Men's Journal

Reebok SelectRides Photo credit: Michael Pirrocco

What an athlete really needs is knee-saving cushioning and the support of a cross-trainer. The engineers at Reebok agree.

A new blend

“Within cross-training, there was always that segment called ‘running/cross-training,’ and it was one consumers didn’t quite believe in,” says Bill McInnis, Reebok’s director of advanced concepts. “With the SelectRides, we’ve tried to build the first cross-trainer that runs like a running shoe.”

Total Control

The flip of a switch changes the shoe from a sturdy, flat-soled trainer for weightlifting to a running shoe. “You want your cushioning when you’re running,” says David Canter, national director of fitness for the Sports Club/LA. “But that same cushioning is bad for lifting. It’s like wearing high heels.”

Do it now:

Use Google Maps to plan a route on which you can bike to work. A study done in Copenhagen, Denmark, showed that biking to work over a 14.5-year period decreased risk of death from heart disease and other illnesses by 40 percent, compared to those who didn’t ride.

Longer life

“I see a ton of folks who have been using the same shoes for too long, not realizing that they compress and need to be replaced,” says Canter. “Because you’re always replenishing the air cushioning in this shoe, it will probably last longer.”

Pumped up

An offspring of the 1990s’ Pump, the SelectRides use similar inflating air bladders, but they’re in the sole instead of the tongue. The “run” mode offers more arch support and up to 4mm of increased cushioning, while “train” mode lowers the centerline and stiffens the frame.

This article originally appeared in the February 2009 issue of Men’s Journal.

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