Andrea: The Reebok Floatride Energy Symmetros 2 is a well-fitting, neutral daily trainer. It features Reebok's Floatride Energy foam, which provides a nice balance of cushion and responsiveness. The 3 layer mesh upper and wider toebox provide a comfortable, yet secure fit. This is a shoe that can handle many easy miles thanks to its protective midsole and near full-coverage rubber outsole. But the real shining part of the shoe is the midsole, where the Floatride foam offers plenty of cushion and energy return. The upper on the Energy is not anything amazing. They have not reinvented the way I would think about a shoe. But it is solid. The upper is roomy, and feels well made. But be aware, this shoe runs large. Usually a size 13 fits perfect for my running, just a little room in the toe for landing and toe-off. Amphipod Hydraform Handheld Water Bottle: Perfect for long runs when you need hydration in the summer

Personal: B/B- ( A comfortable casual shoe but an average ride by today's standard. Consistent for those who want it) Performance: B (Slightly c lunky heel with smooth front half. Best for daily training and easy miles) The shoe also looks a little faster, thanks to the pointy heel collar. It’s a largely cosmetic feature we’ve seen on a handful of shoes over the last couple years. But, here, it curves up and away from your ankle, so it doesn’t rub against your Achilles, our testers found. What One Tester SaidAndrea: I think Reebok has made a pretty solid shoe in the Symmetros 2, but there are a couple changes I would like to make it work better for my mechanics. I would recommend they reduce the drop to 8mm to make it potentially work for more runners and increase the volume in the forefoot to make the shoe more comfortable for longer runs. Otherwise, I am pretty impressed by the fit and neutral ride of the Symmetros 2. The new mesh is improved, too. It’s soft and flexible, with a lot of ventilation holes built into the vamp (the part that covers your toes) and along the midfoot. Reebok constructed it with a two-tone color scheme, making it look a little more stylish. However, the rubber is one of the more solid and heavier parts of the shoe and could have easily been a blown rubber to cut the weight down even more. I’m sure that being a 6’3, 230-pound runner had something to do with that breakdown. However, I was surprised by how my feet felt after that longer attempt. With that said, if you are a slighter runner, I don’t think you’ll experience quite the same thing. Using an engineered mesh, the upper is very flexible and breathable. The upper moves with your foot through your entire gait.

However, in my experience here, the heel counter didn’t do a great job. My heels both developed blisters during my runs. Ultraspire Fitted Race Belt:The best way to carry your phone and goods on the run. No bounce and various sizes for waist. (Also recommend the Naked belt) Overall: B+ ( Though the grade is a touch low, you should not be deterred if you are in the market for a neutral lighter weight daily trainer that's durable and has a clean ride)

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Overall, this shoe is solid. There are many things going for it, especially at the price point. However, it is not a perfect shoe.

The Floatride Energy 2 is all about the sole unit. Starting from the ground up, the Energy has a very solid outsole. This carbon-rubber has tons of traction and shows very little wear. To cut down the weight and keep it snappy, Reebok put 29mm under the heel and 19mm under the toe, a 10mm drop. This cushion amount is perfect for the tempo runs, and the 5k or 10k races. Are these the right shoe for me? No. But could they be the right one for you? It might be worth a try. Daryabor, A., Saeedi, H., Ghasemi, M. S., Yazdani, M., Kamali, M., Nabavi, H., ... & Amini, N. (2016). Influence of heel design in an orthopedic shoe on ground reaction forces during walking. Prosthetics and orthotics international , 40 (5), 598-605. Overall: B+ (A well fitting, neutral shoe that will work best for heel strikers with a lower volume forefoot.)

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For more than four decades, EVA was the main midsole foam used because it was cheap, easy to work with, and delivered a good blend of cushioning and performance. In the last five years, however, there’s been a race to create the most lively, bouncy, and lightweight foam that still proves durable for high mileage. That’s a tough combination to achieve. Some bouncy midsoles like Adidas’s Boost are heavy; Pebax-based foam like Nike’s ZoomX isn’t durable. But the TPE compound you find in this value trainer strikes a balance. The outsole I found to be confident on all surfaces, from wet to dry to mild trail. I also enjoyed the grip for going uphill, but found the shoe's relaxed fit to be a touch daunting downhill. If you live in a flat zone, the Symmetros will thrive there, but with hills the upper only gives so much support. I have found the outsole to be as durable as ever with no signs of wear after 30 miles. Fit: B+ (Slightly short toebox and relaxed fit diminishing versatility, but still quite a comfortable upper otherwise) Skratch Recovery, Coffee Flavor:Mental and physical boost post run. Coffee flavor is excellent and goes great straight into a fresh brewed cup

Posterior flare, or posterior heel flare, refers to an additional extension of midsole behind the heel (calcaneus). While many individuals will have clinical experience with this, there is limited evidence on its impact on biomechanics (mostly because it has not been studied extensively). The research that is out there has made a few suggestions about the impact on the body. The initial evidence has found a trend in increased anterior tibialis (the muscle in front of your shin) activation (Queen, 2004). The speed at which the front of the foot transitions toward the ground at heel strike increases (Daryabor et al., 2016). Women tend to increase the amount of knee flexion during landing and the first part of having their foot on the ground (stance) (Queen, 2004). Impact force was decreased in walkers with a shoe with posterior flare, but the vertical impact peak was increased (Daryabor et al., 2016). The research on runners has suggested that how people deal with this is unique and can vary considerably (Queen, 2004). Beneath the bouncy sole is a rubber outsole that covers the length of the shoe. Lakota Gambill Off-Year Tweaks