Reebok XBeam Throwdown

(Continued ...)

      Reebok claims "the Throwdown features an X-Beam TPU midsole plate for lightweight and flexibility, a low to ground look and feel, and a 3D visual appearance". Well, we can agree with the visual appeal but we must digress to the low to the ground claim. The XBeam is a great alternative to other technology available on the market such as Shox and A³. It provides 80-90% of the experience but at a fraction of the expense. Yet, neither the Shox nor the A³ technology is anything close to being low to the ground in terms of look or feel. The XBeam is no exception. In fact, the biggest knock we have against it is the fact that it feels HIGH off the ground, almost unstable at times due to the higher center of gravity.

      Cushioning feel is solid. It is able to absorb any kind of impact w/out fear of bottoming out. The only other weakness we could see is the responsiveness of the shoe. Once the XBeam platform absorbs the shocks, there’s no feedback back to the foot. The player will feel isolated from the court and while that may be a good thing for some, performance-oriented buyers will frown. In this aspect, we’d have to say the Shox easily have the best energy return system (Boing anyone?) on the market, with A³ following second and the XBeam lags behind in 3rd.

      The Throwdown could also benefit more from an inner lacing system. After a few week of wear, we felt there’s constant shifting in the forefoot area during high level competition. The first row of laces is placed a tad too high and does not allow a good snug fit for players with narrow feet. We may recommend even going down half a size to accommodate this.

      Take a look at the bottom of the Throwdown. The sole design is practically identical to the XBeam Franchise and provides excellent traction. The groove near the forefoot area allows flexibility when running, jumping and cutting. We also like the design here - goes hand in hand with the upper elements of the shoe.