Last Updated on April 13, 2014 by Heather Hart, ACSM EP, CSCS
About a month ago I published an initial review of the Reebok All Terrain Super, a shoe designed specifically for obstacle course racing (you can read that review HERE). While I put the shoe to the test in mud, water, snow, and trails, I hadn’t had the opportunity to wear them in an actual obstacle course race. This weekend, however, I participated in a 4 mile OCR that included plenty of mud, varying terrain, elevation, and obstacles. There were a few notable positives and negatives that I felt warranted an update.
First up, the positives:
– Grip. I’ve heard others complain that the Reebok All Terrain series felt “slippery” on walls. I did not have the same experience. Both dry and covered in mud, I was able to climb walls and not feel unstable or slippery. This included standard walls, as well as incline walls, both dry and wet. They also performed great on the numerous steep muddy/snowy trails we had to climb.
– Drainage. Perfect. I cannot rave about this feature enough: the drainage ports worked flawlessly. Obviously my feet were wet after running through puddles (and wading through waist deep ponds), but I never experienced water sloshing in the shoes. It was a very welcome change to previous OCR shoe experiences.
– Cleaning. Geoff threw them in the washing machine when we came home, they came out looking brand new. I’m not sure this is the recommended method of cleaning, but it worked really well.
Drying: They dry as fast as can be expected. Minimal cushioning and fabric really aide in the speed of drying.
Negatives:
Wear: there is a spot about the size of a nickle on the inner part of the shoe that is starting to wear. This wouldn’t necessarily concern me too much, *except* I’ve seen reports of other people who already have holes in their shoes in that same spot.
Fit: I stopped no short of 5 times to adjust and or completely take off one or both of the shoes to try and fix discomfort on the side of my foot near the bottom of my pinky toe. I have come up with two possible ideas:
1) A hot spot with a seam, or
2) The upper of the shoe is low and loose, allowing rocks, dirt, etc to enter the shoes, no matter how tight they are. It seems to me that this last issue could be resolved with a little beefier or higher upper.
Summary: other than the occasional discomfort, I did enjoy this shoe. It was lightweight and comfortable, and the drainage was just an amazing feature. At this point, I need to run another race to make a final decision. The debris entering the shoe could really be a deal breaker…as well as the possible wear.
*Disclosure* Reebok provided me with these shoes free of charge, however, all opinions expressed are solely my own.
Heather Hart is an ACSM certified Exercise Physiologist, NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), UESCA certified Ultrarunning Coach, RRCA certified Running Coach, co-founder of Hart Strength and Endurance Coaching, and creator of this site, Relentless Forward Commotion. She is a mom of two teen boys, and has been running and racing distances of 5K to 100+ miles for over a decade. Heather has been writing and encouraging others to find a love for fitness and movement since 2009.
Liz
Try using ladder lacing to resolve the discomfort on the side of your foot. I’ve had the same problem in some of my shoes and this has really helped. The laces stay tighter, and spread the tension across my foot much more evenly. Here’s a tutorial on ladder lacing just in case (not my website, I promise). Good luck: http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ladderlacing.htm
Heather
Awesome, thank you Liz! I will try that!
Betsy Moats (@WarriorBetsy)
Great review! Thanks!
Heather
My pleasure!
Chris Duncan
Hi! You’ve sold me on the Reebok. Traditionally in my regular road race shoes, I get one size larger than my normal shoe size. But I’m thinking with an OCR shoe, a size larger might not be a good thing as it gives more looseness for rocks and more give when cutting tight turns while a more snug fit might be better. What are your thoughts on sizing for this shoe?
Heather
Hi Chris! I agree with you 100%. In fact, I wore these shoes to tough mudder this weekend and again had issues with rocks getting through the upper/lacing area if I didn’t tie the shoe tight enough. Thus, I would NOT size up on these, but go with your exact shoe size. Hope that helps, and good luck! 🙂
Robbie M
I am looking for a new pair of OCR shoes, My last pair was the New Balance MT 610v2 and I don’t really have anything to compare them too, but I liked them. Are you still having problems with debris and would these be your go-to shoes for OCR?
Heather
Hi Robbie! Unfortunately, I am still having debris problems. I about threw the shoes into the woods at a Tough Mudder a few weeks ago. I think if my foot wasn’t so narrow, I wouldn’t have this issue. That is the ONLY thing stopping them from being my go-to shoes. For now, I’m on the hunt for something else…
Luc C.
Hello everyone,,
I wear two pairs of socks, I like the extra thickness for cousioning comfort and snugness. It also acts as a sealer alone the shoe opening, and am happy to report I have had no debris problems or ever lost a shoe in the mud.
Cheers and Happy Running.
Heather
Thanks Luc! We have a sprint coming up in two weeks, I’ll give the double sock thing a try. No extra chaffing due to the extra layers?
Emilio Magnano
Hey why not throw on some gaiters to prevent debris from getting in the shoes? I noticed the issue with my all terrain supers and the gaiters have all but eliminated the issue.
Dave
I’ve had the same problem with the small rocks getting into the shoe otherwise I love them. Which gaiters are you using?
Jenny Lees
Would you recommend the Reebok Outdoor Wild running shoe over this one? I am doing a Spartan Super in 4 weeks (eek!) and I have yet to find a shoe. The Reebok All Terrain Super is not available anywhere in my area for me to even try on but the Outdoor Wild is? I also don’t really want to pay for them if they are falling apart and letting in debris on the side. I also looked at Adidas Vigor TR 4 or Saucony Excursions but I don’t feel that they have as good a bottom as the Reeboks for getting through the mud. I personally have never ran through mud and I’m totally stressing!! Help me please 🙂