Are these the right shoe for me? No. But could they be the right one for you? It might be worth a try.

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) Overall: B+ (A well fitting, neutral shoe that will work best for heel strikers with a lower volume forefoot.) 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.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, in my experience here, the heel counter didn’t do a great job. My heels both developed blisters during my runs. 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. 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 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.

Using an engineered mesh, the upper is very flexible and breathable. The upper moves with your foot through your entire gait. Personal: B/B- ( A comfortable casual shoe but an average ride by today's standard. Consistent for those who want it) 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) 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 Said Fit: B+ (Slightly short toebox and relaxed fit diminishing versatility, but still quite a comfortable upper otherwise)

Reebok Forever Floatride Energy 2 First Impressions

Andrea: 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 upper on the Energy is not anything amazing. They have not reinvented the way I would think about a shoe. But it is solid. 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.

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. Beneath the bouncy sole is a rubber outsole that covers the length of the shoe. Lakota Gambill Off-Year Tweaks Performance: B (Slightly c lunky heel with smooth front half. Best for daily training and easy miles) 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.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.