Reebok Made a Treadmill Shoe. Do You Need a Pair?

Alright, I’ve officially seen something new (to me, at least) in the running shoe space: shoes built just for the treadmill. Reebok recently launched their FloatZig Tread, just a few months after Adidas dropped the Treadflow, what many would describe as the “first treadmill-specific shoe” (although I can’t find that shoe available to consumers in the U.S. market.) At first, I wasn’t convinced this idea needed to exist. There are already minimal trainers, there are already max-cushion trainers, and people have been running on treadmills for decades in whatever shoe they own. But this winter, every treadmill at my gym has been filled every time I’m there (which is nearly every day). Running is more popular than ever, and for many people—especially in cities or cold climates—the treadmill is where they do the majority of their miles.

So, maybe a treadmill-specific shoe makes more sense than I initially gave it credit for. Reebok says it does. Their logic being that your usual plush, high-stack running shoes might actually feel too cushy and wobbly on a treadmill—which, to be fair, I’ve experienced in softer shoes. So they lowered the stack height to 28mm (compared to, say, 38mm in the Adidas Adizero Evo SL) and kept the platform flatter to help you feel more grounded on the moving belt. It feels more like the running shoes from a decade ago, before the max cushion movement took over. I gave the FloatZig Tread a try, and here’s how they performed during my workouts.

Barebones with a surprising amount of pop

If you’re accustomed to the modern, heavily cushioned running shoes, this one feels pretty barebones. I tested it across more than 10 treadmill sessions and immediately noticed how stable it felt. I wasn’t teetering or wobbling when the belt sped up, and I had no trouble staying in a straight line (I usually veer a bit to the right.) Along the edges of the shoe, there’s a lateral “outrigger,” which is essentially a firm plastic rail to keep your foot in line. The foam is a dual-density EVA, which is firmer than most daily trainers, but has a surprising pop to it. There’s also a subtle forefoot rocker that helps you roll through toe-off and keep your cadence snappy, even without a big stack of foam doing the work for you. Because of this propulsive feeling, this shoe performs pretty well during interval workouts. My favorite runs were 20-minute Fartlek workouts, varying the pace between my mile pace, 5k pace, and a recovery pace. I felt light on my feet during the faster intervals, but I wouldn’t trust it to pick up the pace enough for all-out sprints. (I prefer the Asics Megablast for this.)

Longer, steady efforts were a different story, though. After a couple miles at an easy pace, I started wishing for a little more cushion underfoot. The ride can feel flat and a touch harsh—almost like you’re bottoming out and meeting the treadmill deck a bit. Where it really pulled its weight was in the rest of the gym. I strength train four days a week, so I kept them on for everything—deadlifts, squats, Bulgarian split squats, vertical jumps—and they held up surprisingly well. The outsole has just enough grip that I wasn’t skidding during broad jumps, but it wasn’t so tacky that it got tripped up mid-movement. Of course, these shoes don’t perform like weightlifting shoes, and the rocker shape requires a more active effort to ground through the toes, but I PRed my deadlift in them, so I’m not complaining. Compared to something like the Altra Experience Flow 2, which I also tested recently as an option for those combo lifting/running days, the Reebok FloatZig Tread has less flex and firmer cushioning—traits that make it a better match for strength days, though not as enjoyable to run in.

Do you need a pair?

While Reebok says this shoe is for treadmill running, I liked it more as a cross-training shoe. It’s great for short treadmill intervals, warm-ups, or quick miles before lifting. Anything longer than two or three miles and I was itching for something a little faster and a little more forgiving. If you’re combining everything into one workout—running 10 to 20 minutes, squatting, then finishing off with some accessory work or a conditioning circuit—this shoe makes a lot of sense. (Think: something like a Barry’s workout or an Orangetheory class.) You don’t have to change shoes mid-session, and you’re not compromising (too much) performance on either end.

In that same vein, I think this might be a solid contender for hybrid athletes, like beginner Hyrox contestants. It will feel comfortable during the one-kilometer intervals, but also provide the stability, agility, and grip to lunge, jump into the next burpee, or push a heavy sled. Sure, you’re going to be sacrificing some of the speed that comes with plated supershoes that many pro Hyrox athletes wear, but for most participants, the grounded feel of the shoe will make it a better all-rounder. Also, runners who think all modern running shoes have gone a bit too heavy on the cushioning might love this shoe. So my hunch was confirmed: No, nobody needs a treadmill-specific shoe—strip away the marketing and this is really just a moderately stable daily trainer with a lower stack—but I do see the value of the Reebok FloatZig Tread. Where you’ll get your money’s worth is using it across your workouts, and not just for treadmill runs.