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Review: Reebok ZJet Trainers

Gear Reviews

Review: Reebok ZJet Trainers

Now Reebok’s statement running shoe for the Fall of 2014, the ZJet introduces state of the art technology into what is definitely one of the season’s quintessential trainers. This is our world exclusive review of the new shoe.

Technology

Chock full of Reebok’s latest advances in running shoes, here’s the sportswear giant’s description of what’s under the hood of the first generation of the ZJet.

Reebok ZJet Running Shoe Review

Part of our Moving Air Collection, the eye-catching ZJet running shoe features full-foot air channels for an incredibly cushioned ride that flexes with a runner’s feet. Pressure changes created by your unique foot strike force air heel to toe providing cushioning where you need it, when you need it resulting in a soft and responsive underfoot feel to help propel you forward.

The ZJet brings soft, light and flexible together into one running shoe. Inspired by a jet engine, an underfoot current is created by moving air technology which provides maximum cushioning. The flexible grooves allow the foot to bend freely adding comfort and movement whilst running, and the upper is designed using lightweight materials to give the shoe added breathability.

Reebok ZJet Running Shoe Review

The Reebok ZJet uses a low-cut design for added mobility and 3D IMEVA midsole for lightweight cushioning and durability. It has CRTek high abrasion rubber in high wear areas for lightweight durability underfoot. A Nanoweb upper keeps your foot locked-in, supported and centered.

Aesthetics

Truly visually stunning (just look at our pictures), the Reebok Zjet sets itself apart from the multitude of other running shoes on the market with a look that combines the rugged with the flamboyant.

While every element of the shoe is functional, the pieces of the Zjet are put together in a neat package highlighted by vivid colorways including the Solar Yellow and Timeless Teal shown. The Reebok Nanoweb sits atop the mesh upper to give a clever shadow effect with a blurred look towards the back area.

Reebok ZJet Running Shoe Review

With CrossFit and Spartan races now all the rage and a big space for Reebok, the ZJet designers have toughened up the shoe via rubberized abrasion protection at the front and back of the shoe. Not only does this look great but it preserves the rest of the upper.

If that not enough to get heads turning in your direction when you rock the ZJet on the road or at the gym, its sole will!

This key technical element of the shoe is unlike anything ever seen before since it is made up of a series of pods containing compressed air. Function aside (we’ll get to that later), the pods have been accented well by Reebok by through colorization that matches other parts of the shoe. The result is none short of shoe art!

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Fit

The Reebok ZJet fits true to size. We used both men’s and women’s versions of the shoes during our testing and found both versions to fit as expected on both male and female feet. There is also a great deal of cushioning around the heel area on the inside of the upper. This holds the feet in-place quite well and prevents any unwanted or unexpected slipping. No discomfort was found because of a tight fit at the front of the shoe either. The general consensus of our testers is that it offers a much-desired sock like fit all the way around the fit.

All things considered the ZJet offers an exceptional fit. You can be confident about ordering these in your usual running shoe size if buying them online.

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Ride

Cushioning is the feature that the Reebok ZJet is built around. Despite the proliferation of high tech sole materials that promise to protect your feet from abuse that comes with pounding the pavement, Reebok has opted for the most natural of all – air!

So how does this work? Simply put – absolutely brilliantly! The ZJet lives up to its promise of providing what we thought is a moving wave of cushioning that follows the heel to toe strike of the foot when running. One of our testers who was coming off a soccer-induced calf injury said that he felt extremely confident wearing them in one of his first runs coming off injury because of the support that they provided when he was on the move.

Needless to say, the Zjet provides good heel toe balance. A combination of the cushioning and the aforementioned sock like fit prevented both pronation and supination. For Our testers compared the Reebok ZJet to the Asics Kayano and Mizuno Wave Prophecy (both with MSRPs well above that of the ZJet).

Ventilation

This is the one area where the Reebok ZJet could see some improvement. The well-fitting upper than we have been raving about has modest ventilation compared to other modern running shoes. It is also a bit on the thicker side which can lead to some heat buildup when running in hotter temperatures.  We do see the same upper being very welcome for running outside in the wintertime however. This makes the ZJet a shoe to have for training in cooler climes in the coming months.

Weight

At over 13 oz. in weight, the Reebok ZJet is on the heavier side and is certainly not a race shoe. However, it is an excellent training shoe that lets you stride in comfort with good support.

Durability

We’ve encountered absolutely no durability issues with our trial Reebok ZJet shoes with over thirty miles of running now logged them. They are quite sturdily constructed and still have a new shoe look after two weeks of training in them.  Reebok was quite clever in using the CRTek anti-scrape rubber in high-wear areas to protect the shoe.

Value

If you are a  Neutral Plus runner looking for a solid running shoe at a relatively low price then the Reebok ZJet is a shoe for you to definitely consider. It offers just about everything that shoes costing up to $100 more have. It definitely has our recommendation.

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