Revision as of 15:38, 17 August 2015

The GORun 4 makes it seem like Skechers are making random changes to their designs in the hope that something good happens by accident. The result is a shoe that aspires to mediocrity. If Skechers fixed the two obvious flaws noted below, then it's still too heavy for the cushioning it provides and it wears far too quickly. The Skechers naming is a bit confusing; these are the "GORun" without any other name, not the Skechers GoRun Ride, or Skechers GOrun Ultra. (I use The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I test running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.)

Sketchers GORun top	Sketchers GORun bottom
Sketchers GORun inside	Sketchers GORun outside
The hole in the rear upper that can cause problems.	The sole of the GORun was more of a stone magnet than I expected.

1 Characteristics

• Why you’d buy it. The GORun is hard to recommend, and I'd suggest looking at the Saucony Kinvara as a better transitional shoe, or the Asics Gel Hyper Speed as a much better shoe all round.
• Cushioning . The GORun has a fairly firm ride, providing rather limited cushioning for its weight. It has an egg-crate effect on the bottom, but this doesn't do much to soften the impact. The insole is made of foam that has "memory retention", but in practice this is quite similar to normal foam and I'd have never noticed the difference if I hadn't looked for it.
• Drop. While the GORun has a rather grim 8mm of drop, when the shoe is worn this is reduced to 3mm.
• Structure. The GORun ‎ has two densities of foam, but rather strangely the firmer foam is under the midfoot. This does not provide the usual arch support, but I did find it created slightly more pressure on my plantar fascia, just in front of my heel bone and just behind the ball. If I'd have worn the GORun for longer, I suspect I could have had plantar fasciitis issues.
• Flexibility. The GORun has moderate, but not good flexibility.
• Outsole. The GORun has small patches of firmer rubber outsole, seen as orange circles in the images of the bottom of the shoe. This is a bit pointless as they aren't positioned to improve the life of the shoe. The lack of outsole, combined with the egg-crate shape means the GORun will wear down more quickly than many other shoes. I also found the egg-create shape picked up more stones than I expected.
• Shape. The GORun has the classic shape that does not match the human foot, and narrows excessively in the toe box. I'd recommend cutting open the toe box open to prevent toe problems. (I recommend cutting open the toe box of virtually all running shoes, with the exception of a few shoes like some Altra shoes. When you have some worn out shoes, you should try cutting open the toe box. I've found that it's a big improvement, allowing my toes to move naturally and engage for toe off, as well as reducing the possibility of blisters.)
• Upper. The upper is flexible, but slightly thicker than I'd like. It also has more seams than has become the norm these days. There's a little padding around the rear of the foot, and good padding around the ankle opening. However, there is a hole in the upper at the rear that's intended to make the shoe easier to pull on. Skechers must have decided that the few cents to add a loop of fabric like everyone else does is too expensive. As a result the GORun has this hole in a relatively high pressure area that I suspect will cause blister issues for some.
• Tongue. The GORun has a traditional tongue with a tab to attach it to the laces, with plenty of soft padding.
• Lacing. The GORun Ride‏‎‏‎ has flat laces that worked well and I never had them come undone.
• Heel Counter. The GORun Ride‏‎‏‎ has only the very slightest of heel counters, which is nice.

Please support this site This review was made possible by readers like you buying products via my links. I buy all the products I review through normal retail channels, which allows me to create unbiased reviews free from the influence of reciprocity, or the need to keep vendors happy. It also ensures I don't get "reviewer specials" that are better than the retail versions. Buy Skechers GORun at Zappos Buy Skechers GORun at Road Runner Sports Buy Skechers GORun at Kelly's Running Warehouse Buy Skechers GORun at Charlotte Ultra Running Company

2 Cushioning and Shoes

It's intuitively obvious that the cushioning in a shoe will reduce the impact on your body when running. However, The Science of Running Shoes indicates that the reality is rather more complex. While slight cushioning may reduce the effort needed to run by improving your Running Economy, most scientific research indicates that more cushioning does further improve Running Economy. In addition, cushioning does not generally reduce impact and may actually increase it. This is counterintuitive, but is likely to be due to the way a runners mind and body adapts to softer cushioning. Unfortunately, the scientific evidence is far from complete and it's hard to give clear recommendations. I believe that some runners will prefer more cushioning, while others prefer less, and typically those running further have a fondness for greater cushioning. I also believe that a shoe should be as light as possible, and a shoe should justify its weight with the cushioning it provides. My advice is to decide what level of cushioning you're looking for, and then find the lightest shoes that also fit well and are comfortable.

3 Visualizing the Attributes of the Skechers GORun

How Skechers GORun compares showing rearfoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.	How Skechers GORun compares showing forefoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.
How Skechers GORun compares showing the price against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.	How Skechers GORun compares showing the loaded drop against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.

4 Comparisons

Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.

4.1 Skechers GORun and Saucony Kinvara

The Saucony Kinvara is my current favorite shoe for transitioning between a traditional shoe like the Asics GT 2000 and a much better shoe like the Asics Gel Hyper Speed. The Kinvara and GORun are superficially quite similar, with the GORun slightly lighter but less cushioned, especially in the rear. Unfortunately this does not translate to the real world, where the GORun has two major flaws; planter fascia pressure and the hole in the rear of the upper. Even if these were fixed, the Kinvara lasts longer, making it a cheaper shoe in the long run.

Sketchers GORun top	Sketchers GORun bottom	Sketchers GORun inside	Sketchers GORun outside
Top	Bottom	Inside	Outside

4.2 Skechers GORun Ride‏‎‏‎ and Asics Gel Hyper Speed

The GORun is appreciably heavier than the Asics Gel Hyper Speed, but a less cushioned. I also found the Hyper Speed more comfortable and without the flaws noted above.

Sketchers GORun top	Sketchers GORun bottom	Sketchers GORun inside	Sketchers GORun outside
Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 top	Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 bottom	Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 inside	Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 outside

4.3 Skechers GORun Ride‏‎‏‎ and Asics GT 2000

I tend to compare shoes against my benchmark "normal running shoe", the Asics GT 2000. Here the GORun finally finds a shoe that makes it look okay. The GORun is a lot lighter and a lot more flexible, though even here it's not as well cushioned.

Sketchers GORun top	Sketchers GORun bottom	Sketchers GORun inside	Sketchers GORun outside
Asics GT2000 top	Asics GT2000 bottom	Asics GT2000 inside	Asics GT2000 outside

5 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
Older shoe reviews: Saucony Hattori Review, Mizuno Cursoris Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, Hoka Clifton Review, Saucony Virrata 2 Review, Brooks PureCadence 3 Review, Brooks PureConnect 3 Review, Brooks PureFlow 3 Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, New Balance 980 Review, Brooks Transcend 2 Review, Hoka Huaka Review, Patagonia EVERlong Review, Asics 33-DFA Review, Hoka Conquest Review, Saucony Cortana Review, Puma Faas 100 R Review, Saucony Fastwitch Review, Nike Free Review, Asics Gel Lyte 33 Review, Skechers GOmeb Speed Review, Skechers GOrun Ultra Road Review, Nike LunaRacer Review, Altra Paradigm Review.