View source for Skechers GOrun Ultra Road

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Skechers GOrun Ultra Road Review}}
I ordered the Skechers GOrun Ultra Road in a triumph of optimism over experience. While the first Skechers shoes I tried (the bionic) were quite outstanding, that occurrence has not been repeated with their subsequent shoes. I hoped yet again that this time they'd create a great shoe that a reasonable price, but sadly my disappointment continues. I'll attempt to be as objective as I can in this review, but I dislike running in the Skechers Ultra Road far more than I expected. This review has taken rather a long time to write to you to my reluctance to put many miles on them. I found the Ultra Road to be rather gimmicky and way too heavy. I'm continually surprised by how heavy the Ultra Road feels when I pick it up; maybe they added a little kryptonite just for me. The main gimmick for the Ultra Road is its drain holes and upper that does not absorb so much water. This could make it a good option for races where you expect your feet to get briefly soaked, such as periodic stream crossings. A good option that is, if it works. I compared the Ultra Road on one foot with the [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]] on the other, both with identical socks. I weighed the shoes and socks dry, then thoroughly soaked them both and went for a 30 minute walk. I was surprised to find that the Ultra Road stayed squishy for far longer than the Hyper Speed. I was further surprised to find that by the end, the Ultra Road had held onto twice as much water as of the Hyper Speed. So sadly, I had to conclude that yet again the Ultra Road had managed to disappoint me. As a result of all of this, I've been tempted to rate of the Ultra Road as "Not Recommended", but even with all these shortcomings I think he could work for some runners. If you don't mind its excessive weight then the Ultra Road might be "Worth Considering." It's possible you might actually want some extra weight for training, as it could build a little extra strength and make a better shoe feel even faster. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Skechers GOrun Ultra Road-top.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Skechers GOrun Ultra Road top]]
|[[File:Skechers GOrun Ultra Road-outside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Skechers GOrun Ultra Road outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Skechers GOrun Ultra Road-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Skechers GOrun Ultra Road bottom]]
|[[File:Skechers GOrun Ultra Road-inside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Skechers GOrun Ultra Road inside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:cushioning}}. The GOrun Ultra Road has lots of cushioning, almost as much as the [[Hoka Clifton]]. However, I didn't find the cushioning had quite the bounce of the Hoka, or most other shoes for that matter. The cushioning lacks bounce, especially when compared with a Hoka. Like some other Sketchers's shoes, The GOrun Ultra Road has a pronounced egg crate midsole that make for a softer initial contact, but this softness does not last all the way through the landing. The cushioning is a reasonably even, though I found the shape of the heel a little odd. Like virtually all running shoes the midsole of GOrun Ultra Road tapers at the extreme Rea to create a slight rocker effect. On most shoes this is fairly innocuous, but here I found it a little intrusive as the tapering can feel a bit like a Ridge under the heel of the foot. This effect is far worse when walking, but I wasn't entirely happy with it on the run. It's worth noting that the level of cushioning you get comes with a relatively high weight penalty. You can get similar levels of cushioning for far less weight with issues like the [[Hoka Clayton]] or the [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]].
* {{H:drop}}. The GOrun Ultra Road has a 10mm which is vastly too much in my opinion. This is enough to mess with my biomechanics and is one of the reasons I dislike running in the shoe. When it's more one and has your weight in it the midsole compresses so that you get 6 mm of drop, which is better, but still too much. 
* {{H:structure}}. As I mentioned above, the rear of the midsole is a little disconcerting. It has more of the taper at the extreme rear than most shoes, and I find the shape is a little intrusive, changing my footstrike. The midsole consists of two different densities of foam; the lower foam that is green in my pictures is quite a lot firmer than the gray upper foam. This creates a stabilizing cradle for the heel and midfoot, but again I find this a little too intrusive for my tastes. When I run in the GOrun Ultra Road my stride feels a little unnatural, though runners used to shoes that have a medial post might accept this more easily. One unusual feature of the midsole is the drain holes that allow water to flow out over the shoe more quickly.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The GOrun Ultra Road is reasonably flexible when compared with a Hoka. This is mostly due to the egg crate effect that means the midsole has sections that are thinner and therefore bend more easily. 
* {{H:outsole}}. Unlike the [[Skechers GOrun Ultra]], the road version has a firmer rubber outsole in several small areas. In my photos these are the orange inserts, and as you can see they cover most of the contact points. My limited testing suggests that they improve the longevity of the shoe, at least compared with the non-road version where the shoe walked away like it was made out of milk chocolate. 
* {{H:shape}}. The GORun Ultra Road has a fairly traditional running shoe shape, so it's not really designed to fit the human foot. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}
* {{H:upper}}. The upper has been designed so that it does not hold much water for quicker draining and drying. This is reasonably effective, especially when combined with the drain holes in the midsole, but it's not without its compromises. I found the upper to be a little stiffer and rougher than I would like and while the comfort was not hugely impaired, it was noticeably different. There is a little padding around the ankle opening, but less than you would expect in a shoe this this heavy. The area at the top of the heel where the shoe meets the Achilles tendon has a nice soft patting inset, which is a nice touch.
* {{H:tongue}}. The Road Ultra has a traditional tongue with a small tab to attach it to the laces at the top. I had no problem with that the tongue staying correctly placed, and unlike the rest of the upper it's nicely padded. 
* {{H:lacing}}. The traditional flat laces stayed tied, and are very slightly elastic, something I rather like in a running shoes lace. I can honestly say that the laces are my favorite part of the shoe.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The heel counter is fairly firm, and it's located on the inside of the upper where it's rather more likely to dig in or rub. It didn't cause me any problems, but I'd recommend paying attention to that area if you try a pair on. 
{{FastBlr|skechers/gorun-ultra-2-707|707|Skechers GOrun Ultra Road}}
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=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
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