Review: Reebok Sole Fury

Reebok’s statement shoe of the season is the daring Sole Fury lifestyle sneaker. It’s such a big deal that the sportswear firm brought out the likes of partners MMA icon Conor McGregor, rappers Future and Lil Baby, and Game of Thrones and The Fast and The Furious star Nathalie Emmanuel for its November launch. Here is our World Exclusive in-person look and review of the shoe!

Specifications

Here are the highlight elements of the Sole Fury from Reebok:

• 360° Breathability: Aerodynamic vents, perforated sockliner and engineered knit upper deliver enhanced breathability
• Lightweight Cushioning: Split Cushioning System (that pays homage to ’90s running shoes) removes weight and adds flexibility
• Stability & Propulsion: Propulsion plate helps stabilize and propel stride by minimizing compression
• Bold Aesthetic: Audacious colorways, neoprene tongue, layered mesh, chunky sole and nonconventional shoe lace strings

Design

The Reebok Sole Fury is an absolutely ostentatious eye-catcher that will have admirers asking you about it.

The launch version of the shoe has a classic white sneaker base spruced up with black and neon yellow on the men’s version and dark pink and yellow on the women’s version. Both have audacious neon yellow and black rounded thick laces reminiscent of those that previous generations of sneakerheads replaced standard sneaker laces with back in the 1980s and 1990s. The secondary colors are used on the inside of the Sole Fury’s uppers, on their tongues and on their pull tabs. As you can see from the pictures of the shoe the placement of these colors is simply brilliant.

We found that the design elements on the outside of the upper to be quite well-done as well. They included two sets of clever ridges along the side and at the front of the lightweight mesh making up the foot enclosure. This is a novel effect that we haven’t seen before. There is also a printed strip that runs from the heel counter to the mid sole with the Reebok logo and some technical text on it. We’re not sure what it all means apart from the logo but it does look pretty cool!

As hinted to by the name of the shoe, the sole of the Reebok Sole Fury is one of its standout features. Even if it did not have the classic yet functional split the sole would greatly add to the aesthetics of the shoe. This is because it is thick and nicely contoured. It also carries the same color as the outside of the upper to create a uniform and very clean look that would even work well on a whiteout colorway (which we hope to see soon). View the Sole Fury from the instep and you’ll see a sleek, solid, almost muscular looking sole without the split that contrasts with the black or neon yellow of the upper.

Reebok said that they put quite a bit of effort in the design of the Sole Fury. It paid off and resulted in a stellar In Your Face design that could potential change the look of athletic and lifestyle shoes in 2019.

Fit

Reebok’s website says that the Sole Fury “runs small” and suggests order half a size up. We did not find this to be the case and found the shoe to run true to size. Therefore, we suggest getting it in your usual athletic shoe size.

Slipping the Sole Fury on is as easy aa can possibly be for an athletic or lifestyle shoe. This is made possible thanks to the pull tabs at the top of the lacing enclosure and at the heel counter. Pull them both, slide your foot in the shoe, lace them up and you’re ready to go about your business.

On the foot the shoe is very lightweight and extremely comfortable. There are no hotspots or sections of the upper than rub in an uncomfortable manner when donning the Sole Fury to walk, run or workout.

The laces of the Reebok Sole Fury have to be well-tied given that they are large and rounded and, like the rest of the shoe, intended for bold casual wear. A non-taut lacing job may result in them becoming untied if you engage is some brisk activity while donning the Sole Fury. We didn’t think a double knot was warranted at any time though.

Weight

The Reebok Sole Fury has a weight of just under 10 ounces for a men’s size 10. This is quite impressive for an athleisure shoe given that most high-end running shoes on the market nowadays are around the same weight. Needless to say, this contributes to the overall comfort level of the shoe and keeps you moving with less effort when wearing it.

Ride

The ride of the Reebok Sole Fury is largely based on its injection-molded EVA foam midsole and split sole. The latter is among the latest footwear innovation while the latter have proven itself in providing comfort for over twenty years now. The result is an extremely comfortable feel on the underside of the feet when standing or walking in the sole fury. It may best be described as soft, cushy and supportive. This was from the first wear of the shoe. There was no break-in period required.

Even though the Reebok Sole Fury was explicitly designed to be a streetwear shoe and, therefore, not for use when running we thought that it has all the elements of a trainer and took it for a spin at our local high school track. It did not disappoint over a couple of miles. Indeed, while the Sole Fury can serve as a running shoe for beginner runners it is not quite at the level that advanced athletes require. It doesn’t quite provide the support and ability to fully match the contours of the feet with each stride. We’ll stick to using it for the purposes that Reebok intended!

Ventilation

The Reebok Sole Fury is a shoe made for warmer weather and to keep your feet cool and comfortable. It’s ventilation and cooling features are second to none thanks to its thin, lightweight upper and perforated sockliner. That’s not to say that the Sole Fury can’t be worn in winter though. We’ve been trialing them in the midst of winter weather. You can still rock them below zero if you wear some socks that provide warmth.

In the Gym

We took the Reebok Sole Fury off the street and into the gym for some workouts that included plyometric, traditional weightlifting, kettlebell, TRX suspension training and battling rope action. It performed admirably across the board and was really an afterthought during training (something you want) because of its comfort and good foot support. It is as good as a cross training shoe in the gym for any activity except fast running, compound lifting moves and leg exercises.

Durability

After a couple of weeks of all day wear the Reebok Sole Fury has held up remarkably well and shows little signs of physical wear other than dirt on its white areas. Sadly, this is a fact of life with bright white shoes. Reebok does have black-based and a few other colorways of the shoe for those preferring darker hues and to avoid the maintenance of white shoes.

Other than the inevitable grime of city life, the only other sign of wear we see is some slight creasing at the top of the synthetic that makes up the Sole Fury’s tongue. Again, this is nothing out of the ordinary for a sneaker.

Bottom Line

Wonderfully designed, full of the latest in sport shoe technology with an ode to the past, and quite comfortable, the Reebok Sole Fury is a fantastic all-round shoe for sneaker fans and those seeking some ultracool everyday athletic-vibed shoes. It has a very low MSRP of just $90 making it a steal in a world where even basic kicks cost at least $120. Grab a pair before they sell out again like the first drop of them did!