8,153
edits
Changes
Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:Skechers GORun 4 Review}} The GORun 4 makes it seem like Skechers are making random changes to their designs in the hope that something good happens by accident..."
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Skechers GORun 4 Review}}
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. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-top.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Sketchers GORun top]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Sketchers GORun bottom]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-inside.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Sketchers GORun inside]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-outside.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Sketchers GORun outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:GoRunHole.JPG|none|thumb|250px|The hole in the rear upper that can cause problems.]]
|[[File:GoRunStones.JPG|none|thumb|250px|The sole of the GORun was more of a stone magnet than I expected.]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:WhyBuy}}. 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.
* {{H: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.
* {{H:drop}}. While the GORun has a rather grim 8mm of drop, when the shoe is worn this is reduced to 3mm.
* {{H: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.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The GORun has moderate, but not good flexibility.
* {{H: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.
* {{H:shape}}. The GORun has the classic shape that does not match the human foot, and narrows excessively in the toe box. I'd recommend [[Shoe Modifications| cutting open the toe box open]] to prevent toe problems. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}
* {{H: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.
* {{H:tongue}}. The GORun has a traditional tongue with a tab to attach it to the laces, with plenty of soft padding.
* {{H:lacing}}. The GORun Ride has flat laces that worked well and I never had them come undone.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The GORun Ride has only the very slightest of heel counters, which is nice.
{{BuyShoes|RRS=T|AZ=T|ZP=T}}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=Comparisons=
Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.
==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.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun top]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun bottom]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun inside]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Top]]
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Bottom]]
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Inside]]
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Outside]]
|}
==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.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun top]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun bottom]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun inside]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 top]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 bottom]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 inside]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 outside]]
|}
==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.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun top]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun bottom]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun inside]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 top]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 bottom]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 inside]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 outside]]
|}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}
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. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-top.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Sketchers GORun top]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Sketchers GORun bottom]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-inside.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Sketchers GORun inside]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-outside.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Sketchers GORun outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:GoRunHole.JPG|none|thumb|250px|The hole in the rear upper that can cause problems.]]
|[[File:GoRunStones.JPG|none|thumb|250px|The sole of the GORun was more of a stone magnet than I expected.]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:WhyBuy}}. 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.
* {{H: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.
* {{H:drop}}. While the GORun has a rather grim 8mm of drop, when the shoe is worn this is reduced to 3mm.
* {{H: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.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The GORun has moderate, but not good flexibility.
* {{H: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.
* {{H:shape}}. The GORun has the classic shape that does not match the human foot, and narrows excessively in the toe box. I'd recommend [[Shoe Modifications| cutting open the toe box open]] to prevent toe problems. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}
* {{H: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.
* {{H:tongue}}. The GORun has a traditional tongue with a tab to attach it to the laces, with plenty of soft padding.
* {{H:lacing}}. The GORun Ride has flat laces that worked well and I never had them come undone.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The GORun Ride has only the very slightest of heel counters, which is nice.
{{BuyShoes|RRS=T|AZ=T|ZP=T}}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=Comparisons=
Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.
==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.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun top]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun bottom]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun inside]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Top]]
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Bottom]]
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Inside]]
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Outside]]
|}
==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.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun top]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun bottom]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun inside]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 top]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 bottom]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 inside]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 outside]]
|}
==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.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun top]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun bottom]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun inside]]
|[[File:Sketchers-Gorun-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Sketchers GORun outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 top]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 bottom]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 inside]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 outside]]
|}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}