Reebok Rapid Trekker review

The return of the Hybrid!

It's been quite a while since I saw a decent shoe-sandal hybrid in the stores. Adidas released one many years ago in India which had a sandal like upper mated with a hiking outsole - the shoe screamed aggression like a Banshee, and that's what it was called. I do remember many people wearing the shoe in India back then, so I assume it must have done really well, in spite of the high sticker price. It's really surprising that brands have stayed away from hybrids for so long, knowing they have great selling potential. The Reebok Rapid Trekker is a fresh take on the 'shandal' (shoe-sandal) design - my job today is to take the shoe apart (literally) and see if this shoe has what it takes...

Striped brother-in-arms: The previously reviewed Trail Bender sandal and the Rapid Trekker seem to be a part of the same collection and probably designed by the same Adidas guy, lol.

The Rapid Trekker and the Trail Bender sandal share the same design language - notice the 'two stripe' connection on the upper. But this is where the similarity ends, as the Trail Bender is a different animal altogether. While the Trail Bender is a true blue sandal, the Rapid Trekker attempts to play a softroader SUV, seeking to conquer the street and outdoor with equal measure. It does succeed, to some extent.

Airy beast: Abundance of open mesh on the upper for the ultimate in summer ventilation. However, what can go out easily will also find its way in just as quick, so do not expect your foot to be dust free. Twin Velcro closure system makes getting in and out of the shoe a breeze.

The Rapid Trekker upper is constructed using a open polyester mesh, which makes it a very well ventilated shoe, something which is ideal for Indian summers. On the flip side, if you are slightly adventurous and plan on 'trekking rapidly' as the name suggests, you might end up with a lot of debris inside as the open mesh has a tendency to be very welcoming, dust and small pebbles included. But if you happen to get wet, the same open mesh will help get rid of the soggy feeling sooner, which is a good thing.

The fit is secured using a two way Velcro closure system - it allows you to customize the fit in a few seconds, without any messy laces getting in the way. Though the rear part of the shoe fits really well thanks to the Velcro clasps, I can't say the same about the forefoot area. The non-stretch open mesh makes the forefoot fit a bit baggy and I also felt the inner seams on the side rubbing against my skin. They could have easily have covered the seams with a nylon tape, but for some reason, they have chosen not to. Bad.

DMX foam makes the going smooth: The small trinket hints at "DMX Inside".

Optical illusion: Contrary to what the molded text says up there, the grey foam is not DMX foam but just a part of the midsole. I cut the shoe into half to find out whether or not Reebok actually used DMX foam, and sure enough, I found it inside (See picture below).

Oh no, not the knife again!: I am getting used to this now. I do this every time I have to show something which cannot be seen from the outside, and in this case, it was the DMX Foam. The DMX foam can be seen here in form of an insert in the heel area midsole cavity(the lighter colored foam).

Is it a coincidence that the two shoes I have cut for my reviews so far are both Reeboks? Maybe they should have a small window in the outsole which shows the DMX foam so that it can save me the trouble of cutting the shoes open. Another thing which stood out as I cut the shoe open is the midsole hardness. I know that this shoe has an outdoor angle to it and the midsole should be harder than that of a normal running shoe, I still feel that the grey midsole foam is slightly harder than what it needs to be. The DMX foam makes for sufficient heel cushioning, but making the midsole a little bit softer would improve the overall ride of the shoe. Besides, this shoe is more of a street shoe than a serious mud plogger, so making the midsole softer should be the right thing to do.

Hole sole: The footbed is perforated from heel to toe. The perforations might give one an impression that the outsole circulates air or drains water very well, but honestly I really don't think it does any of that. There are only four midsole perforations (see outsole picture below) connected to the holes in the footbed, so functional water drainage or air circulation is out of the question. Maybe the holes are there just to look cool and do nothing else.

Trail lugs: The outsole of the Reebok Rapid Trekker. Look closely and you will see the five perforations in the forefoot. These perforations go right up to the footbed through the midsole but I doubt if they make any difference. But the rugged outsole lugs and design should do well if you're headed upto the hills.

Sometime in the near future, when my credit card woes are less troublesome, I plan to review all outdoor shoes and sandals where they are supposed to be actually tested - in the wild. When that time arrives, I'll come to know whether the Reebok Rapid Trekker can really cut it where it really matters. Till then, I would say that this shoe is really more of a street shoe which is airy and easy to walk around, while retaining some of an outdoory look and feel. Not unlike a Honda CRV, I'd say.

The Lowdown:

Shoe name: Rapid Trekker

Color reviewed: Black/Shark/Pure silver

Retail price (India): INR 3490

Estimated US retail: N.A.

Available at: Majority of Reebok stores and select multibrand stores.

Weight: 272 grams for a half pair of size UK 9/US 10

Verdict: One of the few shoe-sandal hybrids available in the market. Though the shoe has a lofty name - 'Rapid Trekker', it will probably feel more at home on the streets than in the wild. Though the inner seams and hard midsole foam knocks off a few brownie points , this extremely lightweight shoe still remains a decent buy at INR 3490.