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Reebok Harmony Road Performance Review

The Reebok Harmony Road doesn’t make sense. It reminds me of the bumblebee quote. “Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.”  The stats are all wrong on this shoe. 13mm drop? That is ridiculous. Sounds like a high heel. The weight is 11.45 oz. for a size 10.5, not egregious, but on the heavier side. Third, Reebok has been out of the running market for a couple decades. So how does this shoe run, fit, and perform so well?

Reebok Harmony Road

The Good

Thomas: The upper of the Harmony Road will work for a lot of foot shapes. Over the arch, your foot is secured by two plies of overlays: a lighter softer layer and then a thicker more rigid layer over the top. This structure creates a snug fit for the midsection. A well-padded tongue, collar, and heel counter keep the ankle secure. The Harmony’s toe box has plenty of room. It almost borders on too much room, but I did not have any issues. The shoe feels soft and flexible when it is on your foot.

The cushioning in the Harmony Road is a real treat. There are two distinct sections of cushion providing the unique character of the shoe. Under the arch and forefoot is a softer more flexible midsole. As you move into the heel, you get a stable, bouncy heel that reminds me of BOOST material. I really enjoyed the comfort the dual materials create.

Moving on to the outsole. There is lots of sticky high abrasion rubber. Traction and durability will not be an issue for the Harmony Road.

Meaghan: To be honest, I was pretty skeptical about wearing a running shoe from Reebok. I’ve always associated them with CrossFit and Spartan Races; certainly not road running. However, Runner’s World named Harmony the “Best Runner’s Debut” in the spring 2017 shoe guide, so how bad could it be?

I didn’t love the gray/orange colorway at first, but I have to say it’s grown on me. Despite feeling heavy to hold, the shoes felt relatively light out on the road. Not racing-flat light, but fine for an everyday trainer. The upper is designed with a breathable mesh and a few film overlays for extra support. The collar and tongue are plushly padded. The shoes fit well; they’re comfortable with plenty of room in the toebox. I didn’t have any hot spots.

The midsole is made up of Reebok’s KooshRide foam which you can see in a cutout in the center of the outsole. It looks like they stuck a bunch of fuse beads (Google it) in the middle of the shoe. The foam provides a nice soft, cushioned feel underfoot. I like it quite a bit. The outsole is covered in rubber with grooved cutouts, which add a good amount of traction and durability.

Reebok Harmony Road

The Bad

Thomas: There is still room for improvement for the Harmony Road. Reebok should try to shave some weight to 10 oz. or under for a size 10.5, and get the drop down a few millimeters. Occasionally, I could feel my heel drag during my midfoot strike. That typically happens in higher drop shoes. If you heel strike It could be a benefit as you make contact with the road, roll through, and take off.

Meaghan: I didn’t love the lacing structure on these shoes. I found it difficult to get a really dialed-in fit. They’re also a little too firm for my liking. I think all the rubber on the outsole took away from that nice KooshRide foam stuff. Lastly, I have to make a note about the weight. My W7.5 weighed in at 9.55 oz. Not horrible, but it’s a good 2-3oz heavier than the other trainers in my rotation.

Reebok Harmony Road Conclusion

Thomas: I wasn’t expecting anything from these shoes. Actually, that isn’t true. I expected them to suck. When I unboxed the Harmony Road and held it in my hand, I was less than excited. Once I had them on my feet, I was intrigued. When I ran in them, they won me over.

The Harmony Road is a really good choice for a daily trainer. I like it for my runs where I am not concentrating on pace. The shoe offers an exceptional fit and underfoot comfort. I would wholeheartedly recommend the Harmony Road to any neutral runner looking for a solid daily trainer. Runner’s World gave the Harmony Road “Best Debut”, I don’t always agree with RW’s picks, but I think they got this one right. I am interested to see if Reebok stays committed to the running shoe category. If the Harmony Road is an indication, we will be seeing another major brand in the space making great shoes.

Meaghan: I can say that I was happily surprised with the Reebok Harmony Road. I put 50 miles on the shoes over the last few weeks and they’ve held up great. There is some minor wear on the outsole, but otherwise, they look brand new. I personally think this shoe is on par with the Saucony Ride or the Nike Pegasus. It’s a solid everyday trainer and for $110, you can try a pair yourself.

The Reebok Harmony Road shoes were provided by Reebok. This post is solely our opinion and is not a paid advertisement. If it had sucked, we would tell you. 

 

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  1. wunder says:

    I was actually looking at these to replace my Pegasus 34s would you know how these compare? I hear Reebok will have a longer distance race flat soon which helped me find the Harmony Road

    1. Thomas Neuberger says:

      It is a fine shoe to compare to the Pegasus. I will also recommend the Vomero 13.

  2. Rstolz says:

    Well done, Reebok!, Welcome back!

    I picked these up for a pittance and they are truly a very well executed daily trainer. I keep them for when I just want go out for some comfortable cruising miles. They’re capable of holding faster paces, but to me they feel most at home just cruising along comfortably.

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