REEBOK WORKOUT PLUS WW – REVIEW

 

We’re going to preface this review by openly admitting our unrelenting and unadulterated love for the REEBOK WORKOUT PLUS, so you can expect us to be a little more than biased in our assessment of this winterised version.

In a scene that sees servers crumble under the weight of triple-black desperation, the Workout Plus, for us, is a humble oasis, pleasantly free of the hype that has so many in a headlock. This shoe still adheres to the high street code of conduct which demands all-black and all-white versions be genuinely evergreen—their release date is still 1987 because they never went away. This has given the shoe a timeless, everyman quality: along with the Classic Leather, it’s a mainstay in British culture; from the playground, to the rave, to the pub, its presence is guaranteed.

 

 

 

 

The incredible and expansive 25^th anniversary project that the shoe underwent a couple of years back showed that the Workout could traverse the line between ‘ordinary’ trainer and collectible footwear, with some insane makeovers that included moose and fish leather uppers amongst many others. That momentum looks to have been sustained, with recent collaborations with Garbstore and Size? selling out with the quickness. This shoe does everything the right way.

 

 

 

 

With the meteorological conditions becoming decidedly soggier of late, Reebok have graced us with the Workout Plus WW, which we can only assume stands for Winter Weather. They aren’t quite the Gore-Tex built versions that still plague our Twitter timeline (they’re never going to happen, sorry), but they’re damn close. The upper is made from a coarse, toughened nubuck that makes liquid slide straight off, while the tongue, sockliner and footbed are full grain leather to maintain the shoe’s water-repellent credentials. While we appreciate that hiking laces and loops are more an aesthetic choice than an invitation to climb the closest peak, it’s a look that continues to fit perfectly on this silhouette. The ‘Weathered White’ sole unit and lining offset the ‘Trek Grey’ upper nicely, while two sets of the aforementioned laces lets you keep things tonal or add a pop of blue. The final detail is the wonderful debossed branding on the lateral H-strap and heel tab, including that iconic (a word used altogether too flippantly but warranted here) Union Jack.

 

 

 

 

The REEBOK WORKOUT PLUS WW is available now via the link-through below.

 

 

 

 

 

By @Nicsman