. The shoe doesn’t have that many exciting features and is really more for a lifestyle or gym to road shoe. This might be more of a lifestyle and run-inspired shoe than a solid daily trainer that I would want to work out and do all of my miles in. Sure, it’s a great-looking shoe, but for a low price, you’re going to pay for lower performance value where it becomes difficult to pick up the pace or sit back and relax at comfortable paces.
Shop Reebok Floatride Energy 4 – Men Shop Reebok Floatride Energy 4 – Women
MEAGHAN: The Reebok Floatride Energy 4 is a solid budget shoe. For $110, you’re getting a comfortable, high-quality daily trainer. This falls into the same category as the Saucony Axon 2. If you’re here for the stack height, go with the Saucony Axon, but if you prefer a more responsive, bouncy foam, the Floatride Energy 4 should be your pick. This shoe may stay in my rotation for those easy, shorter days, and it’s going to make its way into my athleisure wear.
THOMAS: I’ve gotta give a thumbs up for the price tag of this shoe. I like the Reebok Floatride Energy 4 better than a slew of other trainers that cost significantly more. In addition to being a well-designed daily trainer, the shoe has legs to crossover to the post-run wear category. I like Meg’s comparison to the Saucony Axon 2. I’d add the Saucony Kinvara, Saucony Freedom, Brooks Launch, New Balance Propel, and the Atreyu Base Model to similar lightweight, simple daily trainers.
BRANDON: Maybe it’s just me, but this shoe is more for lifestyle and gym-inspired runners. It’s the jack of all trades. It’s pretty decent at a lot of different things, but I don’t think it shines in any particular category. And sometimes that’s ok, especially with how cheap the shoe is. I would take it out for shorter easy days. More than an hour in this shoe, and I’d be sitting around wishing I’d put on something with more stack or cushion. As Thomas said, it’s a through and through budget daily trainer, but even more than that, it’s a lifestyle and kick-around shoe for me.
You can pick up the Reebok Floatride Energy 4 for $110 by using the shop link below.
Shop Reebok Floatride Energy 4 – Men Shop Reebok Floatride Energy 4 – Women
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Reebok’s US website indicates that this item is excluded from promotions. There don’t appear to be any coupon codes that they will apply to this shoe. Interestingly, they don’t appear to exclude this shoe from promotions on their UK website, but that that’s only helpful for those with a UK shipping address.