TRIED & TESTED
Skechers
are GO
I recently had the opportunity to put some Skechers shoes to the test , and found them very much to my liking , for various reasons ! – BY NORRIE WILLIAMSON
The American-based Skechers brand is synonymous with leisure and casual shoes , but for the past decade it has delved into the running and walking market with its range of GOrun and GOwalk shoes . As part of that , the brand took a giant step forward a few years back when it linked up with US marathon star Meb Keflezighi , the 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medallist and winner of the New York and Boston Marathons , His name was associated with the brand ’ s specific racing models , which combined essential running mechanics with simple but innovative design and technology , in a cost-effective product .
In recent years the Skechers brand has gained strength outside the USA , notably the Middle East and India , where events , clubs and athletes have benefited from Skechers sponsorships and marketing . Unfortunately , the limited accessibility of the running range , versus the greater focus on casual and leisure shoes , combined with a South African running market that tends to stick to the brands they already know , has meant that some of the greater value for money Skechers have been somewhat overlooked here . Hopefully this review will help to change that !
The current range of Skechers running shoes available in SA includes two models that deserve specific attention , covering the entire gambit of road , track and cross-country , and should be particularly attractive to parents with school-level athletes whose feet never seem to stop increasing in size . In other words , a shoe that covers more than one base – road , track and cross-country – is much more cost-effective than buying three pairs of shoes , when you know your child will soon outgrow the shoes just bought ! But these shoes are not just value-formoney due to their versatility , but also due to their quality .
Skechers GOrun Speed Elite Hyper
The name of this ultra-lightweight plated model is as long as the list of innovative features packed into it , and what you get is a high-performance racing flat designed to offer a competitive edge for racing .
Meb Keflezighi
This shoe has a 23mm heel stack height and 4mm heel-to-toe drop , making it low-profile by normal standards for plated shoes . However , this opens a versatility that most other plated shoes don ’ t offer , as shoes under 25mm are “ track legal ,” according to World Athletics rules . It is therefore a shoe one can use as both a road racer and a longdistance track racer . There ’ s that versatility I spoke of .
The HYPER BURST midsole is produced by blowing Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen through EVA to provide an extremely light , and fairly durable midsole that is used on a partially-curved last ( footbed shape ) that has the feel of the old racing shoes of the 1980 ’ s and 90 ’ s , with a superlight barefoot-like fit . What doesn ’ t feel like an 80s shoe is the carbon-infused shaped plate in the forefoot , which not only puts the runner into a powerful driving position for toe-off , but also provides stability on landing and as the foot transitions forwards .
This plate can only be housed in the front half of the shoe , as the overall stack heights do not allow for a curved plate through the midfoot , as typically used in other plated shoes . Still , the enforced forward lean and drive back from this plate certainly delivers racing momentum with added power , as many runners acknowledge in the work their calves do when first using this shoe . Also , the midsole is a bit firmer than other brands on the market , but this makes it more protective and also increases the relevance for track training and racing .
Saving on Weight
Everything about this shoe is lightweight , including the exceptionally wellconstructed translucent TPU mono-mesh upper that fits snugly around the foot and gains its shape from laminated support bands around the front of the toe box , the heel anchor , and the six-hole lacing yoke . In all other aspects the shoe is virtually see-through , apart from sublimated go-faster stripes and some minimal protection at the highly flexible heel tab .
All of this means that the runner rather slips into this foot-hugging upper , which has a relatively narrow fit , even though the toe-box is wider ahead of the toe joints .
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