The second Reebok shoe I tried is the Reebok Floatride Energy Grow.
Like the Forever Floatride, the Energy Grow is plant-based. Its Floatride Energy foam puts smooth, consistent cushioning under every stride in a running shoe that’s a great choice for everyday miles. The breathable upper, knit from fiber sourced from eucalyptus-tree bark, provides engineered ventilation, while the carbon-rubber sole provides essential traction and durability when needed.
According to Reebok, the Floatride Energy Grow is made with over 50% plant-based materials. It still delivers the same lightweight, responsive cushioning, durability, and traction as the Floatride Energy.
Reebok Floatride Energy Grow Quick Facts:
Weight: 9.7 oz
Heel to toe drop: 9 mm
Price: $120
Reebok Floatride Energy Grow Fit:
I am working on being more sustainable, but I was skeptical of how the shoe would fit. A shoe made of Eucupluyste Bark seems promising on paper, but how would it actually respond? Would my feet feel hot? Would the fit be ok?
The Floatride Energy Grow upper breathes well. I don’t feel like I’m wearing something heavy or uncomfortable on my feet. In fact, if you didn’t tell me it was plant-based, I wouldn’t know.
An interesting piece of the Floatride Energy Grow is how thick the shoelaces are. They don’t bother or irritate
and stayed tight well, but they are thicker than almost any other brand I know of!
I wear a women’s size 10-11 wide, and the Reebok Floatride Energy Grow is actually one of the better fitting running shoes out there. I find that the 10.5 fits perfectly. It is seamless, so if you have a width in your feet like a bunion, you don’t have to worry about it rubbing against your feet.
Reebok Floatride Energy Grow Ride:
The Reebok Floatride, Energy and Energy Grow, is known to be lightweight and responsive. I ran in the Reebok Floatride Run Fast for a while. I really liked it because it was so light and responsive, but I needed more shoes on training runs.
I was skeptical of how a shoe made from plants would respond while running. The Floatride Energy Foam is made from a plant-based castor bean. It makes it both lightweight and responsive.
I imagined it was a running shoe; you were supposed to feel good about using, but it wasn’t durable at all. Or just felt uncomfortable under your feet. That was not the case.
Reebok uses “Floatride,” which offers plenty of cushion and energy return. I’ve found the cushion to be great for longer hard runs as well as tempo runs. While it can do daily runs as well, I prefer something with more cushion. I’ve run several types of runs in the shoe, from short workouts to faster long runs and easy runs. If I’m doing a tempo run or faster run, it’s great for that. For track workouts, I prefer the Reebok Floatride Run Fast Pro.
Durable and Traction: The bottom uses natural rubber. I’ve logged roughly 75 miles in the Reebok Floatride Energy Grow, and it looks like it will live a standard running shoe life of 300-400 miles.
Reebok Floatride Energy Grow Conclusion:
I am pleasantly surprised with the Reebok Floatride Energy Grow. I wasn’t expecting to like them as much as I did. Sometimes it feels as though you might compromise a good feeling product to be more sustainable, but that isn’t the case at all. This is one of my current favorite shoes, and I feel even better it’s sustainable. I haven’t had any issues with it or anything that worries me.
My Current Shoe Rotation:
Easy/Daily Runs Saloman Sonic 3 Balance, Brooks Glycerin 18, Mizuno Rider Waveknit 3, Diadora Mythos Blushield Volo, Brooks Ricochet 3, Nike Pegasus 37, New Balance 1080 v11, Hoka Bondi 7, Asics GlideRide.
Speed Work: Reebok Floatride Energy Grow, Nike Tempo Next%, New Balance Fuelcell TC Shoe Review, Reebok Float Ride Run fast Pro,
Long Runs: Hoka Clifton Edge, Under Armour Sonic HOVR 3
Trail Running/Hiking: Hoka Torrent 2, Saucony Peregrine 11, North Face Flight VECTIV
Races: adidas Adizero Pro, Asics MetaRacer, New Balance Fuelcell 5280, Nike Next%, Saucony Endorphin Pro, New Balance fuelcell TC, Reebok Run fast Pro
You Can See All Current Shoe Reviews Here.
Looking to learn more about running shoes? In my ebook, I talk about why you need a good running shoe, a shoe’s anatomy, neutral vs. stable, and even myths of running shoes.
Questions for you:
Have you tried the Reebok Floatride Energy Grow?
What is a sustainable product you love right now?