Reebok launched its ZigTech Slash basketball shoe back in January 2010. It came alongside images of University of Kentucky point guard John Wall draining threes and flexing in hightops dubbed “the energy drink for your feet.”
As a high school kid running in Nike Shox (designed to look like the compression rings inside a piston engine), I was smitten by both the marketing and the funky midsoles, regardless of whether the latter actually worked. Reebok showed the zigzag shape transferring a wave of energy rippling through the midsole, absorbing shock and jolting you forward. The result was boosting the energy returned to your running stride while reducing impact on your shins and upper leg muscles, specifically the glutes and hamstrings.
Pros
- Well-cushioned with approachable stack height
- Toe-offs are smooth and fairly flexible (but not propulsive)
- Moderately soft, responsive ride for easy miles
- Excellent value—lots of cushion per dollar
Cons
- Outsole rubber traps rocks
- Heel is a bit clunky
- Not ideal for runners with bunions
Key Specs
| Type | Neutral Road |
|---|---|
| Weight | 9.8 oz (M), 8.2 oz (W) |
| Drop | 6 mm |
| Heel Stack | 31 mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 25 mm |
- Who It’s For: Style-minded runners seeking a stable, easy-day cruiser with a very mild forefoot rocker and abundant heel cushioning
- Preceded by: Floatride Energy 5, Floatride Symmetros 2, Floatride Energy X
- For Runners Who Like: Hoka Clifton 9, Asics Gel-Cumulus, Nike Pegasus
- Midsole Foam: TPE-based Floatride Energy
- Key Tech: Zigzag-shape midsole geometry, full-length carbon rubber outsole
In the new FloatZig 1, the premise is similar. And while the zigzag-shaped midsole is by no means revolutionizing the running-shoe game, it works well to harness the capable midsole foam that Reebok’s already been using.
That midsole foam is one you’ve likely already read about on our website: Floatride Energy. It’s a beaded TPE material that you’ll find in Reeboks like the Energy 5 and the Symmetros. Despite the fact that its chemical composition hasn’t changed, it feels peppier here.
I headed out for back-to-back jogs in the FloatZig 1 and the Floatride Energy 5. The shoes are too wildly different—the Zig has significantly more foam—to chalk it up to the zigzagging midsole shape alone. But there’s a touch more bounce and softness. The larger benefit of the triangular cutouts is that, without them, the FloatZig 1 would be much too heavy and inflexible.
The heel still feels a little blocky; the sensation doesn’t carry through the full ride of the shoe. It’s a stable landing that smooths out nicely as you move through your stride.
Those stable landings were one thing nearly every tester, myself included, agreed upon. This shoe keeps you planted. That’s partially due to the heel-toe drop, lower than both the 8mm Floatride Energy 5 and 10mm Symmetros 2. And the wide forefoot and heel platforms certainly help. But the rearfoot stability still comes at a cost.
“The heel of the shoe itself just seemed overwhelmingly large, which I think also led to the ‘clunky’ feel,” said tester Aaron Bealer, who runs with a midfoot strike and averages 40 miles per week. “There was enough bounce, but not like the propulsion of a performance shoe—you had to work a little to get them going.”
Key Tester Takeaways:
- Toebox is fairly wide, but midfoot feels narrow
- Good wet surface traction and water resistance
- Some testers wanted softer tongue and ankle padding
Jeff M.
Weekly Mileage: 45 | Average Training Pace: 7:15
Arch Height: Medium | Pronation: Neutral | Footstrike: Midfoot
“The FloatZig 1 is great for recovery days when your legs are feeling beat-up and you just want a really comfortable ride. After my Sunday long runs, I enjoyed wearing them for five or six easy miles on Mondays with no goals other than getting the miles in. They’re like putting on your favorite sweatshirt—they just feel good on your feet. The soft foam isn’t ideal for speedwork, but it really saves your legs on long runs and helps prevent your quads from taking a beating going downhill. In that sense, the FloatZig 1 really reminded me a lot of the Hoka Bondi.
“My biggest complaint is that the outsole vacuums up gravel and rocks on runs. Small stones and pebbles get lodged in the tread and then trapped behind the cutouts in the outsole. I’d recommend this shoe for running on the treadmill or track surfaces.”
Lynn B.
Weekly Mileage: 25 | Average Training Pace: 10:00
Arch Height: Medium | Pronation: Neutral | Footstrike: Heel
“I’m used to running in Altra’s wide toeboxes, so I really thought I was going to have a lot of discomfort in this shoe. However, it was actually wider than it looked and I had more room than I anticipated. While there were times when my pinky toes felt cramped, I could still wiggle my toes. Overall, I still would prefer a wider midfoot and toebox.
“The tongue is rather long. But to my surprise, it was super comfortable and did not cause any rubbing. I would have liked more padding around the ankle collar—it was stiff and not especially soft. While it didn’t create any blisters, it did cause some noticeable pressure on my ankles until I broke in the shoe over a few runs.”
Steph P.
Weekly Mileage: 35 | Average Training Pace: 9:30
Arch Height: Flat | Pronation: Overpronator | Footstrike: Heel
“These shoes really grew on me over the past five weeks of testing—primarily due to their incredible water resistance. I ran through several inches of snow and was surprised that my feet stayed much drier (compared to the Brooks Ghost 15, Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris, and Brooks Launch GTS 10). I also found the FloatZig 1 provided excellent traction, as I had no problems with slipping on ice and snow.”
Buy Men’s FloatZig 1 Buy Women’s FloatZig 1
Morgan is a gear editor who has been with Runner’s World since 2017. She started as an intern ghostwriting The Warmup, a bygone version of the daily RW newsletter. Now, she tests and reviews anything you might find on runners’ feet-from crew socks and compression boots to carbon-plated super shoes.
A lifelong runner and shoe geek, Morgan has been chasing the perfect pair of kicks since she joined her grade school cross-country team. Since then, she ran as a Division I walk-on for the cross-country and track & field teams at the University of Delaware, where she studied English and Biology. She has one full marathon under her belt, and has raced more halfs and 5Ks than she can count.
