The NW Fitness Shoe Review

My first impression of this shoe was "It doesn't really look like a Reebok" The ZQuick is one of the only Reebok models forgo the CrossFit branding or their classic logo and instead discreetly displays their new red delta towards the back of the shoe.

The Reebok Women's ZQuick TR Lux GT Cross-Training Shoe features a mesh upper "NanoWeb" system (this is the pink part that zigs and zags around the shoe adding support). When tested I found that it helps keep your foot centered on the sole while performing lateral movements. I always like to twist and roll a shoe to see how flexible it is. This shoe rolled up from the toe to mid foot but had a rigid heel that I could not bend or twist.

The first thing I noticed after putting these shoes on was how hard sole of the heel was. When running this wasn’t a problem as I try to never run flat to avoid heel striking. But since I always spend a day training clients in a new pair of shoes before taking them out for a run, my heels were noticeably tired at the end of my sessions. A problem I sometimes encounter in shoes is tightness across the joint between my fifth metatarsal and phalange (where my pinky toes connects to my foot). After wearing these shoes around the studio all day I had no pain whatsoever in my forefoot, which was a major plus!

Following my first run in this shoe, my feet felt fine. I wouldn’t say they are my new favorite runners, but my feet didn’t hurt. Because the shoe didn’t flex easily in the forefoot, it almost felt like it was pushing me back into a mid to heel strike gait which did bother my knees and slowed my pace. The Z-series foam used on the sole is incredibly dense, making me believe it will wear more slowly therefor lasting longer than some of my other runners. The sole is siped and has laser cut grooves to help with flexibility but it still lags behind high performance minimalist shoes like Skora or Nike.

With the price of these shoes coming in below $60 these are a fine option for someone who is primarily interested in a "gym shoe" designed for some lateral movement and general performance; they’re cheap comfortable and get the job done. However, if you are looking for a shoe to train in properly several times a week and also where to the gym, I would wait for the Skora Fit or Nike Free to go on sale for around the same price.