Aaand we’re back with part two of the Reebok and FitFluential Blogger Event!
Lunch
After a short but intense and crazy fun CrossFit workout, it was time for lunch!
Lunch at the Reebok headquarters included a beautiful spread of sandwiches and salads and I made sure to dabble in both.
Gosh, I love roast beef and cheddar cheese. It’s a winning combination in my book.
I also really liked the salad I made using the ingredients they had on hand. It included mixed greens, steak, peas, blueberries, corn, carrots, tomatoes, walnuts, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
While we ate lunch, two Reebok employees conducted a mini focus group, asking us for input about their shoes while giving us previews of future Reebok shoes and listening to our feedback. I wish we would’ve had time to discuss Reebok apparel in addition to shoes since I feel like there are certain qualities I always hope to find in fitness apparel but have trouble finding at affordable prices.
We also learned a lot about the various Reebok sneakers on the market today.
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I thought the above little buyer’s guide slide was particularly interesting.
If you’re unsure of your foot type, you can place your foot in a bucket of water and then step onto a newspaper and see which print in the above slide most resembles your own. Depending on your foot type, different athletic shoes may work better for you.
- Flat arch: Look for shoes that offer “stability” or ones that offer “motion control”
- High arch: Look for shoes that are marketed as “flexible” or “soft” and offer “cushion” for the foot
- Normal arch: Look for shoes that are “neutral” and offer “cushion”
Our group then headed out for a tour of the facility to see where the magic happens at Reebok. We were able to listen to some pretty cool information about what all goes into creating a shoe and getting it to the point where it’s approved for sale to consumers.
We learned that a select group of runners often log 200 to 300 miles on trial Reebok shoes and come back with a list of thoughts for the employees about what was great and not so great about the test product. That information is then used to tweak everything until a quality shoe is made.
One of the coolest things we learned about new Reebok shoes is that some of them have “U-Form” technology. The use of a hair dryer basically gives you a perfect-fitting shoe. For the U-Form shoes, consumers use a blow dryer on the shoes for a solid two minutes before putting them on. The U-Form technology is activated by the heat which then causes the shoe to become soft and mold perfectly to your feet before hardening up and feeling like a normal (but better-fitting) shoe again. (My favorite shoe with U-Form technology was the CrossFit Flex Nano.)
Dance, Dance
Late in the afternoon, Reebok planned another workout for us, but this time it was a dance workout!
The workout was led by Ilyse Baker, who Reebok flew in from California especially for the occasion.
She’s got mooooves (she previously worked with Rihanna and LeAnn Rimes!) and took us through a hip hop dance routine that basically left everyone laughing and feeling completely awkward while we had a blast and dropped it low.
Afterward we were all a little sweaty, but my energy was back! I was feeling a little sleepy before the class and dancing just reminded me about how a quick workout can leave me feeling rejuvenated!
Hi Cat!
The event concluded with snack time (I had the most amazing cookies from the Reebok cafeteria and will try to get the recipe to share with you guys), before we all headed our separate ways.
I caught a plane to Tampa yesterday evening and arrived a little after midnight. Now I’m spending the weekend in St. Pete with my parents’ for Mother’s Day and am off to get a haircut with my sister!
Thanks so, so much to Reebok for showing all of us such a great time yesterday. It was a blast and I am very grateful for the opportunity!
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So much fun!! I think running shoe technology is so interesting. My foot looks like the top foot in the picture and when I switched to a shoe designed for stability, it was like a whole new world for my running. No my shin splints, knee problems, or tendonitis! It was amazing! I’m so glad you had fun on your trip!
That seems like such an informative experience, and fun too! I never knew I had high arches until I tried the water thing.
That looks like such an awesome day 🙂 Once I started running more I went to a running store to have them take a look at my feet and how I run/walk. From there, they recommended a type of shoe for me. It’s amazing how much of a difference that makes!
That sounds so cool, to see how they make the shoes! I bet they go through quite a lot for each shoe!
Looks like you learned a lot and sounds like so much fun! i love sneakers so this would be awesome!
Looks like a super interesting and fun event!
Fun!! Glad you guys had such a good time!
Looks like you guys had an amazing time. The Reekbok gear is very cute, we don’t have quite the selection in Ireland! Really want to try crossfit now, need to find a class!
Mmmmm the food loooks amazing! And your outfits are so cute~<3
I love dropping it low 😉 I am a dancer at heart and that is my ultimate form of cardio –sooo much fun! I love teaching it too (I teach Zumba). So I am glad you guys enjoyed it all. I love hip hop!
I just got a haircut too! Wahoo-twinners!
Sounds like a great time! So right about the apparel – I’ve actually had a lot of success with Reebok for durability and fit. One pair of my Reebok workout pants is reaching the 3 year mark, and they don’t stink at all and have retained their shape perfectly!
I am loving the recaps! Everything sounds like so mug fun! I feel like I have to go and try Crossfit now 🙂
The U-Form technology sounds really interesting. Being a product tester would be an amazing job!
That’s neat that they actually asked about your thoughts on the product. Great way to improve things in the future. Haha, oh god the dancing would have killed me. I have no rhythm at all, I’m like a 12 year old boy when I try to dance. Just awkward all over. Have a great time in St. Pete!
What an amazing event!! Super cool! Thank you for sharing the experience with us!
so much fun! I probably could have learned a lot there…I need to look for new running shoes!
Dance fitness classes sound awesome 🙂
Looks like that dance class was fun!
Everything about this looks amazing! Congrats on winning first place and thanks for sharing that foot pattern thing. I need to find out what I have, I think my feet are flat!
Thanks for sharing the foot arch slide, and I always look forward to new recipes from you!
The foot arch slide is interesting… especially since I am in the “high arch”/”pronator” category (which is apparently not the norm)… I am so jealous of your reebok gear, I want one of those XFit sports bras, bad!
It’s interesting to learn about Reebok’s new look. Honestly, when I go get new gear, it’s not the first brand to pop into mind…I remember when I was younger I had a bunch of Reebok items but now there are so many other brands. But I didn’t realize their brand has changed so much…will keep in mind next time I need gear!
Very cool! Thanks for sharing so many details about the event.
Nice dance class!
our pure ridiculousness totally did knock the tired right out of me!
Nice recap 🙂 You had some MOVES on the dance floor!
Fun! Love dancing. Dropping it low is where it’s at 😉