Shoe Review: Skechers GOrun Ride

Skechers GOrun ride

The original GOrun from Skechers is a polarizing shoe. Endorsed by Olympian Meb Keflezighi, the GOrun entered the minimalist footwear market with its unique curved bottom design. The reception of this rocker shape was mixed based on reviews and comments I’ve come across. But as for me, the GOrun has been kind. I especially enjoyed running in its wide toebox and light weight design. I even wore the GOrun to run the NJ Marathon in May 2012. And after logging more than 300 miles on the GOrun, I am still using it in my shoe rotation at the time of writing this review. However, I can testify that the GOrun isn’t flawless, as you can find out more in my previous review. To address some issues associated with the GOrun, Skechers pushed out a similar shoe in the GO lineup – the GOrun ride.

The GOrun ride is the chubby brother of the GOrun. It looks and runs more like your traditional running shoe in terms of height and cushioning. But this doesn’t mean the GOrun Ride isn’t flexible and light – it’s just a little bit more than the GOrun in every aspect. Recently I’ve logged 165 miles on the GOrun ride in various terrains and running intensities. Below is my full review of the Skechers GOrun ride.

Disclaimer: I received one pair of Skechers GOrun ride for free as a media sample for testing and reviewing purposes. All statements below are expressed as my honest, personal opinion.

Features

• Light weight: 7.9 oz (US M9) and 5.9 oz (US W6)
• Multidirectional flexibility: the midsole flexes and twists with the foot
• Roomy forefoot area: wide toebox for your toes to spread and splay
• 4 mm heel drop: low heel-to-toe high differential (heel drop)
• Propriety midsole compound: Resalyte™ – a lightweight, injection-molded material with memory retention
• Curved bottom: to minimize heel strike and promote a “natural” midfoot strike
• GOimpulse sensors: offers sensory feedback for a more responsive ride
• OrthoLite™ sockliner:anti-bacterial sockliner to eliminate odor and allow for sockless running
  

  Skechers Gorun ride mens blue grey

  

  Skechers GOrun ride lateral profile

  

  Skechers GOrun ride medial profile

  

  Skechers GOrun ride front view

  

  Skechers GOrun ride back view

  

  The rubber pattern of the GOrun ride is slightly different from GOrun’s

  

  The GOimpulse sensors in the midfoot area have been moved a bit toward the heel

Impression

The upper construction of the GOrun ride is very similar to GOrun’s, covered with mostly synthetic materials and stretchy mesh. The overlay patterns of the two shoes are only subtly different; and the GOrun ride’s upper felt thicker in my hand. Other than that, the upper of the GOrun ride has identical features as the GOrun – it’s soft, flexible, breathable, with no hard heel counter.

The upper construction of the GOrun ride is similar to the original GOrun

The heel and ankle design of the GOrun ride has a strong resemblance of the original GOrun

Like the GOrun, this shoe has no hard heel counter

The GOrun ride is heftier (by 1 oz) than the GOrun – although I would not consider it as a heavy shoe in any way. The bulk of the increased weight is obviously due to GOrun ride’s taller midsole. There is no hard arch support in the GOrun ride. The midsole of the GOrun ride has a profile of 12mm in forefoot, 19mm in midfoot, and 16mm in heel (GOrun’s heights are 10mm, 19mm, and 16mm, respectively). The same 4mm heel-to-toe differential (heel drop) is in both shoes. But the midfoot rocker design in the GOrun ride is less pronounced compared to the GOrun. More on this later.

The midsole sensors (the independent circular columns) have been reduced in number and relocated. However, the high-density rubber pods have been increased and moved toward the heel a bit. There’s also some outsole rubber at the tip of the shoe to increase durability.

Performance

I managed to log 165 miles in the GOrun ride with easy to moderate pace. These runs range from 6 miles to 22 miles on pavement, track, and dirt trail. The GOrun ride reminded me of the GOrun in every department, including performance. The upper offered good structural support without being restrictive; but I thought it was a tad beefier than it should be. The toebox was roomy enough to accommodate my wide foot.

The GOrun ride (top) compared to the original GOrun from the top

The GOrun ride (left) compared to the original GOrun from the front

The GOrun ride (left) compared to the original GOrun from the front

I only noticed the increased weight of 1 oz of the GOrun ride because I still run in the original GOrun as of today. The GOrun ride is by no means heavy – in fact, at 7.9 oz (Men’s 9), it weighs the same as the Kinvara 3. In practice, what I really observed about the shoe was not its weight – it was the midsole. The most drastic difference between the GOrun and GOrun ride is how the signature midsole curve in the midfoot area felt under my arch. As I mentioned earlier, the rocker shape is less bulging in the GOrun ride due to its reduced height differences in the heel, midfoot, and forefoot. In addition, the added foam in the midfoot and forefoot gives the GOrun ride a lot more give in terms of cushion. This cushion is noticeably softer than that of the GOrun’s, at the cost of the stiffer, more responsive road feel.

Midsole and heel comparison of the GOrun ride (left) and the original GOrun

The durability of the GOrun ride is excellent, if not better than the GOrun. After 165 miles, the only significant wear I could spot was in the forefoot area on the Resalyte foam pods. All the rubber GOimpulse sensors still had deep treads and grooves. This may be subjective based on my gait and foot strike pattern – but I wish Skechers would throw in a few rubber pods in the middle section of the forefoot area to extend the durability even further.

The midsole and outsole of the GOrun ride are quite durable

The forefoot area has shown the most significant wear in my case

Verdict

The GOrun ride is a great addition to Skechers’ GO family for several reasons. The most distinguishing being that it’s a capable light-weight shoe that is suitable for road running. The problem I (and several runners I’ve talked to) had with the older GOrun was that the midfoot rocker could become quite uncomfortable for long or intense runs. Skechers addressed this concern by lowering the height differences in the heel, midfoot, and forefoot. As a result, the GOrun does what it’s advertised to do – promoting midfoot strike, and ultimately a more efficient and natural way of running.

If you have never run in the GOrun or other shoes in the minimal or transitional footwear category, the GOrun ride is a reasonably priced shoe worth checking out. Although it isn’t my personal choice, I still urge you to try it on yourself to see if it’s a shoe for you. After all, it all comes down to your personal preference. As a matter of fact, one reader told me he exchanged his GOrun for GOrun ride and loved it! But if you prefer a stiffer, lower, and lighter road shoe like the original GOrun, perhaps you want to wait for the next update of the GOrun that is to be released soon.

What do you think of my review of the Skechers GOrun ride? Have you seen or tried any of the Skechers GO shoes? What other shoes would you like to see me review? Please share in the comment section below.

Author Bio: Kevin Lu is an engineer. He received his B.S. and M.S. in biomedical engineering from NJIT. Science, technology, and running are Kevin’s passions. In his spare time, Kevin trains for and participates in races of various distances. In addition to Beyond Distance, Kevin also writes for iRunnerBlog as a columnist. Find out more about Kevin here and follow him on Twitter.