Sponsored Post: #reebokzquick #zrated Running Shoe Review

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential, LLC on behalf of Reebok. As always, the opinions I provide are completely my own and in no way affected by free product or compensation. I tell it like it is, always and forever.

As a pregnant woman, if you were to ask me what I've been missing most over the course of the past 24 weeks, you might think my response would have something to do with alcohol (wine, please) or my favorite clothes. But really, my response has everything to do with running. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely still clocking miles. They're slow, usually around three total, and they involve a potty break or two. So why do I miss running if I'm still running? Because I'm not training for anything, and I can't run the one race I fell in love with last year.

But I keep looking on the bright side: At 24 weeks gestation, I am still running!

It's a hard mental game at this point, only because I'm so scaled back (for good reason), but I'm still running comfortably and hope to continue this for as long as the bump will allow it. Maintaining good health during pregnancy motivates me. As do new shoes:

Reebok ZQuick running shoes are inspired by high performance tires. You know the kind, they make sports cars whiz around a race track. Which means this shoe is all about speed, traction and control. Those tires feature Z-Rated technology, and Reebok did whatever they could to embrace that in this aptly named ZQuick running shoe. Here, I'll let them explain:



Now, I'm not doing much sprinting or speed work these days, but this shoe is incredibly light. Despite the big belly and slower pace, I really can imagine how one might feel faster in them.

(I'll test that out once Baby is born.)

Let's get one thing straight, though. This shoe might be lightweight, but it's chock full of features. Four of my favorites:

Now, there are two (not really major) things I dislike about this running shoe:

1) While the inner bootie is awesome all around, like a big hug for my foot, the back portion of it cuts into my Achille's a bit...problem solved by wearing higher cut socks, but still. This could just be an individual problem as all feet/ankles are different.

2) I wouldn't necessarily wear these for heavy training or longer distances. I'm not sure that's what they're marketed for anyway. When I train, need just a bit more support to carry me to the finish. But for short runs or runs combined with strength training: Awesome.

Conclusion: This will be my go-to running shoe until Baby is born, and then maybe afterwards (at least until I return to heavy training).

Reebok ZQuick running shoes are listed on the Reebok website at $85/pair. Follow Reebok on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more information about these and other Reebok products. You can also follow A Daily Dose of Fit on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more about my adventures running while pregnant.

Question: When you look for a new athletic shoe,  how much emphasis do you place on color/aesthetics? If the shoe is extremely comfortable but totally ugly, would you still buy it? What are some of the features you look for?