crooked tongues magazine News Features

Go and look at the boxes you've amassed. They're looking a little too samey, right? We've long been fans of special packaging, whether it was Pump's special boxes, OG 95s, NikeiD slide-out efforts, our NB Confederacy of Villainy, lots of Vans Vault pieces...even shoes we weren't feeling like the Air Pressure and PUMA Disc had their own special containers for a point of difference. Now you're likely to just see a sea of beige boxes and it's a shame. Jordan 17s, the adidas UNDFTD Top Ten and the 35th anniversary Superstar pushed the boundaries of how decadent a shoe box can get, but Reebok have gotten a little fancy with it too right here for the release of the FitList project. While we gave ourselves hernias with the aforementioned adidas releases, these are significantly more portable too.

This box was created as a promo piece, like the recent Nike+ station for the Hyperdunk 2012, for the Reebok FitList application as part of Spotify (which, if you've lost your MP3 collection more than twice, is probably a key part of your day-to-day musical experience), which allows exercisers to soundtrack their workout with pre-chosen playlists that cater to intensity levels, length and specific intensities. If you can keep going for the duration of the 17 million songs on the Spotify database, then we suspect performance enhancing drug use and immortality at work. Containing built-in speakers and lights that are sound sensitive, the FitList box is better than a rope light and seedy wedding reception DJ. Alas, because of the Euro-plug, we haven't had the opportunity to let our boxes make noise, but the YouTube promo video made it look like fun. It's an insane concept that trumps the ubiquity of cardboard.

So what do these boxes house? A pair of the Reebok RealFlex Transition in what looks to be some promo colours. This Reebok reaction to the Free Run+ 2 does its orthotic, flexible thing well enough, with a minimal upper with subtle, tonal reflective hits and significant comfort. If the box had some Iverson Question Mids in a new colourway we probably would have started dancing with no lightship or music necessary, but as a launch for a new product, Reebok went in with this one. Kudos for thinking within the box on this one. Definitely a memorable vessel for a pair of shoes. `The Reebok FitList app is available right here.